Epilogue
The greatest gift man could be given was freedom. They were separated from the world but always woke ready for another day in the field, to cook some new dish, or simply to read alongside one another.
Fand’s messages came regularly as the years passed.
She wrote happily after settling with her daughters, telling Dermot news of the world.
Parliament fell after the great man died, leaving the country on the precipice until a king was reinstated.
Robert, having endured some of the isolation he once inflicted on Aubrey, married the daughter of a French duke.
With the king’s approval, he again took control of the island.
Nothing was said of his rule after his recovery, which was a mercy to them.
The witchfinders stopped their trade and fell into obscurity.
Finally, the news he’d asked for came, and it was revealed Amy and Noelle had safely escaped to the mainland.
With the help of some stolen jewels, the two of them now ran a successful bakery.
Dermot and Aubrey sat together that day, the sun above them as they kissed.
He had fought with himself all his life, doing nothing but harm until the island fell with his weight. Now he’d done away with his old, bruised self and revived them both. It was enough to come out and see the sun, feel Aubrey’s hands in his, and to live.