Epilogue
KEATLEY HALL, GILLHAM, ENGLAND
MRS. ELLA ROWE pushed the soil around the tender lavender plant and patted it into place. “There.” She lifted the pot and handed it to Mrs. Chatterly. “That should be the last of them.”
“How many do you intend to take with you to London?” Mrs. Chatterly added the pot to the others.
Ella placed her small shovel on her workbench. “Perhaps three or four. Right now the conservatory at the row house is quite small, but it’s cozy. I don’t want to overfill it too soon.”
“Give it time. This conservatory was not created overnight. Remember what your mother always said? Flowers bloom when and where they will. How much longer will you be staying at Keatley Hall?”
“Perhaps another week.” Ella pulled her work gloves from her hands and used her forearm to swipe her hair from her face. “At least until the term starts. Gabriel and I have work to tend to back at the office.”
Mrs. Chatterly shook her head. “How strange it seems for you to be the wife of a solicitor.”
“His business is growing faster than we ever imagined. When news got out of our tracking down Mr. Clancy last year, Gabriel had to take on two more gentlemen to help with the work. I could simply burst with pride at all he has accomplished, although I fear his sort of work is a far cry from what traditional solicitors do. But then again, I cannot imagine Gabriel just sitting behind a desk, can you?”
“Indeed not.”
Movement outside the conservatory window caught her attention. In the back garden her father and Mr. Abernathy were walking across the lawn.
Mrs. Chatterly clicked her tongue before returning her attention to the bloom in front of her. “I know you never cared for him, but he certainly has settled into his new role as headmaster well.”
Ella studied the tall man as he ambled next to her father.
“He really was the best choice. He may not be my favorite person, but Father trusts him and likes him. It’s nice that Father can take a step back from the day-to-day duties of teaching and the school but can still be there as a guide.
I think the additional rest has been good for him, don’t you?
His coloring is improved, and he doesn’t appear quite as feeble as he did the summer prior to the symposium. ”
The casement clock in the distant parlor chimed, prompting Ella to glance at the timepiece on her chatelaine. She pulled her gloves off and placed them on the table. “I should probably go change. Gabriel and I are going to visit Mary at the girls school and see how she is settling in.”
“Mrs. Fife seems content in her new position. She stopped by the kitchen this morning and was quite chatty.”
“She does seem happy, doesn’t she? And I’m certain the young ladies will love her.
I know some of the parents have expressed concern about her past, but that will all fade away, especially as the Society continues to grow.
Phoebe told me that her father can barely keep up with all the new membership inquiries he’s been receiving, especially from younger gentlemen around Gabriel’s age.
It seems that everything with the symposium last year did not damage the Society’s reputation as we had feared.
If anything, it has increased interest in it. ”
Movement at the door caught her attention. She whirled to see Gabriel. She hoped her heart never ceased this little leap it did at the sight of him.
“What have we here?” he asked, leaning in curiously with his hands clasped behind his back. “Lavender augustifolia?”
Ella laughed. “Close! Lavandula latifolia.”
He snapped his fingers, as if suddenly recalling the difference. He grinned, stepped behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist, and leaned forward to kiss her cheek. “Are you ready to go visit Mary?”
“Oh no! You must let me change my gown. I’m a mess!” She brushed off bits of dirt clinging to her muslin gown.
“Nonsense! You’re beautiful.”
Mrs. Chatterly moved to untie the apron behind her back. “I have a basket prepared for Mrs. Fife if you are headed that way. She had asked me to gather a few things for her. I’ll return shortly.”
Once they were alone, Ella turned toward Gabriel with his arms still about her waist. He kissed her forehead and then her lips. “Are you happy, Mrs. Rowe?”
She smiled and lifted her face to his. “Immensely.”
“And you are sure you aren’t sad that you won’t be here for the start of the school year?”
No question for her could be easier to answer.
She rested her hands on his chest. “Not at all. I love being here, visiting here, and it will belong to us for the rest of our lives, but we are not teachers, and we have other work to do. As much as I adore Keatley Hall, I think I am better suited to life in London. With you.”
“It is fortunate, then, that your experience at the docks didn’t scare you away from the town forever.”
The memory of her escapade with Mr. Clancy, Mr. Gutt, and the Grenshaw siblings had been such a defining point in her life, but now the entire ordeal seemed little more than a nightmare or a distant memory.
Even now, though, she sobered at the reality: Mr. Clancy, Mr. Gutt, and Mr. Grenshaw were all en route to Australia to serve out the sentences handed down to them: Both Mr. Gutt and Mr. Grenshaw received sentences of seven years.
Mr. Clancy’s term was for life. Miss Grenshaw, on the other hand, received a lighter sentence, but even with the less severe charges, she still remained in Newgate Prison, where the conditions were famously deplorable.
Ella shook off the thought’s sobering effect. “Do you think we will ever see any of them again?”
Gabriel shook his head. “I doubt it. Even though Gutt and Grenshaw received shorter sentences, they will likely never be able to afford passage back to England. Regarding Miss Grenshaw, I can’t say for certain, but Newgate’s a dismal place.”
After getting the basket that Mrs. Chatterly had prepared, Ella and Gabriel made their way along the brand-new brick path that led from Keatley Hall to Keatley Cottage, which was now officially the Keatley Hall School for Young Ladies.
Thoughts of the past faded once again to the back of her mind, and excitement and hope for the future rushed to take their place.
With the school finally open, her focus shifted to the dream she now shared equally with her husband—the dream of working together to assist women facing injustices—just as his sister had.
As they walked, Ella drew even closer to Gabriel’s side. She gripped his hand and did not let go. Ella had loved her idyllic life at Keatley Hall, but she loved her life with Gabriel even more and eagerly anticipated each new adventure that would come their way.