Page 99 of Taken By the Beastly Duke

Epilogue

"Lady Anderson has outdone herself this season, but I dare say she could have done even better," Helen said to Victoria looking round the room, her eyes taking in details of the decoration for the Anderson's ball.

Victoria agreed with her, while their hostess had invited the best musicians, had a refreshment table that for the first time contained truly refreshing and delicious drink, she seemed to have forgotten to extend her expertise and diligence to the decorations.

Her decorator, whoever she was, was definitely terrible at flower arrangement, causing a clash of colors with an abundance of conflicting scents that was definitely terrible at an aesthetic level. Well she guessed that there was no perfect ball.

If her mother in law had not drawn her attention to the matter of hand, she might not have noticed, but while the woman thought she was being circumspect, Victoria already knew about her love for hosting balls. A hobby that she had sadly had to abandon following the death of her husband, her son's injury and the period of darkness that it had plunged her into.

Victoria felt pity for the tough woman and had been making conscious effort to help her throw a great ball, taking notes on her likes and her dislikes whenever they attended these events.

She did not particularly help that she was not very interested in attending this particular ball. Left to her, she would have preferred to still be lying in the King sized bed in the Duke's masters bedroom frolicking with her handsome husband.

Since their near death experience over a month ago. He had been quite attentive and together they had explored the attraction between them that had existed between them since the first day they met.

They practically set the sheet on fire and they had become so close to each other that they found it difficult to keep their hands off each other.

She was happy and content and sometimes in the early hours of dawn while she admired her strong virile husband, she could not fathom what she had done to deserve such happiness, but she was determined to fight tooth and nail to keep things the way it was. Especially as she had seen how happy Anthony was as well

He laughed more these days

A more playful and carefree side of himself reappearing. His perpetual frowns were now replaced by lines of laughter that bracketed his lips.

But while he complained that she made him less effective stating that she tempted simply by walking into the room. She didn't believe him of course even though her heart sang hearing his flattery, especially when he whispered them in her ears in that deep baritone of his while he wrecked havoc on her body.

Presently he shone where he stood deep in discussion with Banbury dressed perfectly in an emerald colored suit complete with a waistcoat and a perfectly tied cravat. His hair combed out in such a way that a lo ck of it covered his eye giving him that dangerous aura. She felt very proud knowing that all that masculine beauty belonged to her.

Banbury must have said something particularly funny, because he threw his head back, his musical laughter carrying all the way to the point where she stood in the ballroom.

She noticed the shock that swept across the room as many of the guests turned, with identical expressions of surprise when they saw the source of the laughter. Victoria didn't blame them, because the Devil Duke had not earned his moniker by having sunny expressions on his face.

It gladdened her heart that the weight of sadness and anger that seemed to dog his steps when she first met him seemed to have been lifted. Returning him to the happy, carefree man he had been before the tragedy that had transformed him.

His happiness brought such joy to her heart that she could feel the smile that touched her lips. At this moment she was grateful for the sequence of events that had brought this man to her, because she could not imagine how on earth she had loved before she met him. He was the missing part of her soul that she had been missing all these years and she was grateful that he was in her life now to complete her.

The sound of someone clearing her throat rather loudly beside her, reminded her that her mother in law still stood beside her watching her, while she grinned like a fool for the past few moments.

When she turned the woman, she was smiling knowingly at her.

"I know you would rather be over there with him than here."

Victoria flushed brightly at that assertion. She opened to her mouth to deny her claims

"Do not bother my dear, I understand young love and its charms. I was even worse with my Sebastian," she said with a sad smile.

"I thank you so much my dear. For returning my beautiful son to me. I had feared that the war had permanently destroyed something in him. And when Rose rejected him. It completely destroyed him. I had resigned myself to the fact that I had lost both my husband and part of my beloved son as well. The sorrow nearly destroyed me. If it weren't for the responsibility I had to Anthony to nurse him back to a semblance of normalcy" she said her eyes taking on a faraway look like she was seeing those past events play out in her mind eye.

"My heart is so glad to see him so happy. Thank you my dear," she said taking one of her hand and patting it.

"Thank you for giving me the best gift any mother would wish for. Returning my child to himself. I thank God because you are also the best gift to him and the love you both share is a miracle that have unraveled the darkness that had enveloped this family for the better part of a year. I owe you a whole lot of thanks," she said, fishing a handkerchief to dab her eyes keeping the tears that swam in her eyes in check.

Victoria could also feel an answering moisture gathering in her eyes and she patted the weathered hands of the woman totally at loss at what to say to such an impassioned speech.

"Don't mind me, seems I am watering pot these days," Helen said with a dry chuckle

Victoria could never accuse her of that. She had initially thought the woman was made of stone. Her emotional reaction this time was way out of character for her.

Retrieving her hand from within hers, her mother in law righted her dress, patting her coiffure to make sure everything was in place.

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