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Six months after their second wedding, Thea and Philip welcomed a beautiful baby boy into their family. They named him Martin Digby Bennington, and he had jet black hair just like his father, and turquoise eyes that were a perfect combination of both of his parents. He was perfect in every way, and if Thea and Philip had thought that their family was meant to be before his arrival, things were even more wonderful after it.
As Thea and Philip were doting on their new baby boy, Mia and Edward were becoming much closer. To no one’s surprise, Edward asked Lord Highfields’ permission to marry Mia quite quickly, and Lord Highfields happily accepted him.
On the night that Edward was planning to propose to Mia, he arranged a dance at Woodward House. Everyone from miles around came to partake in such jolly festivities. Meanwhile, Thea, Philip, Jane, and Edward had been concocting a plan for how Edward would go about actually proposing to Mia.
“It is perfect!” Jane exclaimed excitedly as they all gathered secretly while the guests were arriving. “I cannot imagine how any of this could go wrong, and I am so delighted that you are being creative with your proposal, brother!”
Edward blushed as he looked at his sister, Philip, and Thea. “Thank you, Jane. I just hope that I am not going to make a fool of myself in front of all of my guests … and, most importantly, Mia.”
Thea gave Edward’s shoulder a reassuring rub. “Edward, you have nothing to fear. You have assembled the finest actors in all of Kirklyn, and you can be certain that not a single one of us will betray our true intentions this evening!” she said encouragingly, and everyone laughed.
Right after, the group disbanded, and everyone went about completing their assigned tasks. Thea passed Martin off to Jane, who went and hid with him in another room. Then, once the dance had started, Thea quickly found her sister and pulled her away from the crowd, looking very distressed.
“Whatever is the matter, sister?” Mia asked, concerned.
“Mia, I am so sorry to drag you away in the midst of all of this, but Martin has gone missing. I laid him down in his bassinet in the library for just a moment while I went to grab something for you from your room, and when I came back, he was gone,” Thea explained convincingly. She waited with baited breath to see if Mia would believe what she was saying.
When Mia’s eyes widened, Thea knew that she had done her job properly. “Have you told Philip yet? Has he been looking for him?” Mia asked urgently.
Thea nodded. “Yes, Philip has been looking for him for a few minutes, but we have been unable to discover where he’s gone. Could you help us look? Again, I am so sorry to drag you away, but–”
“No apologies are necessary, sister,” Mia reassured her. “The more people we have looking, the faster we’ll be able to find him!”
“You’re wonderful, thank you,” Thea said gratefully.
Just then, as planned, Philip came racing into view. “Mia, thank you so much for helping us look, Jane has taken the servants’ quarters, Thea and I shall search the bedrooms. Would you mind looking out on the patio for us?” Philip asked Mia.
Thea thought that her husband had said that pretty convincingly, but Mia looked at him, puzzled. “Why should I look on the patio?” Mia asked. “The party is only just beginning. I cannot imagine that anyone has gone out there yet.”
Philip looked desperately to Thea and stammered, “Uhhh …”
Thea swept in. “I think that we should leave no stone unturned!” she said a little too loudly and then cleared her throat in embarrassment.
However, that seemed to please Mia, and she set off for the patio. Thea and Philip turned and went down the hall as though they were going to go to the bedrooms, but then stopped once they were out of sight. They looked at each other excitedly, waited silently for a few beats, and then followed behind Mia.
When they were able to see her again, she had just reached the door to the patio and was pushing it open. Thea and Philip skidded to a stop and dashed over to the side of the great hall, where it was less likely that Mia would see them. They hid behind an opulent statue, and when they looked at each other, they couldn’t help laughing at how ridiculous they were being.
After waiting a few more seconds, they ran over to the side window that overlooked the patio. As they peeked out into the growing darkness, they could vaguely make out the figures of Mia and Edward. They heard Jane race up behind them, and Thea turned to take Martin out of her hands.
“How did it go?” Jane asked.
“Fairly seamlessly,” Thea reported. “We had one tiny little hiccup because Mia couldn’t understand why we wanted her to look out on the patio, but beyond that, everything went swimmingly.”
The three onlookers continued to peer out onto the patio and breathlessly waited to see what they knew was about to happen. Eventually, Edward took Mia’s hand, said one last thing, and then got down on one knee. Jane and Thea squealed at the sight of it, and they watched as Mia put her other hand to her mouth in shock. Edward pulled out the ring, and immediately, Mia jumped upon him and embraced him. Jane and Thea squealed excitedly once more, embraced gently because of the baby still sleeping in Thea’s arms, and then all three of them ran out onto the patio to congratulate the couple. Thea was overwhelmed with happiness for her sister and was delighted that Edward was going to be her brother-in-law.
After Mia and Edward were engaged, Jane and Edward’s father’s estate was settled such that Jane and Miles could finally announce their engagement. They met with society’s approval of their union, and Philip and Thea could not have been more relieved that Jane and Miles were finally able to be together as they always should have been.
And finally, after many months of working hard on their relationship, which was made slightly easier because both of their daughters were happily spoken for, Lord and Lady Highfields seemed to be at a happy spot in their marriage. Whenever Philip and Thea had them over to visit their grandson, it was as though they were speaking to an entirely new couple. Lady Highfields was now so much more relaxed about everything, and Lord Highfields had fully embraced his true passion in life: gardening.
“You see, Philip,” Lord Highfields said to his son-in-law one night, “one has to ensure that the soil is aerated before planting anything in it, which takes quite a long time …” He continued to describe his planting process to Philip, who listened very patiently. At one point, Philip looked over to Thea and chuckled, and Thea mouthed ‘thank you!’ to him for talking with her father about his plants.
After they were finished talking, finally, Thea dragged her husband away from her parents and let them play with Martin by themselves for a moment.
“What is it?” Philip asked her once they were alone.
“Well,” Thea said, “do you remember me saying that I thought I had eaten something rotten by accident, and that was why I had been feeling ill for the last week?”
“Yes,” Philip agreed, “I had a word with the cook, and he said–”
“It wasn’t the food,” Thea informed him, smiling slyly. Philip looked puzzled, but then Thea took his hand and placed it upon her abdomen. “We’re expecting another child!”
Philip’s eyes widened. “You’re joking!” he exclaimed, and then when Thea shook her head, he picked her up, swung her around, and then put her back on the ground. “I cannot imagine being happier than I am at this moment, my love.”
So it seemed that all the difficulties that had arisen at the beginning of Philip and Thea’s relationship had been taken care of. Thea knew that there would certainly be other challenges along the way, but seeing her family so happy and at ease with each other for the time being did her a world of good. And to think, all of this wonder and merriment came about because of an accident that occurred one day on a horseback ride.
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OFFER: A BRAND NEW SERIES AND 2 FREEBIES FOR YOU!
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Hello, dear reader! I hope you enjoyed this story and the Extended Epilogue! Please feel free to leave your comments below. Thank you 😊
Loved the story couldn’t wait to turn the pages.
Thank you so much for your kind words, my dear!
I loved this book! The characters were very interesting and even though they all had problems, they were able to work things out for a happy ending..
Thank you so much for your kind words, my dear!
Loved the story but got confused when it was mentioned that Mr & Mrs Hay had a quick wedding when it was discovered that Mrs Hay was expecting Thea. Odd as Thea is the younger child – Mia is older child by a year.
I enjoyed this book. I can’t wait to read your other books.
I am so glad to hear that, my dear!
I loved this book.It was so well written and the characters and storyline were amazing. Thank you for an awesome read 🙂
Thank you so much for your kind words, my dear!
It was a very good book. You kept the characters very much life like and enjoyable to follow. Their escapades were enjoyable to follow.
Thank you so much, my dear!
I enjoyed this book immensely. I could hardly put it down. The story line is wonderful and I love, love, love it. Thanks for a tale well told with a wonderful plot and happy ending.
Thank you so much for your kind words, my dear!
Adorable storyline and sympathetic characters. Totally affirming and hopeful tale. Even the parents improved their relationship. And the heroine showed patience and self discipline by holding off jumping to conclusions. So great! This is a 5 star comfort book.
Thank you so much for your kind words, my dear!
Loved both story and epilogue.
Thank you so much for your kind words, my dear!
I love all your books. This storyline was fantastic. I was interested beginning to end. You are indeed a great author.
Thank you so much for your kind words, my dear!
It was a wonderful love story. I could not put the book down.
Thank you so much, my dear!
Wonderful story that kept me reading to the detriment of other duties! Looking fed to the next read. Thank you!
The part where Thea takes Mia’s hand and walks her over to introduce her to Edward, it’s written backwards, as if Thea takes Edward’s hand but you refer to Edward in the feminine. What I love about your dialogues and situations is that your characters seem to ultimately repent and become better people, correcting their poor behavior, and becoming loving. Thea’s interactions with the dowager countess were well conceived! It is so important in life to talk through and clarify misunderstandings and the misperception of others’ intentions!
You’re so right, my dear Ken!
Enjoyable story aside from some typos. Also, at the beginning of the story Mia was the elder; thus, Lady Highfields had to have been pregnant with Mia rather than Thea when she married Lord Highfields.
Loved it!! Like always 🙂
Thank you so much, my dear!
It was a delightful read.Nicely done.Give me more.
I am so glad to hear that, my dear! Stay tuned!
An excellent read, loved the characters.
Thank you so much for your kind words and support, my dear Barbara. I truly appreciate it!
So glad you enjoyed the story! Make sure to stay tuned because I have more coming!
Thank you again and have a lovely day!
I liked the book but, in the beginning you wrote that Mia was 22 and Thea was 21, but at the end of the book their mother confesses to have been pregnant with Thea when she married their father? Do you not keep notes about little tidbits such as I do? Good book other than that but mixups like that take away from the pleasure of reading the story.
L
Thank you so much for your kind words and support, my dear Laurie. I truly appreciate it!
So glad you enjoyed the story! Make sure to stay tuned because I have more coming!
Thank you again and have a lovely day!
I enjoyed reading this story.
Can I point out that in the first chapter you state Mia is 22 and Thea is 21 so to if Thea was the cause of their parents marriage the girls ages should be the other way on.
Regards
Thank you so much for your kind words and support, my dear Christine. I truly appreciate it!
So glad you enjoyed the story! Make sure to stay tuned because I have more coming!
Thank you again and have a lovely day!
I really enjoyed reading this book.
Thank you so much for your kind words and support, my dear Anita. I truly appreciate it!
So glad you enjoyed the story! Make sure to stay tuned because I have more coming!
Thank you again and have a lovely day!
Loved this, however I am confused because Mia is 23 and Thea 21, but her parents had to marry because her mother was pregnant with Thea? I think it should have been Mia.
Thank you so much for your kind words and support, my dear MaryAnn. I truly appreciate it!
Thank you again for taking the time to share your thoughts with me, they are very helpful.
So glad you enjoyed the story! Make sure to stay tuned because I have more coming!
Have a lovely day!
This story was simply lovely beginning to end. It made me cry as well as laugh. Thank you Emily .
Thank you so much for your kind words and support, dear Kelly. I truly appreciate it!
So glad you enjoyed the story! Make sure to stay tuned because I have more coming!
Thank you again and have a lovely day!
I do love to read a story that had a happy ending and realistic characters and storyline. Quite believable and well written.
Thank you dear Irene! Stay tuned there is more coming!
excellent read
I loved it
I am so glad to hear that, my dear Mary!
Emily, you have done it again, this is another gripping story that has some great characters who have been portrayed beautifully. There are some wonderful surprises along the way. The extended epilogue is a brilliant completion to the main characters story’s. Brilliant job.
I enjoyed the story but got very confused. At the beginning of the book, first page we are told that Mia is 22 & Thea 21.
At the end we are told that their parents were forced to marry as the were pregnant with Thea. But she is the younger daughter not the eldest. So something went wrong?
But I did enjoy it!
Another great story. And a great few surprises with the storyline too.All ending well.And the extended epilogue was also a excellent ending to this story.
Such a great story. Lovely characters and the extended epilogue was the icing on the cake. Thank you!
A very good story with characters that are charming and a wonderful extended epilogue
This was one of those books that thrived on solutions. I enjoyed reading how Thea and Phillip met each problem and found the solution without resulting in cruel actions but used acts of love instead. This is one of those rare books that all the loose ends were tied up and I ended up with a smile on my face. Thank you for a very lovely book!
I really enjoyed this entertaining tale of romance and mystery thank you for the epilogue!
Thank you so much for your kind words, my dear!
Even though there were character transpositions that caused some confusion, the story line was amazing-one of the best I have experienced in these Regency stories. This says a lot considering I have been reading these types of stories for at least 2 to 3 years. If you have editors, ask them to read more closely.
I loved this book!!!
This book and extended epilogue has it all. I loved it!
Absolutely loved this book! Loved all of the trials and tribulations of Thea and Philip’s relationship and their storylines as well as their family! I truly enjoyed reading this book and can’t wait to begin reading another of Emily Honeyfield’s next novel! Highly recommend!
Thank you so much for your kind words, my dear!
My dear Miss. Honeyfield, I also agree with another person that Mia is older than Thea so that part of the story was hard to swallow.
Other than this, I fully enjoyed the characters and appreciated how Philip was a sensitive person and that fit so well with Thea.
I loved the Extended Epilogue and all the happily ever after stories for everyone.
Bravo
Really enjoyed this book. Such lovely characters…Philip and Thea were a perfect match. Great beginning, great ending and great in between. Interesting what happened in her parents relationship. Enjoyed Mia’s personality and happy that she found Edward. The Extended Epilogue was good, except I wish it would have shown Philip’s mother being a doting grandmother.
Thank you so much for your kind words, my dear! I will keep this in mind
I throughly enjoyed this book and how you chose to show how thoughtful Thea and Philip were in resolving all their issues. I questioned the age difference between Mia and Thea as Mia was the oldest and the parents marriage date. Was Theas mother a widow or was Mia another accident?
Charming in places. Very unlikely in others. A bit too treacly for me, overall.
Thank you so much for your feedback, my dear!
Great story thank you.
Loved it. One of my new favorites. Your characters are so likeable and passonate. I can’t wait to read the next one!!
Thank you so much, my dear!
I really enjoy reading this enthralling story well written not confusing . Those arrangements of marriages between two people without knowing each other mostly ended in unhappiness and misery. Phillip and Thea have to to overcome the circumstances that lead them to a forced marriage and little by little fell in love .
Thank you so much, my dear!
A lovely romantic love story. I absolutely loved this story. The characters were lovely people. The extended epilogue completed the story of all the story’s characters well. Thank you for a good read.
Good story…… I don’t think I would have had the patience Thea had with her mother..lol. She make me want to be a better person.
SUCH A GREAT STORY. I COULDN’T PUT THE BOOK DOWN.
Thank you so much, my dear!
Wonderful love story. Loved how Thea was so patient with her mother. Really liked her father.
Thank you so much, my dear!
Lovable, sensitive main characters with an interesting storyline, and secondary characters with hidden depths. Enjoyed the process of several couples falling in love and the creative solutions. Pip and Thea were perfect for each other, and loved the parents finding their way back together. Keep writing for your appreciative readers. (Perhaps a word with your proofreader may improve the little glitches,)
Thank you so much for your honest feedback, my dear!
Wow! What a great love story. Loved every minute of it. A love that makes everyone around them happy. Emily keep them coming.
Thank you so much, my dear!
Loved the story of Thea and Philip and how they were made for each other. I loved how in the end everyone was happier. I always like the extended epilogue because at the end of the story you always want to know what happens next. 5 stars!!!!!!!!
Thank you so much, my dear!
What a wonderful written fun book to read. I highly recommend this book and author!
I really enjoyed this book. I was trying to figure out who the notes were from through the story. A very good ending with love is great!!
Thank you so much!
Good book, I started it and only put it down once before finishing it.
I’m humbled, my dear Susan!
I’m so grateful for your support and kind feedback!
I’m glad to hear that you enjoy my stories! Make sure to stay tuned there is more coming!
Enjoyed inmmensely. Great story line and love story. Will look for other books by this author and recommend to others.
I’m humbled, my dear Darleen!
I’m really grateful for your support and kind feedback!
I’m glad to hear that you enjoy my stories! Make sure to stay tuned because I have more coming!
I loved this book and couldn’t put it down! Finished it in one sitting! Phillip and The a were made for each other and there were enough twists and turns to keep everything interesting! Extended epilogue was the frosting on the cake!
Thank you so much for your kind words and support, my dear Mary. I truly appreciate it!
So glad you enjoyed the story! Make sure to stay tuned because I have more coming!
Thank you again and have a lovely day!
Loved this, however I am confused because Mia is 23 and Thea 21, but her parents had to marry because her mother was pregnant with Thea? I think it should have been Mia.
Phillip and Thea are such a Loganville and serve as an example to emulate. They both have such big hearts and embrace the best qualities of a couple that strives to respect and appreciate each other. Really loved her father’s supportive interaction.
Thank you so much for your kind words and support, my dear Pamela. I truly appreciate it!
So glad you enjoyed the story! Make sure to stay tuned because I have more coming!
Thank you again and have a lovely day!
That should have been loving, not Loganville.
A perfect example of what a person is looking for in a historically accurate story. I have read so many of your books that I’m somewhat impatient for the next one!
Until next time, miss Emily, 😊
I’m humbled, my dear Debbie!
I’m really grateful for your support and kind feedback!
I’m glad to hear that you enjoy my stories! Make sure to stay tuned because I have more coming!
A beautifully written book which truly depicted life inthe 1800’s with all of society’s rule. The characters all had flaws and problems that they were able to overcome. Each character was willing to apologize for their mistakes and truly made an effort to change or eliminate their flaws and poor behavior. A good lesson for us today.
Thank you so much for your kind words and support, dear Emily. I truly appreciate it!
So glad you enjoyed the story! Make sure to stay tuned because I have more coming!
Thank you again and have a lovely day!
I really enjoyed the story and the follow up to it. However, it is important to keep track of details because mistakes take away from the enjoyment. Mia is 22 while Thea is 21 as you tell us when you introduced us to the sisters in chapter 1. Yet her mom tells her towards the end of the book that she was pregnant with Thea and forced to marry. If that was true that would make Mia illegitimate. Maybe you just used the wrong name at the end. People do notice these mistakes. If her mom really felt that way then she should have tried to stop the wedding rather than break them up later. It made no sense. Also the reason for Jane and Miles to hide their engagement was too flimsy. It feels like you had to create problems for Thea and Philip to continue the story but really had not thought it out well so you threw in issues even if they made no sense. I have read several of your books but this is the first time I have felt that you had to write this in a hurry and just did not have time to properly develop the story. Thea, Phillip, Mia, Edward, Miles are all nice characters. Jane is less believable the way she has been portrayed. I think this could have been a really good book but needed more. Sorry to be critical but don’t you want honest opinions?
Thanks, Madhu for your valuable feedback! I will be sure to be more vigilant in the editing process!
Mother told Thea that she was the baby that started everyting but Mea was older than her.
23 and 21.
I did enjoy the story.
Thanks for your feedback, Vickie!