Five years had passed since the day Sylvie and Roland welcomed their first child into the world. Since then, their life had only become more and more joyful, especially with the addition of their two youngest children.

George, the eldest, inherited his father’s curiosity tenfold. He had a thirst for knowledge, asking several hundred questions a day. Most of his questions were about what his parents were doing, and given that they were reading more often than not, he already had a wealth of knowledge about their favorite books. Roland’s mother told them that he was certainly the child to keep an eye on, because he was too intelligent for his own good.

Their three-year-old son, Roly, was his brother’s perfect opposite, though he was also his shadow. Sylvie and Roland had lost count of the amount of times George had gotten into trouble purely because Roly had asked him to do something, even though he had promised them that he would stop. All that they could truly do was laugh lightheartedly at the two of them. Sylvie had longed for a sibling all her life, and she was quite confident that had she had an older brother or sister then she would have been exactly the same as Roly.

And then there was Cassandra, the newest addition to the family, named after Sylvie’s mother. She was not yet old enough to join in with her brothers’ games, but the two little boys adored her. She was only a year old, but she happily babbled away to them as if she understood them perfectly. Sylvie wondered on more than one occasion if she truly did.

As Sylvie thought about the future, she envisioned all that their children would achieve. They were all so young, yet they each seemed to have their own desires already. They were walking in the garden, the two boys chasing after them and Cassandra in her father’s arms.

George soon found a patch of wildflowers and kneeled beside them, closely examining the petals and leaves.

“Mama,” he called out. “What are these?”

Sylvie smiled at Roland before walking over to him.

“Which one do you mean, Darling?”

“This one! Oh, and this one. This one too. Actually, Mama, could you tell me all of them?”

Sylvie laughed softly and gently explained each one to him. With each one that she named, the little boy repeated after her, trying to remember them.

“Do you think Cassandra would like them?” he asked.

“Aren’t you a little gentleman?” Sylvie said softly. “I think she would love them. Shall we pick them for her?”

George nodded and began to pluck them from the earth. He clamped his tiny fist around the stems before running off to his father. Smiling, Sylvie followed along behind him, but only for a moment before Roly called her.

“Mama! Look!”

Roly, ever the adventurer, had discovered a beetle and needed to show his mother what he had found. Sylvie wasn’t exactly sure why he was so fascinated with those, but she decided it had something to do with the trouble that came with him. She had to admit, though, that there was a sort of charm to this one, shiny and black. Suddenly, it flew upwards, causing Roly to fall backwards, giggling.

“Shall we go back to Papa now?” Sylvie asked, and he nodded emphatically. “Alright then. Say goodbye to the beetle.”

The little boy waved to it, shouting his goodbyes, and then the two of them joined the others.

“Children,” Sylvie called to get their attention.

The two boys turned toward her, their faces eager and inquisitive. Cassandra, meanwhile, continued to look around.

“We’re going to have a special party at your grandfather’s home tonight.”

Their eyes widened with excitement as they took in the news.

“A party, Papa?” George asked.

Sylvie nodded with a warm smile.

Parties were not events for children, especially ones so young, but the earl had made an exception. He missed his grandchildren terribly, and the other guests were close friends of his and so there didn’t seem to be any problem with that.

“Will there be cake, Mama?” George asked. “It is Roly’s favourite, after all.”

“Of course there will be cake,” Sylvie assured him. “But you know the rule. You must finish your dinner first. You will do that, won’t you Roly?”

“Yes, Mama.”

“And make sure you keep your clothes nice,” Roland reminded them. “You must behave, both of you.”

Roly whispered in George’s ear.

“What about Cassandra?” George asked.

Sylvie laughed. Roly’s countenance might be a cause for concern when they grew up, but for now it was sweet how they came together.

That evening, they arrived at the earl’s home. They, along with Reece and Bess, had arrived earlier than the other guests so that he could see his grandchildren. He was standing in the doorway when their carriage pulled in, and as soon as it came to a stop the two boys ran to his open arms.

“Grandfather!” George exclaimed, embracing him.

The earl bent down to their level, ruffling their hair.

“Hello, my dears. My, how you’ve all grown since I last saw you.”

Immediately, the two boys recounted their walk that day. They both talked over each other, and neither Sylvie nor Roland knew how the poor man understood them, but he did. This ability of his continued to impress the two of them around the dinner table, where both children so desperately wished to tell their grandfather everything.

“And how are you, Father?” Sylvie asked once the two boys took a moment to think of more to say.

“Well, since the wedding,” the earl began, “I’ve begun to acquire rare books in order to rebuild my library. I’ve travelled abroad, scouring old bookshops and libraries, and I’ve found some fascinating volumes.”

“As for the ones from the library that couldn’t be saved?” Roland asked.

“I gave them to a library and they have put them on display. It was difficult to lose them, but now my collection is becoming formidable once more. I have made a change this time, however.”

“What would that be?” Sylvie asked.

“This time, I hope to share it with the family, especially with the little ones. Knowledge is a treasure that should be passed down through the generations, not kept a secret. I should have known that to begin with.”

“It is a brilliant thing for you to do, Father. Let’s hope that this time nobody attempts to destroy it.”

“Have you heard of Exeter’s whereabouts?” Roland asked.

“That vile excuse of a man has been in the colonies for a few years now,” he explained. “And it appears that he will not be allowed out any time soon. His lack of respect runs deep, even for those in power.”

“Believe it or not, I cannot say that I am surprised.”

“Regardless,” the earl sighed, “I want to take this moment to apologise once more for all the hardship I allowed him to cause. I’m grateful he’s far away, and we can finally put the past behind us.”

“Father, it’s all in the past now,” Sylvie said kindly. “We can finally put it behind us and move forward. Exeter is far away, and miserable, while we’re here together. We should look to the future and all of the good that it will bring to us, instead.”

“You’re absolutely right, my dear,” he replied, smiling brightly, “It’s high time we looked ahead, and I couldn’t be happier for both of you.”

With that, they raised their glasses, toasting to a brighter future and the wonderful moments they were creating together.

“Speaking of bright futures and wonderful moments,” Sylvie raised her glass and made a toast. “To Reece and Bess.”

They had recently celebrated their third anniversary, and they couldn’t be happier themselves. Bess had taken to being the children’s nanny rather than a lady’s maid, and she thoroughly enjoyed it.

“You are both invaluable to us,” Roland nodded to them, “and we’re so grateful to have you as part of our family.”

The other guests arrived after the dinner, and the dowager duchess couldn’t hide her delight as she spent time with her grandchildren. She spoiled them with sweets, shushing them after each one as if Sylvie and Roland minded. They simply smiled as they watched their children interact with their grandmother, grateful for the family they had all become. The laughter of children filled the room, a sweet melody that resonated with the happiness and contentment they all shared.

“That,” the earl said, “is why your children are welcome at parties.”

“I have some news, everyone,” he began, smiling, “Emily and I are expecting our first child!”

Ambrose had fallen head over heels for the young lady he had met at his ball, and the two had had one of the longest courtships known in London. Neither felt the need to rush the matter, and in all honesty they had forgotten that they were not husband and wife. Eventually, they were indeed married, and now…

“That’s lovely, dear,” the dowager duchess said, “Congratulations to you both!”

“It is about time,” Roland laughed, “Is that why she is not here tonight?”

“Yes, unfortunately,” Ambrose said, his face falling slightly. “She has been terribly unwell, but in spite of it all she has never been happier.”

“Does this mean I’ll have a new friend to play with?” George asked.

“Yes, once they are big enough,” Sylvie replied, and her little boy’s eyes sparkled.

“To Ambrose and Emily!” Roland said, raising his glass. “May parenthood bless you with all of the joys possible.”

As the night settled in and their guests departed, Sylvie and Roland found a quiet moment together. They left the children with their parents, who were only too happy to play the role of grandparents for a while. The air was warm, the perfect summer evening, and the sky was clear and filled with stars. They walked for a while until they came across a bench, one her father had had built with a plaque for his late wife. Sylvie traced the plaque with her fingertips before sitting down. She nestled closer to Roland, her head resting on his shoulder.

“She would be so proud of you, you know,” he said softly.

“Thank you, Dear.”

They then enjoyed the silence; it was not too often that they could enjoy a moment of peace, not with three children. Suddenly, she turned to him.

“Roland,” she whispered, “did you ever think, when we first met, that we would be so happy together?”

Roland paused for a moment, deep in thought. Then, he gently tilted her chin, so he could look into her eyes.

“When I first met you, I felt a connection, a spark that I couldn’t ignore. I knew you made me happy, but I could never have imagined just how profoundly you mean to me. Nobody on this earth could have.”

“Oh, Darling, do you mean it?”

“You know that I do. Every day with you has been a blessing, and with each passing day I have watched our love grow stronger. I’m constantly amazed by the happiness you have brought into my life. I am without a doubt the luckiest man to have ever lived, and that is thanks to you and our children.”

As Roland and Sylvie sat in the moonlit garden, their hearts entwined, he gazed into her eyes.

“As for you?”

“I knew from the moment I read that first letter that you would bring me an adventure, but it is as you said. I could never have imagined that it would lead to this. Sometimes I think about what might have happened if I hadn’t accepted your request, but I can never think about it for too long. It saddens me too much.”

“Then perhaps it is time to take your own advice? You told your father that it is time to look forward. Don’t think about what might have happened had we not met, because we did.”

“We did,” she smiled, nodding, “We did, and it has been the greatest blessing to my life.”

“Speaking of blessings,” Roland chuckled, “shall we go back to ours?”

Sylvie laughed softly, and he rose from the bench and took her hand, their fingers entwining.

“If we can pry them away from their grandparents,” she sighed.

“And if we cannot, then we shall simply let them enjoy their evening together, and you and I can enjoy ours.”

“It would appear, then, that either way we will have won.”

“You are my wife, Sylvie. It is impossible that I will ever lose.”

The End