Epilogue
“ H e’s here!” Oscar burst into the room, panting from a recent sprint. “One of our friends saw his carriage passing the Mortar and Pestle.”
“Already?” Rosalie’s mother cried in dismay, looking around the disordered room. “But we haven’t finished organizing yet!”
“Dimitri doesn’t care about the cushions matching the curtains, Mother.” Vernon entered the room with Ralph in tow. “We’ve told you that a hundred times.”
“Maybe not,” his mother sighed. “But I really wanted to have the house organized before he got here. He’s used to living in the manor, remember! And now he’s come from the capital. He must have been living in a fine house while he was there.”
Rosalie ignored them, the joy inside her swelling until she thought she might burst. He was back! Dimitri had finally returned.
She hurried toward the front door, leaving her brothers still arguing with her mother. She had also hoped they would finish the last touches on the house before Dimitri arrived. She had wanted to surprise him with it. He had seen the bones of her family’s new house go up throughout the spring—new life in the ashes of the old. But it hadn’t been habitable when he left at the start of the summer.
But now that he had arrived, she didn’t care about any of that. She just wanted to see him.
She was nearly at the front door when a loud knock sounded through the hall. She ran the last few steps and threw open the door.
A flash of tan leather, white linen, golden-brown eyes, and fair hair was all she saw before Dimitri was inside the house and wrapping his arms around her. She sank into the strength and warmth of his embrace, tears pricking her eyes.
She had been the one to encourage him to go—she had known how important it was for him to find his roots. But she had still missed him intensely in the weeks of his absence. And though they had met often in their dreams, it wasn’t the same as being together in person.
Sometimes, when she had been feeling particularly low, she had even felt a shadow of her old worries. Would Dimitri find the capital such a fascinating place that he never wanted to return to Thebarton?
But each time, she had shaken the fears aside. She knew Dimitri and knew his heart for both her and his mother’s manor. She had been confident he would return as planned, and now here he was.
“You’re back,” she laughed, tipping her head up to look at him. “You’re early!”
He smiled down at her, his eyes devouring her face. “I missed you too much to linger on the road. I just wanted to be home.”
Home. She let the word soak in.
“Do you like our new house?” she asked.
“House? Are we in a house?” His eyes twinkled down at her. “I can’t see anything but you.”
She laughed and poked his chest, forcing a small bit of space between them. “We worked far too hard on this house—half of Thebarton did!—for you not to notice it.”
“It’s very beautiful. The nicest house I ever saw.” His eyes still hadn’t left her face.
She laughed again. “I hope you’ll do better than that with my mother. She’s been working tirelessly to get it ready.”
“I appreciate the warning,” he said. “I’ll be sure to compliment everything I see. I wouldn’t want to disappoint your family.”
As soon as he said the word family, he froze. When he let his arms drop and stepped back, she feared something was wrong. But his face was lit up, and he was smiling broadly as he glanced back through the open door.
“I can’t believe I nearly forgot!” he exclaimed. “I was so excited to see you, I nearly forgot that I brought you a surprise.”
“A surprise?” Rosalie followed his gaze and saw his carriage sitting in the square outside her house.
“I hope you’re going to love it as much as I do,” he said with the same boyish grin.
Running down the shallow steps, he pulled open the carriage door and stuck his head inside. Rosalie watched him with a furrowed brow, wondering what sort of item he might have brought her from the capital. After the wonders the Legacy had created in the manor, it was hard to think of anything worthy of so much excitement.
When he emerged again, he was holding only a slim mahogany cane. Rosalie frowned at it. Surely Dimitri didn’t think she needed a cane?
A second head appeared behind him, this one covered in gray hair. A tall, slim man alighted, his stature straight despite the cane which he accepted from Dimitri.
Rosalie gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. The older man had the same straight nose as Dimitri. He had brought his grandfather to her.
She knew from their shared dreams that Dimitri had found his grandfather and been welcomed by him. But Dimitri hadn’t breathed a word about bringing him back to Thebarton.
Dimitri strode back to her side. “Surprise!” He smiled down at her. “Grandfather was almost as eager to come home as I was.”
“I had to meet the famous Rosalie.” His grandfather’s strong, clear tones were softened by the warmth in his eyes.
He ascended the stairs, the cane appearing more decorative than functional. In the doorway, he took Rosalie’s hand and bent over it.
“It’s a very great pleasure to meet you, my dear.”
“And you,” Rosalie returned, still trying to overcome her shock. “I didn’t expect…We didn’t dream…But of course you’re most welcome! More than welcome!”
She smiled from him to Dimitri. She had wanted Dimitri back with her, but she had felt guilty for pulling him away from his newfound family. Now she had no shadow in her happiness.
The old lord turned to survey the town square. “It’s good to be back,” he murmured.
There was a hint of sadness in his voice, the weight of loss, but when he turned back to them, he was smiling.
“As soon as Dimitri told me he meant to return and make his home at the manor, I insisted he bring me back to Thebarton with him.” His proud gaze lingered on his grandson. “It took me a while to convince him I really meant it, but I can be stubborn when I want to be.”
“I’m so happy you came,” Rosalie said impulsively. “It makes everything perfect.”
“Does it?” The old man’s lips twitched. “I can see why my grandson is so taken with you, Mistress Rosalie.”
Rosalie’s cheeks flushed as Dimitri laughed and put an arm around her.
“I think I drove Grandfather to distraction with my impatience on the journey.”
His grandfather chuckled. “I remember what it is to be young.”
“My lord!” The cry from Rosalie’s father sounded both surprised and pleased. “I didn’t realize you were coming with Dimitri. What a pleasant surprise!”
“Clifford. A pleasure to see you again. It’s been too long.” Dimitri’s grandfather shook hands with Rosalie’s father, smiles on both their faces. “You can imagine my astonishment when my grandson told me he’d fallen in love with one of your daughters. It brought many memories back, and I fear I must have bored him with an old man’s reminiscences.” He turned to Rosalie. “Your grandfather was a fine man and a good friend. He did much for this town, and I was greatly saddened to hear of his loss.”
“Thank you,” she said softly.
“Dimitri! Welcome!” her mother called from the end of the corridor. She hurried forward only to stop in surprise as she caught sight of the unexpected guest.
“My lord!” She curtsied. “But what are you all doing in the doorway?” She turned a disapproving look on her husband. “You must come in! We have comfortable chairs and hot tea and scones.”
She bustled them all down the hallway and into the main sitting room where the triplets were waiting. The boys attempted to swarm Dimitri but subsided at a warning look from their father.
After introductions were made on both sides, a serving woman appeared with an enormous tray bearing a tea pot, cups, and an assortment of food. She beamed at them all, seeming almost as happy as Rosalie’s family.
The first thing Rosalie’s father had done when his fortunes were restored was to rehire all those he had been forced to abandon. Some had already moved on to other jobs, but many were grateful to return to their old positions. As a result, Thebarton felt even more warmly toward Clifford and his family than they had done before.
But before any of them could avail themselves of the tray’s goodies, the front door banged open, and footsteps hurried down the hall. Daphne burst in, wide-eyed.
“Am I too late?” she gasped.
“Daphne, were you running?” Rosalie asked in astonishment. “Is something wrong?”
“No, I just overslept.” Daphne looked at Dimitri, not seeming in the least surprised by either his presence or his grandfather’s. “Am I too late?”
“Too late for what? Dimitri’s arrival?” As glad as Rosalie had been to see Dimitri again, she couldn’t imagine his presence was enough to send her friend sprinting between their houses.
“Not my arrival,” Dimitri said. “Something else. I sent her a note because it only seemed right that she should be here for this.”
He slipped off the sofa and knelt in front of Rosalie.
“Rosalie, before I met you, I was alone in the world and knew nothing of my home kingdom. Now I have traveled throughout Glandore, and I have family beside me.” He glanced at his grandfather who smiled encouragingly. “But none of that has changed how I feel about you. I want to build a new life and future at the manor, but I can’t imagine that life without you at the center. I love you, Rosalie. Will you marry me?”
Tears streamed down Rosalie’s face despite her wide smile.
“Of course I’ll marry you!”
Dimitri stood, pulling her up with him and wrapping her in his arms.
“Thank you,” he murmured into her hair.
They only had a moment to linger in the embrace before Rosalie’s family swarmed them, creating a mass of hugs, tears, and happy exclamations. When they finally emerged, Dimitri’s grandfather took his turn congratulating them.
“I’m sorry to saddle you with an old man like me,” he told Rosalie. “But now that I’ve found my grandson again, I intend to stick close.”
“Oh, please do!” she exclaimed. “It would make us both so happy.” She smiled up at Dimitri. It made the moment complete that they could both have their family around them.
“I want to be married as soon as possible,” Dimitri said, smiling back down at her. “I don’t want us to be apart any longer.”
“How about the last day of summer?” Rosalie’s mother surprised her by asking.
“But that’s only two weeks away,” Rosalie gasped. “Can we really be ready by then?”
Her mother gave a satisfied grin. “I may have begun preparing a few things already. I had a feeling this was coming. There’s been a lot of work involved in getting the house ready, but that isn’t the only reason I’ve been so busy lately.”
“Mother! I can’t believe it!” Rosalie shook her head.
Her brothers edged closer, all grinning smugly.
“We’ve been helping,” Vernon said.
“The three of you? And you managed to keep it a secret?” She stared at them, her astonishment real.
“We’re fourteen now,” Ralph said proudly. “Mother knows she can rely on us.”
Rosalie caught her mother’s quickly hidden smile and burst out laughing herself.
“You have my admiration and my thanks,” she assured her offended brothers when her laughter subsided.
“Was I that obvious?” Dimitri asked ruefully.
Rosalie’s father chuckled. “We were only surprised you didn’t propose before you left.”
Dimitri glanced at Rosalie. “I wanted Rosalie to know that it didn’t matter where I traveled or who I met—my feelings about her weren’t going to change.”
Both of Rosalie’s parents beamed approval of his words, and Rosalie’s already full heart expanded even further.
“Thank you,” she whispered to Dimitri. She was still getting used to being more open and vulnerable about her true self, and it meant a lot that he hadn’t just dismissed her fears.
She turned away to surreptitiously wipe her eyes while the others broke off into several smaller conversations. When she had recovered, she gave Daphne a hug.
“I’m so glad you’re here too, Daph,” she said. “You know you’re family as much as anyone else, right?”
Daphne smiled. “Of course. I did run, didn’t I?”
Rosalie laughed, but while she feared she might float away from the happiness filling her, Daphne seemed a little sad behind her smile.
“Are you sure everything is all right?” Rosalie asked, not wanting her situation to overshadow Daphne’s, as it sometimes had in the past.
Daphne sighed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to spoil any part of your big moment. I’m truly so happy for you, Rosalie. You’re the only sister I have. I’m just sad that I have to leave.”
“You’re going? Already?” Rosalie felt some of her joy ebb.
She had always known Daphne would leave eventually. Daphne needed the chance to become her true self just as Rosalie had. And the only way for Daphne to step out from under the Legacy’s weight was to return to Oakden. But Rosalie had convinced herself that it wouldn’t be for a while yet.
“To be honest, I was originally planning to leave as soon as I turned eighteen,” Daphne said. “But I couldn’t leave with you and your family in such an awful situation.”
“You stayed for me?” Fresh tears filled Rosalie’s eyes.
Daphne gave her a gentle nudge with her shoulder. “Sisters, remember?” She cleared her throat before adding. “I thought I would stay another month or two, but I had a letter from my cousin, Olivia, yesterday. The Sovaran one. She’s managed to get herself into a pickle which doesn’t sound like her. Mother wants me to check on her, so I’m going to visit Sovar on my way through to Oakden. It means I need to leave earlier than I’d planned, though.”
“But you’ll stay for the wedding, at least?” Rosalie asked, alarmed. “It’s only two weeks away.”
Daphne nodded. “I wouldn’t miss it. And I already brought the first flower for your bouquet.” She held out a perfect golden rose.
“I was wondering what happened to that!” Rosalie took it from her, marveling at the rose’s beauty. It must have been truly made of gold because it hadn’t wilted or faded with time.
“I rescued it from the cottage before your move,” Daphne said. “I was saving it for this.”
“It’s the only one left now,” Rosalie said wistfully. “You were right about that. I visited the manor yesterday, and the gardens are still beautiful, but there’s no sign of any golden roses. The rosebushes are all normal Glandorian ones. And the trees no longer flower and fruit at the same time.”
“The real tragedy is the chest,” Vernon said, intruding on their conversation. “It no longer refills. But at least the three of us have managed to dig up most of the pouches.”
“We’ll find the last two soon,” Ralph assured Daphne earnestly.
She sighed. “No, the true tragedy is that the manor no longer cleans itself. There’s already dust everywhere.”
Rosalie shuddered. “That is a tragedy.”
“In that case,” Dimitri said, appearing at her side and winding an arm around her waist, “we’ll just have to fill the manor with enough people to actually use and care for such a large building.”
He looked down at her, waiting for her to nod her approval before he continued.
“Rosalie and I have spent many happy hours imagining a future for the manor. But one feature that never changed was that it should be full of people. It’s far too large a home for just two of us—even if we employ an army of staff.”
He turned to Rosalie’s mother. “I know you’ve only just finished preparing this beautiful house, but I was wondering if you would consider moving to the manor with us after the wedding? Grandfather, you too.” He looked at his grandfather, who nodded, his eyes glistening with suspicious moisture. “And I know you took several families with you when you moved to the capital. We’re hoping some of them might like to return as well.”
His grandfather drew a long breath, waiting a moment to speak. “Yes, Dimitri, I think they would. They’ve missed their home, just like I have.” He looked to Rosalie. “But are you sure your bride agrees?”
Rosalie smiled. “We spent days exploring the manor when we were shut up there, and we came up with all sorts of dreams about what could be done with the building. Of course, it was just a theoretical exercise at that point, but Dimitri knows how I feel. We want to divide the manor into smaller apartments, while keeping the communal spaces like the kitchen, library, dining hall, and conservatory. We can live in community with each family still having their own space.”
“If we all work together, we can finally put the land attached to the manor to good use again,” Dimitri said. “I’m hoping we can revitalize this whole region.”
His eyes were shining as he said it, and Rosalie couldn’t resist giving him a squeeze. She loved seeing Dimitri full of excitement and plans for the future—their future.
“I want Rosalie to invite anyone she wants to join us,” Dimitri said. “Daphne, I know you have to leave, but your parents would be welcome if they liked.”
“Thank you,” Daphne said. “I’ll ask them, and I hope they say yes. I’ve been worried about them being lonely after I’m gone.”
“Oh yes, they must join us!” Rosalie’s mother said. “I’ll convince them if need be.”
“So you’ll come?” Rosalie asked, looking between her parents. “Even though you just rebuilt this house?”
“It’s a lovely house, but it isn’t as fine as the manor,” her father said with a chuckle. “Seeing it restored has been enough for me. And I’m sure we’ll have no trouble selling it now that there’s to be so much new activity in the area.”
“I want to be together with my family far more than I care about any house,” her mother said. “I’ve already lost your sisters to distance, so I’m going to stick tight to you.”
Rosalie gave a sniff and hurried over to hug her mother.
“You could invite Avery to join us as well, if you like,” Dimitri said when she pulled back from her mother. “We owe her a lot.”
“You found her?” Rosalie cried hopefully. She had commissioned Dimitri to search for news of the peddler. She couldn’t rest completely easy until she knew Avery had escaped from Jace’s men unscathed.
“She wasn’t in the city, so I didn’t meet her personally,” he said, “but there was plenty of talk about her. She has attracted some attention recently among Grandfather’s circles.”
“So she’s well?” Rosalie clarified.
“I believe so.”
“That’s wonderful news!” She considered Dimitri’s original suggestion. “If she comes through Thebarton again, we could make the offer. But I’m not sure Avery is someone who wants to settle down.”
“I just hope we have some grandchildren soon,” her mother said with a cheeky twinkle in her eye. “Enough to fill the manor.”
“Mother!” Rosalie protested, rolling her eyes. “We’re not even married yet! I want a few years before thinking about children.”
“Just make sure you have a great many when the time comes,” her mother said. “Given your history, you’ll have to do the same as the royal family—make sure there’s never one child left behind by having a large family.”
“As long as there are no triplets,” Rosalie said with a shudder. “One baby at a time will be plenty for me. And no botanical names!”
“Oh, but they’re so beautiful,” her mother said with a sigh. “Surely there wouldn’t be any harm with something like Iris? Or Daisy?” She looked at Rosalie hopefully.
“Absolutely not,” Rosalie said firmly.
Dimitri laughed, putting an arm around her and pulling her close. “I’m surprised your parents don’t call you Rose.”
“We tried,” her mother said with a sigh. “But even as a toddler, Rosalie wouldn’t respond to it.”
“Being Rosalie was bad enough,” Rosalie muttered.
“I think it’s a beautiful name.” Dimitri pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “I’ve thought you were even more beautiful than a rose since the first time I saw you.”
Rosalie’s indignation melted. “I suppose it isn’t such a terrible name,” she murmured. “Not now anyway.” Her eyes narrowed. “But no botanical names for our children!”
“Whatever you say, my Rose,” Dimitri said, making her sputter and swat at him before she got a look at his face and collapsed into laughter.
When she regained her breath, he pulled her close again. The expression in his eyes had shifted, and she was at risk of turning breathless for an entirely different reason, swept away by the love and admiration she saw in his gaze.
“Two weeks until we’re husband and wife,” he murmured quietly. “I like the sound of that.”
She rested her head against him and nodded agreement. It was a beautiful thought. She would marry Dimitri, and they would live in the manor—not as lord and lady but as the heart of a whole new community. And one day they would have children to join them—children who might live in a castle but who would never attract the Legacy’s attention because they would have ordinary, boring names and a great many siblings.
She sighed happily. It sounded delightful.