Five years later…

The lecture theatre was packed. People had travelled from all over England to hear their speech—the Hawthorne name was now revered far and wide in the field of healing. 

They had spoken at every college, university and institution in the land, but this was the one Leonard had been looking forward to the most. 

The lecture theatre was smaller than he remembered, but nonetheless familiar. He looked to his wife, her beautiful face upturned, taking in the space before her. 

“You know, I came to see a lecture here once before,” she mused. “The speaker was not very good, I believe he has improved a great deal since then.”

Leonard snorted. “I hope he is not around to hear such damning praise.”

“Oh yes, I tell him often,” she said as a smile tugged at her lips. The room was heaving with people, and they were queuing outside as well. 

“I believe this is the largest crowd we have ever had,” she said in awe. “London has always been very good to us.”

She waved as a young girl entered the room. Joanna was now eleven years of age and almost as tall as Sophia. She had grown into a graceful and spirited child with a well-rounded education. Leonard had never been happier than in the knowledge that she had thrived during their time abroad. Leaving her in England had not been easy, but it had been right.

Jane and her cousins had given Joanna the kind of upbringing she could never have known as an only child, and Leonard knew that a life spent constantly on the move would have offered little in the way of stability or foundation. Her roots had grown strong where they had been planted. 

Now, he looked forward to the day when she chose to travel with him. She was a keen artist, and he could imagine her illustrating one of their books in the future. 

Leonard and Sophia had published a single volume so far, simply entitled The Practice of Healing. It had been a sensation in the medical world, although Clegg had been eager to tell Leonard that not everyone thought of it in a positive light. 

Many had come forward to praise them for their research, but others had labelled it as a dangerous and scandalous work designed to undermine the position of modern physicians. 

The one merit it did have, however, was to bring the abilities of women in more remote communities to light. The majority of the healers they had met were women who had learned their craft through generations of quiet inheritance, tending to their neighbours and kin when no physician could be found.

Their travels had taken them to Italy, Spain, France, and Sweden, to name a few, and Leonard had been astounded at the difference in methods even across a single border. 

He felt privileged to have been able to write the book and was glad that it had begun a debate, if nothing else. He was also incredibly fortunate in his companion. 

Sophia was his rock, a steady and guiding hand, and had stood beside him through their travels. They had had some trying times at sea, including one shipwreck which had almost killed them both, but they had come out of each ordeal stronger and just as ready to continue their work. 

He glanced at his wife as everyone took their seats and the shuffling and murmuring began to die away. Her gaze surveyed the room, her long hair tied in simple plaits about her head, her face lightly tanned from their years at sea. 

He loved her so entirely that it sometimes stole his breath. She was everything he had ever needed in a wife, and he knew that no one else on earth could compare to her. 

They still bickered constantly, but all of their arguments ended with a kind word, and she was the first to admit that she usually began them with her stubbornness. 

Leonard caught her eye, and Sophia smiled broadly at him as he approached the lectern. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for attending our lecture this morning. I am thrilled to be back in London to speak on the powers of healing. My wife and I have travelled across the globe in pursuit of knowledge, studying the practices and remedies of many unsung heroes in our midst, and it is an honour to stand before you today and share the fruits of that endeavour.”

He turned to Sophia as she stepped forward, her voice ringing confidently and clearly through the space. 

The audience was already enraptured, as they always were when they came to hear them speak. But it was Sophia who truly dazzled. Many men in the medical world underestimated her influence and her intelligence, and it was Leonard’s great joy to see her take them to task whenever they spoke down to her. 

She was a formidable and marvellous woman. 

And she’s all mine. 

As the lecture ended, and they answered questions, shaking hands with many audience members as they took their leave, Leonard grinned as Joanna ran forward and embraced Sophia happily. 

“Oh, Mama, that was wonderful! And Papa, you know so many things, I had no idea you were so clever.”

Sophia laughed as Jane rolled her eyes at Joanna, who looked between them eagerly. 

“Your father has learned everything he knows from me, I might add,” Sophia said. 

“Here, here,” added Jane as Leonard scoffed at them both. 

“Do not listen to them, Jo, they know nothing of how glorious I really am.”

His daughter giggled as they made their way outside into the cold London air. It was the middle of winter now, and Sophia and Leonard had decided that they would remain in the city for at least another few months before either of them travelled again. 

Their trips were going to be shorter for the foreseeable future so that they could spend more time with Joanna now that they were back on home soil. Both of them were relishing a quieter life after so many years at sea. 

Joanna and Jane preceded them down the steps as Leonard put an arm around Sophia’s shoulders. 

“Aren’t you cold? I need to buy you a new coat, this one is threadbare!”

She leaned into him affectionately. “You keep me warm,” she said, smiling up at him happily. 

“And I do love doing so,” he said, keeping his arm around her as they wound their way back to the townhouse. 

Joanna resided with Jane more often than not, but Sophia and Leonard were almost permanently based at the Von Ross townhouse when they returned to London. Sophia loved it there, and Leonard had come to think of it as a second home. 

They all sat down in the main drawing room for supper, which was a lively affair as Joanna and Jane regaled them with stories of everything Jane’s children were getting up to. They were a mischievous bunch, and Leonard was grateful once again to have such a sensible and level-headed child. 

Later that evening, after Joanna had gone to bed, kissing him goodnight before doing the same to Sophia, they both sat before the fire in the library as Leonard sipped a brandy and Joanna stared into the flames. 

She was quiet for so long that Leonard became a little concerned and glanced up at her worriedly. 

“Is all well, my love? You are frowning at the fire as though it had done something very unreasonable.”

Sophia glanced at him, the furtive look in her eyes worrying him still further. He closed the book he was reading and leaned forward. 

“Are you alright?”

“Yes,” she said gently, clearing her throat and smoothing her fingers over her skirts, a sure sign that something was bothering her. 

“What is it, love?” he asked, reaching for her hand as she glanced up at him. 

“I need to tell you something,” she said quietly, and Leonard’s heart began to beat a staccato rhythm in his chest. 

“What is it? You know you can tell me anything.”

“When I told you I was stopping in on Jane yesterday morning, that was not the truth.”

Leonard frowned. “I see, then, where did you go?”

“I went to consult a physician.”

Leonard’s mouth went dry as he stared at her. “What? Are you unwell? Why did you not tell me, and why did you go and see another physician? I am your physician. What is the matter?”

Sophia had a soft smile on her face. “I was not sure if something was wrong, so I went to consult an impartial observer.”

Leonard growled at the back of his throat. “And who was this physician, pray tell? What are his credentials?”

Sophia sighed. “He is not as fine a physician as you, I should wager, but he told me that I was correct in my assumption.”

“What assumption was that?” he asked, his voice quavering. 

“I am afraid it might be rather inconvenient for our next trip. I may need to remain in London.”

“Sophia, I beg you—just tell me, I feel as though my heart is going to burst.”

“Calm yourself, Leo, I will not have our baby lose his father before he is even born.”

Leonard froze in place, going utterly still as his whole body jolted forward, an involuntary, joyous movement as he came to kneel beside her, gripping her tightly. 

“What? What? You are sure?”

“Dr Thwaite was quite certain. I wondered if you might have noticed, but you have been preoccupied since we came home.”

Leonard surged forward, kissing her long and hard for a moment before pulling back. 

“Why do you look so concerned? This is wonderful.”

“It will be difficult to travel if I am heavy with child, and I was looking forward to our trip to Spain in the spring.”

“All of that is manageable, my darling. I know my wife, and nothing will stop her adventures, not even our son.”

“Oh, it is a boy, is it? You have decided.”

“I imagine the sea air produces boys, yes,” he said, happy to see her smiling at him tenderly. 

“Mayhap you are right, we must tell Joanna in the morning, but I wanted you to be the first to know.”

“Your father will have a fit.”

“Yes, he will. I think I shall write to him. He will be quite impossible if I do it in person.”

Leonard hugged her tightly against him, gripping her so hard she laughed, complaining she could barely breathe. 

“I love you, Sophia—and our little boy or girl will have the most wonderful mother and the most wonderful life imaginable.”

Sophia’s gaze was soft as she met his. “And the most wonderful father anyone could ever hope for.”

“We will make it work,” he said solemnly. 

“We always do,” she replied as he kissed her with wild abandon. The sound of their happy laughter echoed through the halls of the house for all to hear. 

~ The End ~