Bryony and Eswara took her to her bedroom, undressed her, and put her into a hot bath. They tended her cuts and bruises, and advised a couple of days of bed rest.
"And we really mean rest. So tell your husband you can tiddle his knob but not twiddle it," Eswara said with a knowing smile. "After all, you'll have to cut down a month before and stop for a month after."
Her face fell. "I’d forgot about that."
"Don’t worry. I have a few suggestions for you to keep him happy."
Bryony grinned. "She most certainly does."
"If you mean—" She gestured a couple of times.
"Better."
She gulped. "Better? He goes wild enough as it is."
Bryony nodded. "Better."
"And for women?" she asked eagerly.
"Magnificent."
She peered at the closed door. She smiled shyly and whispered, "They’ll be talking for at least half the night. Tell me everything."
Isolde was sound asleep by the time Randall got his brother and new sister in law bedded down in one of their guest rooms. Randall had peeped in on her a few times to make sure she was all right, and now climbed into bed and gathered her close and shed a few tears over how close he had come to losing her.
"Darling," she murmured, raising her lips to his for a kiss. She sniffled and sobbed, and he hugged her tightly. "Come, my love, it is all over now. We can put this all behind us. We can start anew."
She shook her auburn head and rested it against his shoulder. "I’m not so sure I want it to ever be behind us. Not if it means taking the love we have for each other for granted."
"I never shall, I give you my word. The love you brought in the door with you when you came to the townhouse that night has been the greatest gift I could ever have received. The only thing that will make me even more complete is you safely giving birth to that babe of ours in the summer, and having more with you to show the world how special our love is."
"Amen to that."
Randall gave vent to his tumultuous feelings, and placing his head on his wife’s shoulder, he wept in relief that it was all over at last. And that he had been so blessed that the last of his wishes really had come true.
She cleared her throat to remove the last of the choked up feeling she had had all day. "Darling, I know you’re really tired, but do you suppose you can..."
He heard her request in his head and heart, and her reasons for it.
"I’ll try it. I’ll do anything to see you and the baby safe." He kissed her stomach and placed his cheek next to her heart.
She held his head against her and sighed. "So will I. And you happy too."
"It looks like we’re going to have a whole new level of sensuality to explore."
"Do you mind?"
He eagerly busied his mouth and fingers. Mind? I can’t wait. Nothing would make me happier except to have him born safe, with all ten fingers and toes.
Epilogue
Isolde ceased her panting at last, and smiled up at her husband’s awe-stricken expression lovingly.
"How is it possible?" Randall exclaimed.
Blake laughed. "Do you really need me to explain the birds and the bees to you at this stage, old chap?"
"You know what I mean!"
Isolde shrugged. "It may have taken me a while to conceive, but look what all the waiting brought."
Randall couldn’t stop looking at his three new sons, all with raven-black hair and eyes of dark swirling blue.
"The eyes will most likely change a bit," Eswara said, looking over the proud father’s shoulder. "At least they’re not completely identical, so you should have no trouble telling them apart. You’d better get a couple of good wet nurses. If they’re anything like my ones, they’ll be hungry as hunters all the time."
Philip and Jasmine looked at them with wonder in their eyes. "Fine babes indeed, and looking for a meal, judging from the mouth movements," Jasmine said.
"Aye, a wetnurse or three as soon as possible, please. I don’t think I can even try to cope. My breasts are already killing me. And one touch from Randall and I’m in a perpetual state of frenzy."
She blushed, and Randall mouthed an apology.
Eswara grinned. "What, even now you’re thinking lusty thoughts? Some wives give their husbands black eyes for what they put them through."
"I might just do it to myself," Randall said with a sigh. "Cold baths are going to be the order of the day for months after this."
"Now, now, none of that," Eswara said with a shake of her head. "Just a few instructions on some efficient preventive measures will do. Just think how lucky you are. All those years, I had only Ash. I would have given anything for three little blessings such as these. Though I seem to be making up for it now," she said with a satisfied chuckle, patting her rounding belly.
"You know how Bath is famous for its recuperative waters?" Randall said as he played with each of their fingers in turn.
They all nodded.
"I think we can make that stone in Millcote Forest a fertility site. You know, something the old wives talk about."
Blake and Eswara, finishing cleaning up all of their equipment, looked up at him.
"What stone?" Blake asked.
"Eswara, you’ve seen it. The one in the centre of the ruined monastery."
She shook her head. "Never saw it."
He stared. "What? I was painting it the day we spoke in the clearing last summer. Surely you must recall."
"I don’t. But in any case, the ruins aren’t there any more."
"What do you mean? I was just there the other—"
"The tale is all over the district. I heard it from the serving maids in the kitchen. The huge storm last night. It caused the whole earth to tremble. A huge crack like Cheddar Gorge opened up and swallowed the ruins."
Randall looked at his friend for confirmation.
"It’s true, old chap," Blake confirmed with a nod. "I was just on my way here when Belle and I were knocked right off our feet. We weren’t hurt, but it was pretty startling. The bell tower fell in with a huge clang, and then there was total silence. Like a vacuum." He shook his head. "It was the most remarkable thing I’ve ever seen."
Isolde looked at her husband warmly, though a slight frown marred her joyous expression. "Oh well, darling, at least you finished that painting for me in the end."
"That’s right."
He went over to the desk to show it to his friends, but when he picked it up, he gaped. "But that’s not what I—"
"But it’s what it looks like," Isolde said softly, admiring the picture of the glade with no ruins and three soaring rainbows.
Their friends gave the a long measuring look.
"It's a grand picture," Arabella praised.
"Aye," Philip and Jasmine agreed. "You'll have to do portraits of all the children next."
Blake was still staring at them, but merely said, "Well, you must be exhausted, the pair of you. Eswara and I are going to go down and have something to eat. Shout if you need anything."
"Thank you all for everything."
"Don’t mention it. Our pleasure," Blake said.
Eswara gave them one last long look, and left as well.
Philip and Jasmine departed a short time later, but Michael, Bryony, the Dowager Lady Hazelmere, and Matthew Dane and his new wife all came into the lying in room next to offer their best wishes.
Randall and Isolde showed off their triplets happily, completely lost in the wonder of all they had been blessed with.
When the couple was alone once more, Randall returned to the cradle and with a proud look at his new sons, grinned joyously at his wife.
"Love certainly does do the most miraculous things."
"I’ve noticed. It can certainly resurrect even the deadest flesh," he said with a laugh, fidgeting uncomfortably in his suddenly too-tight breeches.
She opener her arms for him to come nestle beside her.
"I’m sorry, love. You know what Blake said abou
t one month after."
"I know. I feel guilty enough about never managing the one month before part. But after what you’ve been through, I’m chastened. I would never do anything to put you in danger. I suppose it’s the price I have to pay for our uninhibited enjoyment the whole time you were pregnant."
"Don’t remind me, or I shall disregard all Blake’s warnings and pounce on you." She put her hand in his lap.
He allowed it to remain for a short time, then lifted it and planted a warm kiss on her palm.
"You must be exhausted. Just lie back and rest. There will be plenty of time to work that magic with your fingers in the coming weeks, when I get really desperate with longing for my dearest love."
She nodded. "Anytime you like. And thanks to Eswara, we still have all sorts of fascinating things to explore."
He grinned. "Interesting lady."
"Yes, love, but I have an even more fascinating husband," she said, kissing him hard.
"You really do need to rest, love," he insisted, putting her hands back down on her stomach as they began to creep into whatever opening to his clothing she could find.
She sighed and smiled. "Somehow I don’t want to sleep. I just want to gaze at our sons, and never let any of our beloved family out of my sight ever again."
He nodded, and cradled her against him tenderly. "Just as I want to with you. I can tell you now that I was terrified when you went into labour in the middle of the night."
"But you stayed with me the whole time, and were very very brave. I was so glad you were here."
"I can’t tell you how terrified I was. It was almost as bad when I saw you hanging off the edge of the cliff. I felt like I didn’t know what to do, how to help."
"But you did, then and now. I’m safe, love, thanks to you. Safe and happy."
"If I had lost you, Isolde, I don’t know what would have happened to me. I would have been even more bitter and despairing than I was before you saved me."
"I hope not. I hope you would have remembered our love and fought against the darkness within. Not become a rake again. You’ve done so much good in the government already. I’m so proud of you. So will all the children be when they understand what a brave new world you’re trying to create for them. All eleven of them, so far," she said with a delighted laugh.
"What shall we name them, do you think?"
She gazed deeply into his eyes.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Not your father?" he asked.
She shook her head. "Not this time. Nor yours. There will be plenty of others, I’m sure."
"I know. You’re never mistaken. I just hope not too many girls, or else I will have a full-time job on my hands minding their virtue."
"Don’t worry, I shall help," she promised, snuggling against his broad frame. "I shall tell them that when you meet the right person, you will know it, really and truly. That one should never ever even think about marrying for mercenary reasons, and there is no greater happiness in the world than to love and be loved by someone who genuinely esteems you. And that appearances can be deceiving, but the heart never lies."
He smiled down at her. "And to think, if you hadn’t been so convinced of your love for me that you would fight like a virago in order to keep me, I would never have found Michael again."
"Oh, I daresay one of the Rakehells would have tried to effect a reconciliation at some point."
"But you coming to the door to nurse my mother, well, that one kindness on your part has led to such joy."
She smiled at him. "Not complete kindness. I was looking for a job, after all."
"But you learned medicine in the clinic for fallen women. That was a great kindness, all those you helped. You’ve spent all your life saving people. It’s a gift from the gods.
"And now you’ve been rewarded. Or at least I hope you have. Triplets is a pretty tall order for a young woman your age. Add the other eight, and it's like cleaning out the Augean stables."
She wrinkled her nose. "Much more pleasant, I promise. You reforming this country is much more like a Herculean task, but I don’t see you complaining."
"An apt comparison in that case. There is certainly enough sh—dung to cope with," he said, catching himself quickly.
She grinned. "As there will be with all these nappies, but the children are delighted at the prospect of helping. Let me just have a little look at them, and then put my head down for half an hour, and I’ll be ready for the rest of the Rakehell visitors."
He took each sleeping baby out of the cradle for her to kiss.
"Francis, Robert, Mark Avenel," she declared.
"Eswara is right. I can tell them apart already."
"I’d better get busy with some embroidery thread, though, just in case."
"I think you’re going to have your hands awfully busy for the next twenty years," he said with a warm grin.
"So long as you’re not complaining," she said, her eyes sparkling with love and desire.
"Never, darling, so long as you never come near me with a needle or scissors."
"As if I would. So long as you don’t chat up the flighty little things in my sewing circle ever again."
"My darling, the only woman I am even remotely interested in wiggling my wickedly seductive tongue for is you."
She grinned. "Promises, promises."
"I’ve kept them all. As you have to me. Love, honour, cherish..."
She winked at him. "I’ve not been too good about the obey part."
"I don’t mind. I rather like you feisty. I’ve tried submissive. Not very much fun."
"I’m glad. Though not many men would agree with you."
He laughed happily. "Trust a reformed Rake to be an expert on women. I’ll take feisty any day, or night, so long as she has auburn hair, the bluest eyes, and the largest, kindest, and bravest heart in the world."
"I’m going to need it to keep up with these little chaps."
"I’ll be right by your side every step of the way, I swear. Just try to stop me."
Randall kissed each boy on the head before placing them side by side back in the bassinet, and tucking them in.
He smoothed the sheets and sat down carefully on the bed beside her. He laid her head gently on his shoulder.
"In case I haven’t said it, or said it often enough, I love you, Isolde, more than life itself. And thank you. Each day I think I can’t be happier, and yet each and every day you gift me with more blessings. I told you what I wanted in the forest glade, and every single one of my wishes came true."
"As have mine."
He kissed her in sheer relief. "I'm so glad.It's my dearest wish of all. You’ve lighted my way in the darkness. Your sweet innocence cleansed me, made me clean and whole again, a decent man, a good son, father and husband.
"I don’t know if it’s possible, for I love you more than life itself already. But I pray our love will only burn more brightly with the passing of time." He kissed her, and listened to her heart and his beat as one.
I love you, Randall, always.
He threaded his fingers through her silken auburn hair, deepening the kiss. He wrapped his arm around Isolde as though he would never let her go.
I will love you forever, my life, my wife, my dearest love.
Author’s note
All of my novels start out as questions in my head. This pair of novels, Innocence, and Innocence Afire , came about as a result of my wondering what would happen if an innocent, unsuspecting young woman came to the door of a man in desperate need of her help, without him even realising it, until it was almost too late for him to be redeemed.
Before I knew it, I had way over 100,000 words, and was nowhere near finished with their relationship growing. Therefore, Innocence grew to become a pair of novels, from Randall and Isolde meeting so shockingly and marrying, and starting to live as husband and wife, to Innocence Afire , as Isolde must trust to love despite their inner demons and external enemies trying to tear them apart.
As always, I wanted to capture the miracle and blessing of falling in love, and of course there were some loose ends to be tied up in Michael Avenel’s story The Model Master.
So in these paired novels, his brother Randall unexpectedly becomes the Earl of Hazelmere, and we get an insight into the family Michael fled when he went off to war, and has been running from ever since.
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