Epilogue
In spite of what her aunt had ordered, Evie needed to return to the household. It was the earl and countess’ first attempt at making amends, not that it would do very much for them. They were outcasts, and that would not be changing for a long time, if ever.
Imogen, however, at least had the favor of a duke, who had seemingly absolved her of her parents’ crimes. Evie had ensured that she was not cast aside amongst all of the scandal, as it had been thanks to her that she had been able to go to the second ball at all. She owed Imogen a lot, although her cousin refused any further help, but she could at least thank her publicly one final time soon enough.
That day, however, she had important tasks to accomplish, and not a single one of them had anything to do with housework. Mister Walker entered the drawing room with a smile, having been appointed by the duke to oversee her signing her documents in case any last-minute tricks were pulled.
The papers were signed quickly, her aunt glaring at her throughout. At last, her father’s memory had been vindicated, and she finally had the proof that she needed, and she was ready to begin her new life away from it all. She couldn’t have been happier, but with that day came a certain sadness.
She would never see the household again. With the estates came a small home just outside of London, where she would reside with Francesca and Rose until her wedding, but she would not be darkening her aunt’s door any longer, not when she did not have to.
As she wandered the halls one final time, however, her aunt appeared in front of her, her face like thunder.
“What is it?” Evie asked.
Her aunt did not respond.
“Why did you do it?” she asked, pressing the matter. “Why did you steal my money and make me miserable, forcing me to work in your house when you never had to? To my knowledge, I never did anything to hurt you, yet you have always hated me completely. What error did I make?”
“How can you blame me?” she whispered. “I couldn’t like you, not when you look just like her.”
She did not say anything more, and Evie did not ask her. It wasn’t something she needed to know, she decided, as it would not make anything easier to understand.
Yet, as she boarded the carriage, Imogen rushed towards her. Evie did not let it pull away until she arrived.
“I must tell you something before you go,” she said quickly. “And if you do not wish to know, then you are more than welcome to stop me, but I feel it is your right to hear it.”
“What is it?”
“My mother was drinking last night, rather heavily, and when I asked her how she was feeling, she started speaking. Then, she did not stop for a very long time, all of it about you.”
“Was it to do with why she hates me?”
“Yes, and as I am sure you have suspected, it has never had a thing to do with you. In short, she was in love with your father.”
“And…to make it a little longer?”
“My mother knew your father when they were children. She had always set her cap for him, but he had never noticed her. Instead, his attention was caught by your mother, and they married when they were both only twenty years old. My mother was heartbroken, knowing that she could never have him, and she hated your mother for stealing him away.”
“I suppose I can understand her. I would never do it, myself, but I can see why she would feel a tremendous amount of envy.”
“It was certainly tremendous. She told me that she had to watch your mother fall in love and become a countess, what she had always wanted for herself, and so when my father, the earl’s younger brother, set his eyes on her, she felt obligated to marry him. It made her closer to the family, and eventually led to her being a countess herself.”
“Your poor father.” Evie sighed. “It must be awful knowing that your wife only married you to be close to your brother.”
“She loves my father, or so she says, only it is different to how she loved yours. It is more practical, she says, but she is happy enough with him. The trouble came when you began to look just like your mother, and whenever she looked at you, she was reminded of the lady she thought had stolen her dreams from her.”
Evie nodded, trying to understand what she was hearing. It hadn’t mattered what she did, nor how hard she had worked. Her aunt hated her, and she always would. It was difficult to know, but at least it gave her an answer.
“I apologize.” Imogen sighed. “It was never fair for you to have been treated like that, and all I ever did was justify it.”
“You need not apologize. You cannot be blamed for what your mother did, and so I will not need an apology from you. There is nothing to forgive, I promise.”
Imogen seemed to accept this, and left returned to the house as Evie’s carriage pulled away to take her to her own. The journey seemed to last forever, but soon enough she arrived and they set to work preparing it. It would only be necessary for a month or so, as then she would be married and living in another home altogether: the duke’s.
It was a small home, with just enough space for the three of them, but it was all that they needed. It was also far easier to care for than a larger household, and so it was a blessing in disguise.
***
Soon enough, it was the day of the wedding. Leo had insisted on paying for the entirety of it, as Evie had only just received her money and he wanted her to keep hold of all of it until she felt ready to spend it.
Her gown was exquisite, designed exactly as she wanted it, and made with only the best fabrics. Her engagement ring was Leo’s mother’s ring, an heirloom that had been in the family for generations, and it fit her perfectly, which was a welcomed surprise.
As Francesca applied a bit of color to her cheeks, Evie tried not to look at herself too closely. She was not at all nervous, but she knew if she analyzed herself too closely then she would start to think too much and thus become nervous.
“Are you ready?” Francesca asked.
“I have never been more ready for anything. I have been waiting for this moment for far too long, yet it does not feel real. I cannot wait to be there.”
“Which is just as well because we must leave soon. The duke will likely already be there waiting for you.”
The two ladies arrived quickly, and Evie noticed that Imogen had accepted her invitation as she walked down the aisle. She wondered if she was to be in trouble with her parents, as they couldn’t have known that she would be there, but she could only dwell on the matter for so long before she reached the altar, the duke standing beside her proudly and looking at her as though she was the most beautiful person in the world.
“With this ring,” Leo said confidently, sliding it over her finger a few minutes later, “I thee wed. With my body I thee worship, and with all my worldly goods I thee endow. In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.”
Then came Evie’s turn, and she was almost certain that she would not be able to speak at all, but then the words came, and she said her vows in return, her eyes not once leaving her wedding band.
The rest of the ceremony passed by in a blur, and then it was time for the wedding breakfast. Evie did not think that she could eat a thing until it began being served. Everything looked delicious, and smelled even better, and before she knew it her plate was clear.
Afterward, when everyone was talking, she found her husband, who was speaking with Dylan. It had been no surprise that Dylan was the best man at the wedding, but it was a surprise that he had an announcement to make to the pair of them.
“So, as you both know, I have been distancing myself from a certain group of people for a while.”
“Yes,” Leo replied, “and thus far, you have done brilliantly.”
“I have also been finding ways to fill my time, and I have tried reading and writing and other scholarly endeavors, but I have decided that I simply cannot stand it at all.”
They all laughed as they were not at all shocked by such a confession.
“However,” he continued, “I have found that I truly do have a passion for travel. It was the only thing that I could stand to read about, and so I have decided to do it. I shall be going alone, as I am yet to find a companion to invite with me, and I shall be gone for a good while.”
“Are you suggesting that we fear for your safety while you are gone?” Evie joked. “Because I fully believe that you will be fine all on your lonesome.”
“I would be lying if I said I didn’t want you to be at least a little bit concerned.”
“Unfortunately,” Leo said with a laugh, “you shall have our support and only our support. This is a great idea, and I could not be more proud of you, although I must ask that you write, even if you cannot stand it.”
“I might be able to find time for it. Now, what of the two of you? Will you be on honeymoon in anywhere in particular?”
“I would much rather acquaint myself with my new home,” Evie explained. “There has been a lot of change of late, and I would like to take a short while to relax.”
“You have certainly earned it,” Leo agreed. “And we can travel whenever we like. We shall have the means and the time for it.”
“Speaking of means,” Dylan smirked, “how does it feel to have your own money, Evie?”
“It is nothing short of amazing, although I have yet to touch any of it. It feels sacred, somehow.”
“You shall not be able to spend it all if you tried.” Dylan laughed. “So you might as well enjoy it. Your father would have wanted you to, especially after everything that has happened.”
Evie looked around to see Imogen and Francesca sitting together, laughing and talking.
“Some good came of it, at least.” She sighed. “I never would have thought that they could enjoy each other’s company.”
“You bring people together,” Leo said warmly, giving her hand a squeeze. “Is Imogen handling her family’s new fortunes well?”
“I do worry for her next Season,” Evie said sadly. “Although she tells me that she is ready to face it. Thankfully, we have given her a good chance, a better one at least, and greatly improved her social standing. I would have thought that my aunt and uncle would have come, at least to make themselves appear welcomed by us.”
“They are too proud for that,” Leo said gently. “But that is no longer any of our concern. We will never have to see them again if we do not wish, and it can be just the two of us for however long you want.”
“Until I return, that is,” Dylan pointed out.
“And then you will be welcome to stay until you find a wife of your own.”
“You know, Leo, you do not make that sound all too terrible. I hope to return before the end of the next Season, and perhaps then I will find the lady of my dreams.”
“And hopefully not scare her away. Your wife shall need to be made of some strong stuff.”
“As strong as your own wife’s,” Dylan joked, and Evie had to agree with him.
Dylan took his leave to speak with some other guests, leaving Evie and Leo alone for what felt like the first time that day.
“We are married,” she whispered as he pulled her into an embrace.
“We are, indeed, Your Grace,” he agreed, giving her a gentle kiss. “How are you enjoying your new role?”
“I certainly feel that I will adapt to it quickly, although it will be strange not doing any of the housework.”
“Are you…still doing it now?”
“I have been, yes. Francesca and her mother have been furious with me about it, but I couldn’t help it. I felt useless not helping them, and it was horrible sitting there whilst they did everything.”
“I can see why you felt that way, but starting now, you will have new duties to fulfill. I cannot wait to see you do it.”
“And I cannot wait to start. It is another reason why I am glad that we are not leaving the house for our honeymoon.”
“You will not be lifting a finger during it. I will ensure that you receive a tour of the household, and possibly a visit to the village, but that is all that will happen. This is your new life, and you will be living it starting from this moment.”
And what a beautiful moment it was. As Evie looked around the room, all of her guests enjoying their time, she realized just how fortunate she was. She was surrounded by so much love and kindness, and she wanted to give it all back to them in equal measure.
“You kept your promise,” she said after a while, leaning into her husband’s chest.
“I always intend to, but which one are you referring to?”
“That you would find a way to give me my freedom,” she whispered. “I have it now, and it is all thanks to you, and I will forever be grateful to you.”
“And I will forever be grateful that you gave me purpose again. I cannot believe that I found you.”
“We are both incredibly fortunate,” she agreed. “And so long as we remember this feeling, we shall always be happy with one another.”
“That,” Leo replied, pulling her close, “would be a dream come true.”
And with a kiss, he proved to her that he meant it.
“It is funny,” Evie said quietly. “After all that time spent wishing that I could live my life however I wanted, I can now, and yet I do not feel the need to change a thing.”
“And so you do not want to change a thing about this day? Not a single one?”
“What could I possibly want to change?”
“Well, according to our schedule, we are not to leave for another hour or so.”
“And what changes could be made to that?”
“We could always leave right now,” he smirked, “but only if you feel like taking the risk of it.”
Evie couldn’t help but smile at him.
“Will you always carry risks with you?”
“No, but I shall always take them if it makes you happy.”
And so she did not argue any further, and they were not heard from for several days while they enjoyed their wedded bliss.
THE END ?
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