Blessed Beginnings (Hunter's Ridge Book 4) (33 page)

Edward's hand dipped into the box, pushing aside tissue, and he looked even more stunned when he pulled out another gown.

"Oh my," Franny said softly when Edward turned once more to Louisa.

"Two? Why—why two?"

Lucas's laughter filled the room. "Why not? I mean you married a twin, have twin dogs, complain that you don't have enough family. It appears, my friend, that you will have your hands full soon—and I mean both hands."

Chaos erupted as the family descended on the couple. It was several minutes before Louisa was in her sister's arms, their faces wet with tears of joy. "I am so happy for you. You'll make a wonderful mother."

Edward still appeared a bit stunned as Lucas slapped him on the back. "How could I have not known? I mean, hell, you'd think I'd have noticed…"

"As they say, love is blind," Lucas said. "All you see is the beautiful woman you wed as you hold her in your arms."

Lucy saw Molly smiling as she began to pick up the wrappings scattered around the floor. Moving to her, she whispered, "You knew, didn't you, Nanny Molly?"

"I suspected," Molly said, giving her charge a smile. "You two are the exact same size, except that our Louisa's tummy was growing. It was either a baby or she is becoming like Ettie and eating her weight in sweets. But I admit, I'm as surprised as the rest of you that she seems to think she'll be having twins. There is no way anyone could know that until the wee babes are born."

Lucy looked back at her sister and smiled. "Louisa knows."

 

The family sat down to a huge feast, and Lucas gave a prayer of thanks for all of the blessings they had been given. He also thanked God for the gifts that Bea and Louisa would be bringing into the world, and asked that God protect them throughout the journey. Soft amens ended the prayer and after a moment, the room filled with chatter as plates were filled and enjoyed.

Ettie smiled as Mrs. Grover brought in the cake she'd made. It was beautiful, with delicate piping around each layer that looked like lace. Franny had tears in her eyes as she thanked the woman who had never scolded her for making a mess as she had spilled flour and dropped eggs while making countless biscuits over the years. Looking around the room to see her family and the servants who were also her family, she knew that she had been a very lucky girl. Seeing her husband give her the smile that always had her heart begin to race, and seeing the joy on the faces of people she loved who would be bringing babies into the world, she also knew that she and her family had been given the gift of blessed beginnings.

 

The End

 

 

 

 

A Note To My Readers:

 

Thank you for coming back with me to Hunter's Ridge. Every time I return, I fall a little bit deeper in love with the characters who have joined together to make a family—one that will never fail to support and love each other. It never fails to amaze me that though I have the story in my head, quite often the characters simply refuse to go down the path I've envisioned, and won't allow me to quit until they are depicted as they wish to be. Franny and Samuel were such characters and yet I believe they are quite happy to have begun their lives together.

I'd intended for Blessed Beginnings to complete the Hunter's Ridge series but I won't be surprised if a sassy young woman named Henrietta Huntington demands I tell about her own journey with her stern and loving fiancé, Dr. Lawrence Fielding. I believe this is what is magical about putting these stories down on paper. It is an adventure to come back to the worlds I've created and I am so honored that you have continued to take the journey with me. My wish is that you are gifted with love and blessings every day of your life.

 

Happy Reading,

 

Maggie Ryan

 

 

 

Maggie Ryan

 

Author for Blushing Books.  I write both contemporary erotica and historical spanking romances.  I enjoy writing about characters that enjoy the provocative D/S lifestyle of today’s times as well as taking a step back into the past to write stories that take place in the Victorian era with age-play as a theme. 

I live in the great Lone Star state with my wonderful husband.  I have always loved reading.  Growing up in a family with four children, it was difficult finding a place to be alone.  I was probably one of the squeakiest clean girls on the planet as I would spend hours in the tub so I could read without being bothered.  It wasn’t long before I began to make up my own endings to the books I was reading.  From there, it just seemed natural to begin writing my own stories.

I never try to restrict myself to any one genre because there are just too many delicious possibilities out there and inside my head.  I admit to being somewhat of a romantic though as my stories always must have a great deal of love, passion, corporal discipline and, of course, great, mind-blowing sex.  I want my readers to be able to see, hear, feel and know the characters that I’m creating as well as I do when I bring them to life and transfer their stories to paper.  I want my women to be strong of character but also strong enough to know that submission given in love and trust to your partner does not make you weaker, it makes you far stronger.    I want my men to be sexy, strong, demanding alpha males who know how to take what they want while acknowledging it is a gift they have been blessed with by the women that have chosen to submit to them.  I want there to be no doubt that they truly would die for the other no matter how others might view their relationship.

 

Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/_Maggie_Ryan

Email: [email protected]

 

Don’t miss these exciting titles by Maggie Ryan and Blushing Books!

Charming Isabella

Louisa Revealed: Women of Wintercrest Book 1

Lord Edward’s Law: Women of Wintercrest Book 2

Claimed: Women of Wintercrest Book 3

Lucy Surrenders:  Women of Wintercrest Book 4

Summer Solace

Becoming His: The Teaching of Rebecca

Lucy’s Journey Home:  Hunter’s Ridge Book 1

Homecoming: Hunter’s Ridge Book 2

Reunion: Hunter’s Ridge Book 3

Designed for Submission: Divine Designs Book 1

A Submissive's Dream: Divine Designs Book 2

Treasured Submission

Haven’s Promise: Divine Designs Book 3

The Christmas Pickle

A Submissive’s Gift: Divine Designs Book 4

Rosie’s Resolutions (Masters of the Castle)

My Charming Valentine (Corbin’s Bend)

Miss Summers’ School: Lessons in Submission, Book One

Cherry’s Jubilee: Lessons in Submission, Book Two

Ever  Lasting Hope (Corbin’s Bend)

An  Author’s Angst (Corbin’s Bend)

Realizing Her Dream (w/ Laurel Jane)

His Passionate Pioneer

My Sassy Settler

A Little Sunshine (written w/ Abbie Adams)

 

 

 

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Table of Contents

Dedication

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

A Note To My Readers:

About Maggie Ryan

Ebook Offer

Blushing Books Newsletter

Blushing Books

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