The Lady of the Manor

Epilogue

Epilogue

The hotel was a success. We had been open a year and customers were flocking to see the house and stay here. People really do want to stay in an old house, some for the history aspect, some for the grandeur and some purely for a time away in a relaxing place.

As the reputation of Periwinkle House grew, we took on more staff, some live in and some from the village. Ben had gained two assistants to help him with the garden maintenance, two lads who were studying at college and wanted a practical experience. We brought fresh bread and pastries from Ben's parents and we had an amazing chef working miracles in the kitchen.

Button Cottage had been turned into a wonderful honeymoon suite which was a raving hit and was now solidly booked up for the next few months. The rooms in the house where also fully booked, with bookings coming in thick and fast.

One morning, I sat at the front desk, a beautiful oak table Ben had sourced from an antiques place, sorting out the mail and chatting to the day manager.

"Hi, I'd like to make a booking for the honeymoon suite please." Ben said, grinning down at me from where I sat.

"And why, Mr Button would you need the honeymoon cottage?" I asked, my eyes glinting mischievously. Last week, I had found a ring box in his bed side table. I hadn't opened it, I wanted the surprise at the ring to be genuine. I hadn't even gone looking for it, I had opened his drawer to find the spare charger as mine had broken but instead had found the ring box. So now I was just waiting for Ben to pop the question.

Ben placed the ring box on the desk in front of me and smiled. "Well, depending on what you say to my next question, answers your own question about the cottage."

"Well ask me then."

"Ella Green, will...?"

"Yes." I couldn't hold it in any longer. "Sorry, I found the ring last week and I've been waiting for days for you to ask. I got a tad bit excited. Continue."

He shook his head, a laugh escaping his mouth. "Will you m..."

"Yes."

Ben now glared at me. "I haven't even opened the box yet. Calm down woman. Will you marry me?" He opened the box, revealing a beautiful band with a glittering gem in the middle.

"Yes. Yes. Yes." Ben leant over the desk and kissed me full on the lips, the small crowd cheering and clapping. He slid the ring onto my finger and kissed me again.

I came round the desk, wanting more than our lips to be touching. We came together, lost in our own world, everybody else in the room fading away. We broke apart, our foreheads resting against each other.

Later that night, as we were getting into bed, Ben said "We could turn our sitting room into a nursery, you know."

He slid into his side of the bed as I stood and stared at him, my mouth agape. He crawled over to me, catching my hands in his. "That is if you want to. We don't really use the space and I can picture a little girl with your bright eyes and flowing hair running though here."

"You want to have a baby?"

"I want several children. With you. If you want?"

I grinned. Maybe not right now, but soon. I had been wanting to bring up the topic of babies and starting a family with Ben for months now. Seeing families come into the hotel was tugging at my heart strings.

"Okay. We'll turn the sitting room into a nursery. I'm not getting pregnant before we are married though. But a little practice before hand couldn't hurt though."

Ben's only response was to pull me towards the bed so I landed sprawled on top of him. Ben proceeded to kiss me, his fingers already wandering down my body. Oh how I loved this man and couldn't wait to claim him fully as mine. Ben flipped us over and all thoughts of babies and weddings flew out of my mind as my future husband kissed me, leaving me with no doubt that this was who I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.