Page 76 of The Duke’s Impossible Match

A smile flickered upon Clara’s face, but there were still worries.

“What happens if we have children of our own?”

Gerald took her hand and squeezed it tightly.

“Clemont Hall is large enough to house us all. And do you not think our hearts are large enough to love all the children we may have?”

“Yes,” Clara said, the simple word heavy with relief, delight, and utter happiness. Gerald pulled her in for a tight embrace and kissed her head. Clara drew strength from him.

“Come, let us go wake them and tell them the good news,” he said. Together they walked up to the room and stirred the children. They awoke with yawns.

“Children, we have good news. We have found you a home, and you can all stay together,” Clara said.

The children looked at each other.

“We don’t want to leave you,” Teddy said.

“What are you going to do without us?” Oliver asked.

Clara and Gerald chuckled.

“I’m pleased to say that we shall never have to find out. Gerald and I would like you to invite us to Clemont Hall. We shall be your guardians. After the wedding, we can all live together. Will you accept?”

The children bundled towards her, all smiles and rejoicing laughter. Clara fell to the floor, swarmed as she by the children. Then, Teddy cocked his head.

“Can Duke come too?” he asked.

“We wouldn’t have it any other way,” Gerald said, bending down to ruffle the dog’s fur. Clara smiled as she stretched her arms to embrace each of the children at the same time, reflecting on the fact that they had already created the family she was trying to find for them.

Their wedding was held in a small village church towards the end of summer. The leaves were beginning to curl and turn red, and the sky was overcast with fluffy clouds. Alfred and Mary were extremely proud and could not stop smiling. Beatrice was in a good mood as well, and did not seem inclined to cause any trouble. The rest of Clara’s family were present too. As well as Agatha and Theodore, her cousins Charlotte, Edmund, and Lydia attended with their spouses and children. The sheer number of them filled the church with liveliness and made the occasion feel far more grand than a tiny village church should have allowed.

“I must admit I feel a little like I am letting the side down,” Gerald confided to Eleanor, who helped adjust his suit. Their family tree was not as lush as Clara’s and only a few cousins and aunts milled about, keeping to themselves in one corner of the church.

“Don’t worry about that. Today is not about our families. It’s about you and Clara,” she said.

Gerald nodded. He took a deep breath and then took his position at the back of the church. He clasped his hands together as a sense of excitement bubbled through him. He stared at the door and waited for Clara to appear. He heard her carriage arrive, the wheels trundling along the ground, the horses whinnying as they came to a stop.

Then he heard the sound of the children.

“I’m supposed to go before you, Teddy,” Emily said.

“Well, hurry up then,” Teddy replied.

Their voices weren’t especially loud, but because a hush had descended upon the church as people anticipated Clara’s arrival, everyone heard them. Chuckles and titters of laughter passed through the church, some of which grew into guffaws as they heard Clara’s voice follow.

“Children, behave. This is my wedding day, and I won’t have you ruin it,” she said.

Alfred was waiting for her at the door. Gerald’s eyes melted.

Duke came in first, wearing a ribbon around his collar. Emily was next, constantly glancing over her shoulder to make sure Teddy wasn’t going to overtake her. In her hands, she held a colorful bouquet made of flowers picked from the gardens in Clemont Hall. Teddy strutted forward, head held high, hands outstretched, clutching a box that contained the rings.

Behind him came Charlotte. She held another bouquet, this one larger than the one Emily held. Her arm was linked with Alfred’s. Behind her came Oliver and Sophia, who were holding the train of Clara’s dress. Gerald’s mouth went dry upon seeing her. It was as though he was a tree and someone uprooted him.

He lost complete control of his senses and somehow forgot that so many other people were around him.

His mouth dropped open, and he teetered back and forth.

A hush rippled around the room, denoting that he was not the only one to be stunned by Clara’s beauty. She looked like an angel that had fallen to earth. No, more than that.