She caught herself before she could call it her home. It was strange how the home she lived for the past twenty-six years was no longer hers now that she had gotten married and she now called a strange place home.
Fortunately, having Benedict with her meant that she did not feel like she was in a strange place. Home had become wherever he was and she was quite comfortable with that knowledge.
Benedict laughed and took her hand in his, placing a kiss on every finger. “You need not call it that. The Bridhall Manor will always be your home. I don’t expect you to forget everything about it now that we’re married. Know that you have two homes now, each with people who love you and want to see you.”
Augusta melted at his words. Her heart beat harder in her chest. Whenever she thought she couldn’t love him any deeper, he said or did something that proved to her how wrong she was.
“And of course, we can stop at your home.”
He rapped the roof of the carriage, notifying them of the change in their movement. Augusta laid her head on his shoulders once again, sighing when his arm wrapped around her, pulling her closer into him.
The carriage arrived at the Bridhall Manor at the same time that Evan arrived at home. He looked at them, his face taking on his usual teasing smile.
“Did you miss me so much that you have decided to come back so soon?” he asked, opening his arms for her.
Augusta rolled her eyes, although she went into them, hugging him tightly. She pulled away and smiled at Jane who was standing only a few steps away.
“I came to see, Mother,” she said.
Even’s face lost its teasing smile as he stared seriously at her. “Of course, you know where she is.”
He held his hand out for Jane and together they went up. Augusta waited until she could no longer see them before turning in the direction of her mother’s grave.
“Come on,” she ushered Benedict who followed right behind her.
“Hello, Mother. I’m sorry it’s been a while since I came to visit and I haven’t been visiting that often. You always used to worry about me when I said that I did not want to marry but I am married now anyway.” She looked at Benedict who smiled and moved closer to her.
She returned it before turning her attention back to the grave once more. “I’m married now and I am happy. I found a man who truly cares for me and I am sad that you didn’t get to witness it. I never saw it coming but it was a blessing.”
She let out a shaky breath as she struggled to calm herself. So much had happened in the time since she lost her mother but none of it had made her wish to visit her as being married to Benedict had. Benedict had turned out to be the most loving man, the kind of man that someone who had so much love to give should have married.
Oh, Mother. If only you had met someone like him instead. Perhaps you would’ve still here with us to watch me marry the love of my life. I wish you could feel the joy I feel right now.
She cleaned her eyes to stop the tears from rolling any further down her cheeks. She had promised herself on the way here that she wouldn’t cry. Her mother wouldn’t want her to. She could still remember her mother making her promise that she would be happy and would not allow her misfortune to weigh on her so much that she stopped living.
Augusta had broken that promise the moment she began her own season. She had put her life on hold, choosing instead to live with her mother’s life stuck in her mind and stopping her from moving forward. Of course, good things had come from it. She had helped girls who needed help so they wouldn’t make terrible decisions or find themselves in situations they couldn’t get out of.
She had also met Benedict as a result of her actions and her inability to look past all that had happened.
She cleared her throat and held her hand out to him. Benedict took her hand and walked closer until they were standing side by side.
“Mother, this is Benedict Harris. He is the Duke of Wenstrall and my husband. He’s the best man I’ve ever met. He’s sweet and kind and everything I always wanted for you, for myself and for every woman out there.”
Benedict looked at her with shock. His eyes softened as he took a step forward until he was almost touching the grave. He squeezed Augusta’s hand before letting go.
“It’s a pleasure to find meet you, my lady. You daughter is kind with her words. It is really the biggest compliment I’ve ever received from anyone and it means a lot knowing that it’s coming from Augusta herself.”
She watched him. For a moment as they drove to the manor, she had worried that he would find talking to her mother’s grave silly. However, she had been quick to brush that idea from her head. She knew Benedict and that meant that whatever she took serious, he would take it serious with her and whatever she found exciting, he would be excited by even if he didn’t understand it.
She hadn’t expected him to walk up to the grave and begin to talk to her mother like she was there with them, alive and responding to his questions. Augusta had always felt her mother’s presence whenever she was there by the gravesite. She always felt the calmest when she was here. She would often take her books and bring it here to read. Sometimes she would read it out loud to her mother and imagine that she laughed with her as she read the funny parts and scolded her when she read the naughty parts.
It had become a part of her life to involve her mother in her affairs, no matter how silly it might seem to everyone else. She was glad that she could share this part of her life with Benedict as well and know that much like everything else, he would be happy to simply be involved.
“I promise to do everything in my power to uphold the image she has of me. I will never tire of proving to her that she was right to have honored me by agreeing to marry me. Your daughter will remain happy with me for as long as I live and that is not a promise I take lightly. You need not worry about her anymore. Know now that I care for her and I will continue to love her and treat her right.”
It was Augusta’s turn to be moved by his words. In the time since she was old enough to understand things, she’d been seen as a nuisance by almost every man in her life save for her brother. When she became old enough to be presented into society, she’d become an even greater nuisance, except this time, she hadn’t minded one bit.
“Thank you for raising such a beautiful and strong woman. There is no one I’ve ever met who is as awesome as she is. Thank you for bringing Augusta into the world so that I could meet her. I wish I had met you so that I could tell you in person how awesome it is, what you’ve done by raising someone like her.”
