Epilogue
Eleven months later
Stacey entered her mother’s bedchamber and smiled as her mother sang a lullaby to Maryellen. Stacey had given birth to the girl two months ago, and as soon as her mother had seen Maryellen, her entire face had lit up. At once, it seemed as if her mother had embraced a fresh start in her life.
Up to then, her mother had been getting better connected with the world around her, but she fluctuated between days where she cried and those in which she was happy. On her happy days, Stacey had had the best conversations with her. They had gone for walks in the park, and a few times, they even went shopping.
But something magical seemed to happen after Maryellen was born. Her mother didn’t have the shadow of the past hovering over her anymore. She’d finally decided to give her full attention to the future. Perhaps that was the wonder of having a grandchild. Maybe there was a special bond grandparents shared with their grandchildren. Someday in the far off future, Stacey would have a grandchild, and at that time, she’d know. But for the time being, she was content to watch her mother bloom into the person she’d never been allowed to be while her father had been alive.
As her mother sang to Maryellen, Stacey gave Mrs. Bridgerton a smile. Mrs. Bridgerton smiled in return, and the two remained quiet so as not to disturb the two.
Mrs. Bridgerton now resided in the servant’s quarters, and she was now her mother’s lady’s maid. Stacey had been pleasantly surprised when her mother and Mrs. Bridgerton developed a friendship.
Stacey’s mother finished singing the song then looked over at them. “I think she’s asleep.”
Stacey tiptoed forward and saw that Maryellen was, indeed, asleep. “You’re going to spoil her by singing her to sleep every night,” Stacey playfully admonished.
Her mother chuckled. “You can’t begrudge a grandmother the right to spoil her grandchild. Especially not one so sweet.”
“No, I can’t,” Stacey agreed. “And I won’t.”
“Your husband is a good gentleman,” her mother said. “He’s happy with having a daughter. All children should be welcomed by their parents, even if that child is a girl.”
“Piers is a wonderful father.”
“He’s a wonderful husband, too. He treats you very well. That’s important.”
“It is.” After a moment, Stacey asked, “Are you sure you want Father’s money to go to the orphanage?”
Her mother nodded. “I want all children to be cared for. Your father’s money will help the little ones who have no parents.” She gently placed Maryellen in Stacey’s arms then got up from her rocking chair. “I should get ready for bed. Grandmothers need sleep just like their grandchildren do.”
“Good because we’ll take Maryellen to the park tomorrow.”
“That will be fun. I used to take you for walks in the park. Do you remember those?”
Stacey nodded. “They are my best childhood memories.”
Mrs. Bridgerton took out Stacey’s mother’s nightclothes and set them on the chair. “It’s a bit chilly out, but I suspect the weather will be nice enough for a walk. The sky was pink this evening. That’s a good sign.”
“Good. Then it’ll be a perfect day to go outside.” Stacey hugged her mother. “Have pleasant dreams.”
Her mother returned her hug. “You, too.”
Stacey left her mother’s bedchamber and went to her own. Piers looked up from the book he was reading in the chair by the candelabra.
“Is she asleep?” he whispered.
Stacey nodded and took Maryellen to the small room adjoining her bedchamber. Once she made sure her daughter was comfortable in the cradle, she looked over at Piers, who was smiling at them from where he stood in the doorway.
She left the room and closed the door almost all the way. She liked to leave it open a little, just in case Maryellen woke up in the middle of the night.
“Did you find anything interesting in what you were reading?” Stacey asked, keeping her voice low.
“I did,” he replied as she started to remove her clothes. “The priests of Mesopotamia had more power than the king and queen. They even had control of the irrigation system. The ability to deliver water to crops and to prevent flooding was a major step in securing the stability of the civilization.”
“I’m sure it was. I appreciate getting water whenever I need it.”
“Do you want to know another fascinating fact about the Mesopotamia civilization?”
Noting the excitement in his eyes, she encouraged him to tell her as she worked on removing her undergarments. “What else did you learn this evening?”
“The people had many gods, but they didn’t believe in life after death. They believed all people ended up as ghosts under the ground and ate dirt. That’s a strong contrast to the Egyptians who had a book specifically dedicated to navigating the afterlife.”
“One thing I’ve learned from all of your research is that different civilizations had their own ways of doing things.” She took off the last of her clothing. In case he thought he bored her, she hurried to add, “I do find these things interesting. Living with you has really expanded my view of the world. You make the past come alive in ways I never thought possible.”
When she was done putting her clothes away, she looked over at him, surprised he hadn’t replied with more facts about the things he’d read that evening. Usually, she couldn’t get him to stop talking.
But tonight, his gaze was on her body, and it was apparent the book he’d been reading was the last thing on his mind. Chuckling, she turned to him so he could get a good look at her and asked, “Don’t you want to tell me more about Mesopotamia?”
He blinked, and his gaze went to her face. “What?”
Resisting the urge to burst out laughing, she said, “You were telling me about Mesopotamia, and you were comparing their lack of belief in the afterlife to the Egyptians’ belief in it.”
His gaze traced the length of her body. He went to the dresser, put his spectacles down, and picked her up in his arms. “We can talk about that some other time. Right now, we have something more interesting to do.”
Then he carried her to the bed and made love to her.