Epilogue
TWO MONTHS LATER
Love looked different under the morning light.
Aurelia sat in the carriage with her husband and daughter. The streets of London were bathed in golden sunshine, and she thought the world had never been so bright.
Perhaps it wasn’t exactly the world. Rather, it was the fact that she had her family with her. Even better, she would also be meeting her parents and siblings.
The day couldn’t be more delightful.
“You two are misbehaving,” Lottie declared, interrupting her thoughts.
Aurelia turned to look at the little girl.
Lottie wrinkled her nose in an exaggerated protest from the opposite seat, watching as Percival cradled her mother as though she would vanish at any moment.
“All you do is look at each other and sigh.. How am I supposed to survive this?”
The little girl tried to look serious, but she couldn’t help the grin that spread across her face.
Aurelia laughed, before deliberately leaning against Percival’s shoulder. “Is someone jealous?”
“Me? Never.” Lottie tossed her curls with a chuckle. “But if you kiss him again, Mother, I swear I’ll scream.”
Percival smirked as he turned to his little girl. “Then perhaps I should kiss her again.”
“Don’t you dare, Papa. It’s time for me to play with Mother. You have had her all to yourself for the day.”
Aurelia laughed at that, but Percival was already turning to hover his mouth slightly over hers.
“You are insufferable, Papa,” Lottie groaned, covering her eyes.
But beneath her theatrics, her giggles betrayed her delight.
The carriage eventually rolled to a stop. Percival was the first to step out, taking his time to help the two ladies climb down.
Aurelia stepped out last, and she smiled tenderly at him. “You charm me in a way I will never grow tired of, husband.”
“You growing tired of me is my biggest fear,” he murmured, his lips brushing her ear.
Instantly, heat coiled low in her stomach. It was insane. She hoped he didn’t plan to arouse her in such an open space.
But before she could tease him back, Lottie rushed between them and grabbed their hands with each of hers. “Stop whispering secrets! It’s picnic time!”
Aurelia let out a laugh, and they followed the girl into the park. The same park where they had first met.
Her steps slowed as her gaze fell on the familiar trees, the sunlight painting the world in gold. She touched Percival’s arm softly.
“This was where we first met,” she murmured.
He glanced down at her, his blue eyes tender. His lips curved slightly with quiet wonder. “And see how time has passed.”
She leaned in and closed her eyes for the briefest moment. Looking back, she was so grateful for that encounter.
As they continued to walk, searching for the perfect place to set up a picnic before her family arrived, whispers rose around them. Not the kind that criticized them. Not the kind that scorned Percival and called him a beast.
Their peers seemed to admire how he walked hand-in-hand with his wife. Their gazes weren’t sharp with fear, but warm and soft with curiosity.
There goes the duke who loves his wife. There goes the duchess who tamed him.
Two months of escorting Aurelia, of never leaving her side, had quelled the worst of the rumors. Yes, he was still formidable. Yes, he was still commanding. But now, he was something more dangerous.
He was beloved.
The Whitmores finally found the perfect spot. Just as they spread the blanket and unpacked the basket, Aurelia’s family arrived.
Nora and Louis were the first to rush toward her, their excitement evident. They have heard so much about Lottie, and they were looking forward to spending some time with her.
“So, you’re the little girl we’ve heard so much about!” Nora exclaimed, scooping Lottie into her arms.
Before Lottie could answer, Louis ruffled her hair. “Do you like fencing? Or do you prefer riding?” He grinned.
“She is a girl, for goodness’ sake.” Nora rolled her eyes.
Lottie’s eyes lit up like fireworks. “Both! Do you know any secrets about fencing styles? Can you show me later? And tell me about the races! And do you know which chocolate shop is the best in all of London?”
The twins exchanged looks and burst into laughter as they tried to keep up with her endless questions.
Meanwhile, Lady Scovell approached with her arms wide open. “My sweet girl.”
The embrace was warmer than Aurelia had expected. Unable to help it, a tear slipped down her cheek as she buried her face in her mother’s shoulder.
For the first time, she felt it. That she was no longer a disappointment to her family, but a daughter who was truly loved.
“I’ve missed you,” Lady Scovell whispered, pressing a kiss to her hair.
“I’ve missed you too, Mother,” Aurelia breathed, her heart full.
She then turned to her father and pressed a kiss to his weathered cheek. His eyes shone with quiet pride as he kissed her forehead in return.
They settled together on the blanket. The sun warmed their skin, their laughter echoing as plates were filled. It was as if everything was untouched by sorrow, their scars forgotten.
When there was a lull in conversation, Nora leaned closer to her sister.
“I heard something,” she whispered, her eyes darting around to make sure no one was overhearing. “Sir Edmund has vanished. He left for Scotland days after the incident… in a hurry. They say someone threatened him.”
Silence ensued.
For Aurelia, it was accompanied by a suspicion. Her gaze slowly slid to her husband. Nora followed it, and the sisters exchanged a look of understanding.
Though Percival knew why the ladies were watching him, his expression betrayed nothing. Only the faintest glint of satisfaction in his eyes. His lips curled into something between a smirk and a warning.
“That someone,” he said smoothly, “did the right thing. Making sure that the cad will never harm another lady. If anything, you should thank him.”
Aurelia’s lips curved. She knew him well enough, but she said nothing, letting her hand slide over his instead.
Later, when the picnic ended and farewells were made, she walked with Percival through the park. Just the two of them.
The sun had dipped lower, painting the sky in orange and indigo.
Aurelia stopped abruptly and looked up at him. “It was you,” she said simply.
Percival didn’t deny it. His only answer was a faint smile. Then, he leaned in and claimed her lips with a deep kiss.
When he pulled back, his voice was a low growl against her ear. “If anyone tries to hurt you again, Aurelia, I will not be so kind.”
Her breath caught. She stared into his blue eyes for a long moment. She couldn’t think of a more perfect time than this.
She leaned into his ear and whispered, “Good, because I wouldn’t want anyone to hurt our child.”
Percival froze. His brows drew together. Confusion flickered across his face. But when he saw that shy, radiant smile of hers, he knew. When her eyes shimmered with a secret she no longer wished to keep, a gasp escaped his lips.
“Aurelia…” His mouth hung open, breathless.
His mask crumbled.
“Yes.” She beamed, before pressing a hand to his chest, right over his thundering heart. “We’re going to have a child.”
The weight of those words cracked him open. He wasn’t sure of what to do or what to say. There were so many emotions to process. So he chose the only thing he could comprehend at that moment.
His arms wrapped around her, before lifting and spinning her. It coaxed her laughter, though her eyes were beginning to water.
When he set her down, his hands cradled her face as though she were the most fragile, precious thing in the world. He planted another kiss on her lips, trembling with joy.
“I will love you both,” he whispered against her mouth. “Forever. Until the end of time.”
Their kiss deepened slowly, sinfully. The kind of kiss that promised both passion and eternity. The world faded away—the trees, the sunlight—until there was only the two of them.
And so, under the same trees where fate had brought them together, in the park where their story began, the duke and duchess sealed their forever with a kiss that was more than a kiss.
It was the beginning of everything still to come.
The End?