Epilogue
The wedding was a quiet affair at the end of the season, held in the garden behind the Petty house with just their close friends and family in attendance.
After the wedding, Fletcher and Louisa spent a month on the Continent together, seeing some of the finest opera houses—and operas—in the world.
They both had a wonderful time, touring museums, looking at art, making love both at night and at odd hours of the day when they were idle and alone and the mood struck.
Fletcher could not remember ever being this happy. How had he been so foolish as to not see that Louisa was his perfect partner in everything?
When they returned, they were invited to a house party at Beresford House in Kent.
Also in attendance were the Duke and Duchess of Swynford and their son, the Earl and Countess of Caernarfon and their son, a friend of the Marquess’s named Baron Edgmont, and of course Larkin Woodville, Earl Warning, and the Marquess of Beresford’s son.
Lord Edgmont was a bit of a curiosity; Fletcher had never met him before.
It seemed he was a childhood friend of Anthony’s who didn’t spend much time in London, but who kept up a lively correspondence with Anthony still.
He’d been a vicar at a small church a few miles from Beresford House before coming into his title and deciding he’d rather tend to some land he’d inherited, but he jested when he and Fletcher just met that once a vicar, always a vicar, and that made Fletcher wonder if he should perhaps be on his best behavior, and if Edgmont knew the true nature of Lark and Anthony’s relationship.
Still, it seemed like a fairly normal house party on the first day.
Beresford House sat on a sprawling estate that allowed for horse riding and long strolls, something Fletcher took advantage of with his new wife.
The manicured gardens off the back of the house proved to be a lovely place to talk a walk and engage in casual conversation and steal a few kisses.
The two boys who could ambulate, Edward and Dafydd, took off running across the path in front of where they walked one afternoon, one of the nannies hurrying after them.
“There are too many small boys about,” Louisa said.
“There are three, and the third barely counts because he is not yet big enough to walk,” Fletcher pointed out.
“That is too many.”
Fletcher laughed at that. “It is kind of fun having children about. I’ve not had many opportunities to spend time with them.”
“I hope our first child is a girl.”
“I could see that.” Fletcher froze. “You don’t…that is, do you know something…”
“Oh, no. I am not expecting. I’m just saying that when I do, I hope it’s a girl.”
“We did have fun in Europe, though. It would not surprise me if—”
“All in good time, my love.”
In the evening, Anthony generally eschewed formality.
They all had dinner together in his formal dining room, but wine and conversation flowed freely.
After the meal, the genders didn’t segregate themselves.
Instead, Anthony had everyone gather after dinner for conversation and some casual games.
He explained the rules of whist to Louisa, who took to it the way she’d taken to chess and quickly swindled several of Fletcher’s friends out of the wooden tokens they were using instead of money.
The gratifying thing was that everyone enjoyed each other’s company.
No one felt the need to exile the women because they were able to keep up their ends of conversation.
Anthony refrained from breaking out the cigars, mostly for Adele’s sake because, now that she was expecting, many smells—cigar smoke, roasting chicken, Anthony’s cologne—made her nauseous, but Lark did pour wine for anyone who wanted it.
So Fletcher was having a great time with his friends and Louisa and couldn’t think of a more pleasurable house party he’d ever attended.
The party took a turn on the third day. That was when Anthony announced that they would be doing something a bit unusual that afternoon.
He led everyone out to the gardens, where seats were arranged in a semicircle around a display of flowers.
Lord Edgmont walked over and stood in front of the display.
Edgmont looked like a vicar about to preside over a wedding ceremony.
When everyone was seated, Lark said, “Thank you all for coming. We wanted you all to be here because Anthony and I have decided to do something a bit unusual and we wanted our close friends as witnesses. We are going to have a ceremony, led by Lord Edgmont, in which Anthony and I declare our commitment to one another.”
“Is this a wedding?” asked Grace.
“Something like it,” said Anthony. “Lark and I wanted to state before our friends and God that we are committed to one another and promise to be faithful and love each other and raise Henry together. We know it’s a bit unorthodox and you may have moral objections. If that’s the case, you may leave.”
No one stood to leave.
Lark smiled. “Then let’s do this.”
It was a lovely ceremony. Lark and Anthony stood facing each other and holding hands and Lord Edgmont gave a beautiful speech about love and commitment.
Perhaps because Lord Edgmont was no longer a vicar, this ceremony had no formal status, but it hardly mattered.
What mattered was that Anthony and Lark were in love and making a promise to each other, one that everyone bearing witness would honor.
Fletcher held and squeezed Louisa’s hand throughout the ceremony, deeply moved.
And, as with any wedding, Anthony and Lark kissed at the end of it.
Fletcher marveled that this was taking place at all, but at least they had the privacy of Anthony’s estate to have this moment.
That night, Anthony hosted a feast with a string quartet playing music, so Fletcher got to dance with his wife as Anthony and Lark danced with each other, too. It all felt very much like a wedding, and the unspoken consensus seemed to be to treat it as such.
Fletcher confronted Lark near the refreshment table about halfway through the dancing. “Congratulations are in order.”
“Thank you. I feel a little bad for luring you all here under false pretenses.” Lark grinned. “Except I don’t feel bad at all.”
“What are you planning to do now? Will you stay here in Kent?”
“Before we left to come here, I bought the house adjacent to Anthony’s in London from his elderly neighbor.
It will take some time to clean up the place.
I still have to sell my old house and move all my things.
But it’s basically our pretense. I shall live with Anthony but keep the adjacent house for appearances, basically.
” Lark shrugged. “Anthony wants to cut a door to attach our houses. Or build a secret passage.”
Fletcher smiled at that. “Oh, you should definitely build a secret passage. If he wants help with that, I volunteer my services.”
Lark laughed. But then he said, “I have no idea if any of this will work. I do hope to be in London for at least part of the season so that I can see all my friends, but we’re safe here in Kent, too.
The staff is all familiar with the situation.
Anthony gave everyone a raise, which I’m sure smoothed over any ruffled feathers. ”
“Likely true.”
“We’re probably doomed, but… I love him. So here we are.”
“Well, good luck. And thank you for inviting us. This has really been a wonderful three days. I can’t think of a more fun party I’ve attended.”
“I’m glad. I didn’t see the need to stand on ceremony and tradition since we have all been friends so long and I’ve never been much for tradition anyway.”
“If only all house parties were this informal.”
Lark smiled. “If only.”
As Fletcher and Louisa went to bed that night, they chatted about the day.
Anthony had put them in a lovely room that was a bit ostentatiously decorated.
The four-poster bed with a damas canopy over it was not to Fletcher’s taste, but it seemed in character for Anthony, who didn’t seem to do anything by half measures.
Louisa said, “It really was a lovely ceremony. I’m so happy for Lark and Anthony.”
“I am, too, though it’s going to be difficult for them.
They will have to keep their relationship a secret.
They may spend less time in London during the Season.
” That was one thing Fletcher felt sad about.
He and his closest friends were all married and starting families now and would likely have less time for each other.
He hoped they would, at least, continue to meet at their club in London during the season.
He cared a great deal for his friends and their families and would hate to lose that.
“Promise me something, Fletcher,” Louisa said, turning down the bedding.
“Anything.”
“If we have a child who prefers his or her own sex, we will love that child unconditionally.”
Fletcher walked over and kissed the top of Louisa’s head. “Of course. We will love all of our children unconditionally. They will not want for anything.” He found it suspicious that she kept bringing this up. “Are you certain you are not—”
“I don’t know. It’s too soon to know anything. But I have a suspicion.”
“Do you?”
“It may just be in my head, which is why I didn’t say anything. But we did…have relations…well, frequently, while we were on the Continent, and I suppose I suspect that… But I don’t actually know, so it’s all just speculation at this point.”
“We could, you know, have relations right now. Just to make sure.”
Louisa laughed and put her arms around Fletcher’s neck. “I love you.”
Fletcher grinned. “I know. I love you.”