Epilogue

"You should just consider it, Rosie."

Rosemary Claire Kilroy, Nee Vermont and previously known by Albright, did not want to consider it. And given this was the third time her husband had made the suggestion, she had no qualms about letting her irritation show.

"We are not naming this child 'Evanthe'," she said, soft but emphatic as her hands curled protectively over her swollen belly. The child in question was so near arriving that her fingertips barely brushed as she tried to shield them from their father's absurd suggestions.

Alexander Kilroy, with his dark features and ever-present frown, knelt before her, gripping the arms of her chair to trap her in place. Perhaps to an outsider he might have seemed rather serious in that moment, but there was a twinkle in his eye and a curl to his lips that was always there when he looked at his wife.

"Why not?" he asked, his brow rising as his hands drifted to meet hers, interlocking their fingers against the curve of her stomach. "I should like another flower name in the family."

Rosemary couldn't help her smile. It rose up from a place within her that was so at peace – so genuinely happy – that she could not keep it at bay. "We are not Greek, Alex, we are English."

He leant forward and she felt her heart thud as he set their foreheads together. She could see little more than the flutter of his lashes and the bridge of his nose, but it still ignited a fire low in her belly.

"I already have a beautiful English Rose," he said on a breath between them, one hand sliding up her belly and across the side of her breast, moving to cup her jaw. "I-"

His words were lost as she tilted her mouth to catch him in a kiss. She couldn't move too much, not with their unborn child between them, but Alex met her easily in the motion, his hands drawing her closer as he moulded around her. Her lips parted and their kiss deepened, and Rosemary's hands skimmed from her husband's shoulders to his abdomen to the waistband of his pants...

The baby in her belly gave a strong kick, not appreciating being squished between them, and they broke apart with a laugh.

Rosemary shook her head at Alex. "You are distracting me, Mr Kilroy - I am trying to read about Philipa's wedding." She waved the letter in her hand – which was slightly more crumpled than it had been a moment earlier - between them, trying and failing to chase him away. He ducked under her arm, pressing a kiss to her stomach and the disgruntled baby within. She ran her free hand across his head, patting the curls into place. She hoped their child had his curls.

"From Beth?" It took her a moment to remember what they were discussing, ong enough for Alex to push himself to his feet and perch himself on the arm of her chair. "Well, what does she write? What dramatic events unfolded?"

His wife smiled and directed her attention properly to the letter. "The ceremony was lovely, and little cousins were very happy to be involved. And then... oh dear..." Rose looked up at Alex with a wan smile, shielding the rest of the letter against her chest. "It seems you and I might be receiving letters from our mothers shortly. It seems the rest of the Humphrey siblings tried to play a jest against Phil and it went rather... unexpectedly."

Alex simply shrugged. "I hardly think our Humphrey cousins would let any event pass without a modicum of impropriety. They do have a..." Another shrug. "Reputation."

"Ah, but so do we, my dear Mr Kilroy." Rose slapped him lightly on the thigh with the letter, her smile wide. "We, neither of us, are where the Ton would like us to be."

Alex reached for her, burying his fingers in the hair at the back of her neck. "Thank God for that."