Charlotte awoke to the sun streaming through the small gap in the drapes and a heavy arm draped over her. She smiled to herself. Much as when he was awake, even in his sleep her husband preferred to keep her close, a hand always on her somewhere. In the winter months, his whole body would nearly cover her entirely. In the summer, a hand or a foot, some light touch, always grazing hers. She moved to him, to his warmth, and his arm tightened around her pulling her closer still and she felt him place a lazy kiss on her back.
She turned then to face him, her hand resting on his cheek - his face now so familiar that she could draw it in her sleep. Every line, every expression, she'd cataloged them all until she could conjure him in her mind at any time. He let out a grumble, his eyes still closed clearly not ready to wake, and she couldn't help but let out a small laugh as she placed a kiss on each brow.
"Xander." Another grumble, and instead of responding, he pulled her even closer, burying his face in her hair. "Xander, come now. We must get ready."
He let out a small groan but instead of complying, he flipped her over so that she was on her back and he was on top of her. "Must we?" A different look on his face now, one she knew quite well. She opened her mouth to speak, but was unable to get a word out as he'd captured her lips in a searing kiss, one leaving her quite breathless.
"Come now, Xander," she said after a few minutes, although perhaps not very convincingly as he'd begun inching his hand up her leg underneath her nightdress, his lips trailing a kiss along her chest. "We haven't the time…" she trailed off as his hands moved up and his lips moved down.
"Surely we have a little time?" he replied, his breath hot on her skin, his voice gravely and low as he captured her lips in another kiss, then another, and then the kisses turned into something else entirely until she suddenly found herself divested of her nightgown. She decided then perhaps there was a little time for this after all.
It was a good half an hour later when both found themselves quite disheveled and very pleased that she attempted again to start her day. She moved to sit on the edge of the bed, as Colbourne sat up with her this time, trailing soft kisses on her neck.
"Alexander Colbourne," he hummed in response. "I shan't let you distract me again."
"Wager?" he replied with a soft bite on her neck. She let out a small gasp, and could feel his self-satisfied grin on her shoulder.
"You know, polite society would say you are positively indecent - a man married this long should hardly be this enamored with his wife."
"Polite society is not married to my wife." Charlotte blushed and conceded a small kiss, unable to resist such a compliment, before pushing him quite firmly off of her before he got too carried away again. She stood to put her nightgown back on while her husband murmured displeasure but moved to stand nonetheless. She looked at him then, admiring his form, pleased that there was no reason to avert her eyes and she could openly gawk as she liked. He, he smiled at her obvious glance and he gave her a wink. She rolled her eyes but couldn't help but smile - oh how she adoredhim.
"Now, you must be patient with Augusta today - she'll be all nerves and excitement. Do not let her goad you into an argument." She said to him, her tone already stern. He scoffed, but she raised her eyebrows and he conceded.
"I'll behave," he said with a huff, already halfway dressed. "Though perhaps I'll keep out of the house - go into town for a few hours, it may be better for everyone. When does Thomas arrive? He should certainly be kept away from Augusta.
"Not until later I imagine, closer to dinner," she paused then and looked at him with a small smile, "though they may not be as contentious with each other as you imagine."
Colbourne raised his eyebrows in question. "Mother has told me they've been corresponding." His eyebrows went higher.
"Augusta and Thomas?" he asked, disbelieving. "What on earth would they write to each other about - they can hardly hold a civil conversation without it turning into a screaming match." She simply smiled at him, until he understood her meaning. "I don't believe it." he said, simply shaking his head.
"You don't have to believe it, it may be nothing - I'm only telling you what mother told me." He shook his head again in disbelief and Charlotte laughed. "Would you have any opposition to the match? If indeed, there was to be one."
"Of course not," said Xander. "Your brother has grown into a fine gentleman despite Augusta's ability to provoke him into nonsensical rows." He shook his head again, utterly dumbfounded. "I simply cannot fathom this."
Charlotte laughed again. "We'll watch them tonight," she said conspiratorially before returning the discussion to the original point. "Perhaps take Freddie along with you if you go to town? Mrs. Wheatley will be quite busy and he is always getting into mischief."
"Of course, and shall I take Leo along as well?" He asked. Charlotte shook her head.
"I'll keep her with me today," replied Charlotte. Colbourne nodded, now fully dressed. She looked at him again. Devastatinglyhandsome, perhaps more so than when she had married him. He walked towards her then and pulled her into a kiss.
"I love you," he said softly, assuredly, the words falling from his lips so easily, surely repeated nearly thousands over, yet it still caused her heart to skip a beat. "Shall we be positively indecent again tonight?" he then asked with a wicked gleam in his eye.
"Mr. Colbourne!" He laughed then, and with another quick kiss, he left the room, leaving Charlotte to herself, a smile still lingering on her lips.
Augusta paced in the halls waiting for Charlotte impatiently. Charlotte had promised to wake early to help with all the preparations and then of course there was so much left to be done, she felt a ball of nervous excitement. Of course, she couldn't let herself think of the true reason for her nervousness as it hardly even made sense to her.
"There you are," came her Aunt's voice from behind her. "I've been looking for you!"
"Me?" Replied Augusta incredulously, "I've been pacing the corridors a good hour looking for you!"
Charlotte smiled, reaching for the girl's hand. "Come now, let's find Mrs. Wheatley and get on with it."
Augusta breathed a sigh of relief. It was not every day a girl had a ball thrown in honor of their birthday and even fewer days that Heryic Park was meant to be full of guests. Her guests. Well, she supposed they were not all her guests. Him for example. But he was a guest of Charlotte's after all. Did he even count as a guest? He was practically a relation. She'd known him nearly five years now.
"And when is Thomas due to arrive?" Augusta asked as casually as she could. Charlotte hid a small smirk.
"I imagine in the next few hours. He's coming from London."
"Oh, I thought he was he was stopping in Willindgen first?"
"Oh?" said Charlotte, surprised. "He had not told me that." Augusta turned a faint shade of red. Charlotte chose wisely to ignore it. "Well, I would think if he's coming from Willingden, he'd arrive in an hour or so. It is not so far a distance as London."
"Charlotte?" asked Augusta, as they continued walking, looking determinedly ahead.
"Yes?"
"When did you fall in love with my uncle?"
Charlotte hid a small smile. "I hardly know - I spent so much time convincing myself I was not in love that I can hardly remember when it started."
"Well, that does not help me in the least." said Augusta, looking quite dissatisfied with her answer.
Charlotte laughed. "Do you remember when I was still your governess, and we had a picnic and your uncle joined us?" Augusta nodded. "He gave me cornflowers. I kept them with me. Even today, they are pressed in a book somewhere. I don't think I loved him that day, but it must have started then - I couldn't account for why I had wanted to keep them, only my heart seemed to know it they were dear."
"But what made you feel that way?"
"I suppose just that he was so generous without a second thought. Especially when he had no reason to be." She paused then. "Of course, I also found him unbearably handsome, which helped."
Augusta pulled a face, half horrified, half disgusted, and Charlotte laughed.
"And what does it feel like? Being in love?"
"Changes like the seasons, I suppose. In the beginning, I felt as if he was the only thing required to keep me alive." Charlotte smiled as she remembered the flutters of early love. "Of course, before we had acknowledged feelings it was quite different - I felt a restlessness that was only ever soothed in his presence, his company was the only I felt I needed - I felt like a fish drawn to water - incapable of being away from him."
"My Uncle?" Augusta asked, as if in disbelief that a man she looked up to almost as a father would cause this sort of feeling in anyone.
"Yes, your uncle", said Charlotte with a laugh. "And now, I feel very much the same, though perhaps not as with the fervor of youth - there is a steadiness, familiarity and comfort that grows with time. Less ardent, but perhaps sweeter. We share a life, memories, children - he's become the center of my entire world."
And as if she had conjured them, Xander and little Freddie appeared before them. Charlotte felt her heart squeeze at the picture they painted. Freddie on his father's shoulder - the mirror image of his father, sweet soulful eyes, a crop of dark hair, but with an impish and beguiling smile that was clearly from his mother. The precocious three year old was particularly attached to his father, but no one held a candle to his beloved sister.
"Mama, we cannot find Leo anywhere!" cried Freddie from atop his father. "I want her to come with us."
"Leo is meant to be with me today darling, you run along with Papa." said Charlotte in a soothing tone.
"I'm meant to be here looking at dishes and flowers while Papa and Freddie get to gallivant about town?" came Leo's incredulous voice from behind her. Charlotte and Augusta turned to see Leo walking with a very familiar displeased expression on her face. Charlotte couldn't help but smile at the girl. No longer a girl, she supposed. A young lady.
"They are not gallivanting, Leo. They will run errands and hardly enjoyable ones," said Charlotte, placatingly. "And I require your help here."
"Yes, Leo, you're only a year or so off from coming out after all. It's time you learned these things," said Augusta. Leo blanched at the thought.
"Surely not in a year?" she asked, looking beseechingly at her father.
"Charlotte, surely not a year?" he said, looking at Charlotte. She rolled her eyes at the pair of them.
"We'll discuss this later," Charlotte said in a tone that the family understood well - it brooked no nonsense. They had all but disbanded when a jovial hello came ringing through the halls. Augusta turned bright red looking first at Charlotte and then at the ground. Charlotte and Xander exchanged glances and shared a secret smile as Thomas Heywood appeared in the hallway, joining the rest of the party.
He was tall, taller than Xander even. A sandy brown hair, closer to blonde than brown with striking blue eyes and the familiar Heywood dimpled chin. He had broad shoulders and rough hands from the years at the farm, though now his fingers were ink-stained from the last two years working with Sam Colbourne for his apprenticeship. Charlotte always found herself startled to see her brother no longer a small boy, but very much a handsome, grown gentleman of twenty and three. He made his greetings, giving his sister a quick kiss on the cheek, a short bow to Mr. Colbourne, a pinch on the cheek for his nephew and a tousle of his niece's hair.
"Augus.. Ms. Markham," he said looking at Augusta with a small bow, a formality that had Charlotte and Xander exchanging another amused glance. Augusta, with a shy smile, curtsied. "Mr. Heywood."
Leo looked between the pair. "What are you calling Thomas Mr. Heywood for? He's Thomas. And you've always called her Augusta? Why are you acting so peculiar?" Augusta and Thomas both flushed a bright red, and Xander, feeling very close to laughter, decided that this was the moment to excuse himself. Charlotte, feeling pity for the pair, simply told Leo to follow her along to help Mrs. Wheatley with the flowers. Giving a dramatic huff, Leo followed her mother along, giving another backwards glance at the pair, her curiosity still unquenched.
The ball was in full swing and for all intents and purposes, a resounding success. The great room was filled with laughter, dancing, and Augusta glowed in pleasure. Charlotte stood by the wall, taking a moment to simply just take it all in - her home, her people, her heart. She had been ready to move when she felt an arm wrap around her waist, a warm breath in her ear, her senses overwhelmed with the scent of bergamot. She smiled and leaned into her husband who placed a small kiss on her ear.
"You look beautiful." he whispered to her. "If you are not otherwise engaged, perhaps I may have the next dance."
"I thought you did not dance, Mr. Colbourne."
"How can I resist with such an inducement before me?"
She laughed. "Would you be very upset if I said no? I feel rather tired."
Colbourne looked at her concernedly, but shook his head. "Of course not. There is something to be said for being hidden away from prying eyes." She laughed and rolled her eyes at him.
"Did Freddie behave?" she asked, as they watched Thomas approach Augusta. He was clearly asking her to dance, and they watched Augusta nod her head and shy smile with a rosy blush, Thomas equally red.
"Depends on what constitutes behaving - he managed to talk me into buying another dog." Charlotte giggled.
"He's quite spoiled isn't he?" she said fondly.
"I find the youngest usually are. Sam was the same way."
"Perhaps not the youngest for much longer," she said softly then, moving his hand from her waist to her stomach. She felt him tense in understanding, pulling her even closer.
"Charlotte?" his voice, so very hopeful. She turned her head to look at him.
"I was waiting until I felt certain, but I can hardly bear to keep anything from you." A delighted smile spread across his face and he tugged her behind a post where they were hidden away to pull her into his arms, kissing her soundly.
"We can share with the children tomorrow. Today must be about Augusta." she said once he released her. He nodded, the smile still on his face. They moved back to the wall, back into the ballroom. As they watched Thomas and Augusta dance, she leaned into her own husband, feeling the support of his solid frame behind her.
Five years married in only a few weeks, and every day she felt she loved him more than the day before. Every day, she felt his love, his warmth, his kindness - her favourite days were the ones where they simply walked the grounds, sometimes with the children, sometimes alone but always hand in hand, enjoying the beauty and tranquility her home offered her.
Of course, the days were not all wonderful. They would quarrel occasionally - more in the early years of their marriage than the recent ones; her husband was stubborn, unused to being challenged, she equally so, and they found themselves regularly at odds, sometimes for things as trivial as dinner engagements and other times for not so trivial things. Of course, night would fall and one or the other (truthfully more often Mr. Colbourne than Mrs.) would come to the other's chamber, with an abashed smile and a pretty apology and all would be well again.
They shared disappointment of children not coming as easily as they had longed for - especially as she had watched wistfully as Alison's family continued to grow, the grief bonding them in a way that she had not expected. But once Freddie had arrived, it was as if their dreams had come true and she felt the blessing of him nearly daily. The sweetest boy, filling their hearts so that she felt her family completed - Leo, Augusta and little Freddie.
She had never been so happy to be wrong. She moved her hand to her stomach, smiling as she felt Xander's hand rest over hers, feeling his joy as palpably as her own.
Perfect happiness.