He glanced at her father, who only shrugged. “Of course, Miss Drake.”
Her father closed the door. “Five minutes,” he said from the hall.
Louisa smiled at Harry. “I do believe we are being watched by my dead father.” She walked into his arms and pressed her cheek to his chest. “I have missed you the past few days.”
“I’ve missed you too.” He pressed a kiss on her head. “You look beautiful, love. Like a duchess.”
“Oh, I am going to be a dreadful duchess,” she said with a shake of her head. “Mother tells everyone she is a widow of a London banker, yet, my dead father is most definitely alive. My sister is on husband number four after the deaths of the first three due to your father, who committed suicide. My youngest sister was just jilted by a viscount.” She looked up at him with a watery smile. “Are you certain this is a good idea?”
Louisa suddenly clutched her stomach and ran to the basin expelling the tea and toast she’d eaten earlier.
Harry approached her silently and poured a glass of water.
She took a few slow sips, praying she could manage to keep it down.
He then pulled her up against him, caressing her cheek. “I do believe that may be an indication that yes, we must do this no matter our own insecurities.”
“No,” she said, slowly comprehending what he meant. “It cannot b
e. I am only a few days late. It is nerves.”
“Perhaps, but I am not willing to take that chance.” He turned her back in his arms and walked her to a chair. “Besides, I don’t care about any of those reasons you gave me. The only thing that matters is you will be my wife, my love, and at some point, the mother of my children. I love you, Louisa. And as long as we love each other, the rest will work out.”
“You must have the most dreadful luck to be stuck with the plain Drake sister,” she said with a smile. “But this sister loves you more than she ever thought possible.”
“What are you going to do about your father?” he asked in a hesitant tone.
“I wish I knew.” She sighed. “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt too much to let him give me away. I’d told Raynerson that he could give me away, but I’m sure he will understand. Everyone here is family. Oh my, what about your sister?”
“She will find out at some point. There’s no better day than today.”
“Assuming she doesn’t make a scene during the ceremony.”
“She would never set out to purposely ruin someone. And she will come to love you, Louisa.”
“If you say so,” she muttered unconvinced that his sister would ever be anything but cordial to her. And only because of Harry.
“We have used our allotted five minutes. Shall we go get married?”
“Only if you’re certain.”
“Louisa, what else can go wrong?”
Louisa shook her head. “How could you say that after everything that has happened?”
He smiled at her. “There is nothing else. Because even if something happens, we have each other and will get through it...for the rest of our lives.”
Epilogue
Christmas 1820
EMMA SAT IN THE SALON of Northwood Park after arriving home from church. Being Harry and Louisa’s first Christmas, and she heavy with child, it had been decided that the family would spend it at Northwood Park. Since the wedding and her jilting by Bolton, Emma’s life had been anything but pleasant. Even the few invitations to balls had only been to appease the duke or his sister.
Emma’s life was over. She might as well don a spinster cap and be done with it.
But at least her sisters were happy. Much to Louisa’s surprise, she was with child during her wedding ceremony. Unfortunately, just like Tessa, Louisa spent the first three months with dreadful morning sickness. Hopefully, she would have an easy delivery as Tessa had.
“Emma, would you hold Jane?” Tessa asked as she walked into the room, holding her six-month-old daughter.