Epilogue
Alice awoke and gave a great stretch before twisting to her side and burying her face into Ethan’s chest. After almost five years of being married to the man, she never tired of the joy at waking up next to him.
Ethan mumbled but fell back asleep, and Alice took the moment to gaze at her husband.
They had built a good life for themselves at the Hampton estate.
Ethan made good on his promise to create a home for them, and with West’s blessing, he renovated an old cottage on the easternmost side of the property.
The house was not grand but fulfilled all their needs while allowing them to live independently among their people, as a dower house might.
Alice had stayed in London with her father until he recovered more fully from his attack, the weight of his daughter’s future no longer on his shoulders knowing she was secure and happy.
He came to accept Ethan, and Alice felt they’d developed a more equal relationship before his death, his heart finally giving out after enduring so much.
While she mourned him heavily, Ethan never left her side, his love and support unwavering.
Under Alice’s influence, Ethan relaxed into his role as estate manager and learned to relinquish more control to his trusted colleagues.
Though his start with Johanssen had been rocky, the two men worked closely together and were able to make the estate prosperous for all who lived on the land.
After several years and a lot of hard work—Ethan always happy to jump in—the fields were yielding at rates not seen for decades and the flock of lambs on the estate had grown significantly.
He was showing the world what could happen when lords embraced new farming innovations and shared the abundance with their tenants.
Both Ethan’s father and Alice were exceedingly proud of him.
Alice wasn’t as active in the garden anymore due to the initial design and implementation being complete; however, she still liked planning with Matthias each year, helping with plant starts for the kitchen garden and adding annual flowers into the main garden.
She was also active in the glasshouse and kept several varieties of flowers growing—large arrangements could be found all over their home as well as Hampton House.
Ethan began to stir beneath her cheek, and Alice couldn’t resist the temptation to lean up and wake him with a kiss.
“Mmmmm,” he murmured. “That’s a lovely way to wake up.” Ethan tangled his fingers in her hair and pulled her closer, deepening the kiss. It wasn’t long before they were carried away.
An hour later saw them both happily flushed from their morning endeavors and ravenous as they settled at the table for breakfast. Alice sipped her tea and looked over the paper while Ethan shoveled eggs into his mouth and told her a story of an ewe that went into labor the evening before.
She blushed to think why he was so famished, working up an appetite with her that morning.
Ethan was still happily chatting about the new kids that had been birthed this spring, healthily increasing the flock, when the footman leaned down and presented Alice with a tray.
“A letter for you, madam.”
“Thank you, Holden,” she said, lifting the envelop. Half listening to Ethan and half skimming the letter, her eyes widened as the implications of the letter became clear.
Taking a deep breath, Alice spoke up as her husband turned his attention back to his newspaper. “Ethan, darling, are you by chance saying you are happy enough with the estate that you would be prepared to take on another?”
He looked up from the paper at her question, amusement glinting in his eyes. “And just where do you think we would go for this new experience, my dear?”
Alice set down her teacup after taking a deliberate swallow. “I believe the correct address is countess, or perhaps it’s earl?” she said, picking up the letter and raising it to Ethan’s eyeline as his countenance paled.
“And how do you feel about Scotland?”