Epilogue
“Goodness gracious, what a tale.” Arabella laughed as she read the London Gazette aloud a month later.
“To protect the child from his devious father, Lady Clara found herself forced to wed Lady Arabella’s cousin, the Duke of Lynden.
Together, the two managed to weave a courtship long in the making.
Of course, what began as deception turned into true love as any witness who has laid eyes upon the charming couple may readily attest.”
Arabella chuckled. “It is true. Anyone who looks at the two of you can see plainly that you are madly in love.”
Clara looked at Julian, and he took her hand and squeezed it lightly.
“Well, we are no longer hiding it.”
“For which I am very glad indeed.” Arabella’s eyes went back to the article. “It is written so vividly. They gave a very fine accounting of what occurred at Devereau’s Brighton house.”
“They did indeed,” Clara said.
Two weeks ago, they had met with Mrs. Westchester and given her a slightly edited account of the last few months.
How they had ended up with little David, who was once again called Horatio now.
How Devereau had lured Arabella into marriage only for her to discover that his sole desire was for an English heir.
That was where they had taken creative license with the story, for they could not very well tell the world that Arabella had found herself with child prior to matrimony.
That would have been too great a shock even for Mrs. Westchester.
They had told her everything else. How their love had begun as a deception and had become real. How Julian had fought for her although once again they had left out the part where she had overheard him saying he did not really love her, for that was not very romantic at all.
Mrs. Westchester had written up the story in the most colorful terms, and the resulting piece had run in the London Gazette the week before, but Arabella could not stop herself from reading it over and over again.
“You shall wear the ink off the page soon,” Julian said.
“Well, it is fortunate that I bought ten extra copies, then.”
“Only ten?” Clara said. “My mother bought twenty-five. For what purpose, I really do not know.”
“Well,” Arabella said, “you are the heroine of the tale, after all. You sacrificed your own happiness for a child who was not your own.”
“I do not think marrying me was necessarily sacrificing her happiness,” Julian said, and Clara laughed at the indignant tone of it.
“At the time, I confess, I did not know. I agreed to it, but I truly thought my life was over.”
“How very flattering,” Julian replied, laughing. “Though I will say I come out rather better than certain titled gentleman friends of ours.”
Clara chuckled. Mrs. Westchester had been kind enough not to name exactly who had ended up locked in a room during the rescue.
“I still do not know precisely how it happened,” Julian said. “I recall hearing a door closing loudly at one point.”
“And I heard a thud,” Clara confirmed.
Arabella nodded eagerly. “Well, yes. That was Nathaniel. Mr. Heath came upon him trying to unlock the door to the room where Clara was no longer, knocked him out cold, and then snatched me.” Her hand went up to her head.
“I rather wish I had made it a stipulation at his trial that his hair be pulled in the same fashion he pulled mine.”
“No, no. I think transportation to Australia is punishment enough for him,” Julian said.
“I wish they had transported Devereau as well, rather than giving him a fifteen-year term.”
“Well, yes,” Julian agreed. “But still, he was punished. That is what matters.” He paused.
“Oh, did I tell you I received a letter from Steven Devers? He apologized on his cousin’s behalf and assured me his English side of the family is properly mortified by his actions and that he regrets bringing him to my ball. ”
“Good,” Arabella said. “When I was in Italy, his uncle spoke very poorly of the English relations. It is a shame his uncle was not punished for any of it. But I suppose, being Italian, there is not much that can be done.”
“No,” Clara pointed out. “Although he did not actually keep anyone prisoner. That was all Devereau.”
Clara paused for a moment then smiled. “Have you thought about going back to Italy? Giacomo will surely want to see his family.”
Arabella shook her head. “Giacomo wishes to bring his parents and two brothers here. I had thought perhaps they might come and take over the Ridley farm. If you do not mind it.”
“In Southampton?” Julian scratched his chin. “I suppose. But you and Giacomo have been staying in Brixton with us.”
“Yes,” she said. “But truly, since the story has been released, I do not wish to stay in London any longer than is necessary. I think I should enjoy living in Southampton, at least for a time. I want Horatio to be closer to the water and to learn to ride when he is old enough. Of course, it would be very nice if the two of you came as well.”
Clara and Julian glanced at each other.
“We have actually been talking about it,” Clara admitted. “I too am quite tired of London.”
Arabella clasped her hands together in the way that, even now, reminded Clara of when they had been little girls and excited about something together.
“That is wonderful. Perhaps we could all go together. I shall tell Giacomo to write to his parents at once.”
Julian leaned forward. “But we must be careful. You cannot live with Giacomo until you are properly married. And you have only just obtained the divorce.”
They had decided in the end that it would be best for Horatio if he were not considered out of wedlock.
Thus, instead of pursuing an annulment based on fraud, for which they had a sound case, they had obtained a divorce on the grounds of Sebastian’s cruelty.
Divorce was still a considerable stigma in their society, perhaps more so even than an annulment would have been, but it was better for Horatio.
Furthermore, by still being legally bound to Devereau when the conviction came down, Arabella was entitled to certain compensations from the family.
She had overheard Steven Devers discussing it with Julian.
The negotiations were ongoing, but Steven was a decent fellow, and she knew he would do right by his nephew twice removed.
“Yes, yes, I am aware,” Arabella said. “However, soon we will be properly married. Giacomo has told me he wishes to marry once his parents arrive. He has been writing back and forth with them. They want a Catholic ceremony, of course, but—”
“Arabella,” Julian said, “you cannot do this to the vicar.”
“I know it; I know it,” Arabella replied. “Do not fret. It shall be a Church of England wedding. Julian, Giacomo has already agreed.”
Julian sank back into his seat, visibly relieved. The truth was that they could not afford another scandal just now.
The carriage came to a halt outside a small chapel, and Julian stepped out, handing first Clara and then Arabella down.
“I hope Horatio will be quite all right,” Clara said. “I feel dreadful leaving him.”
“Nell has looked after him before as has Mrs. Parker. All will be well. And young Mary has been doing very well also.” Clara glanced at Julian. He let out a small grunt but then nodded.
“Yes. She has turned out not to be entirely useless,” he conceded.
Arabella raised a brow at Clara, who waved a hand. “I shall tell you another time.”
“Arabella, Clara!” Marianne’s voice called as she burst out of a door to their left.
She waved them over, and the trio made their way towards her.
She was dressed in a beautiful white satin gown trimmed with lace and a veil fixed in her hair.
She hugged Arabella then Clara then curtsied in front of Julian.
“I am so very glad you could all come. How is Horatio?”
“He is blossoming,” Arabella said. “Although I think he misses Molly. You shall have to come up to London soon.”
“I plan to. We are going to take a week away in Brighton for our honeymoon, and I have already told Freddie that we shall be calling in London afterwards.”
“You shall have to come quickly,” Arabella said. “We have all decided to remove to Southampton.”
“Goodness,” she said. “How soon?”
“A fortnight or so,” Julian said. “I have preparations to make, after all.”
She looked relieved. “Very good. I was so hoping to call on you all in London.”
“Nonsense,” Julian said. “You shall not just call. You will stay with us at Brixton. It is not in central London, but it is only a short carriage ride.”
“To Freddie, anything that is not Dover is London,” she said with a laugh. “I still cannot believe I am getting married.”
“I can,” Clara said. “It was plain how fond of you Frederick was when we were here last time. And you deserve it.”
“You will not be living in the inn, will you?” Arabella asked.
“Freddie has a little house on the edge of town. Very nice and quaint with a garden for Molly and any other children we may have.”
“That is wonderful.”
“And thanks to your generous wedding gift, Your Grace, we will always have enough to make any necessary repairs.” Marianne smiled.
Julian looked down at his shoes for a moment and shrugged. “Well, I did promise we would look after you after all you have done for us.”
“Yes. And I think, thanks to you, Freddie is finally going to change his mind about the ton. Perhaps not all of them but a select few.”
“Now I must go in, or the ceremony will start without me.”
“I doubt that very much,” Arabella said.
Their friend disappeared inside the chapel, and the three of them made their way in.
It truly was a very small church—only ten pews on the right and ten on the left, most of them already filled by Freddie’s large family and the staff of the inn which had been closed for the day in honor of the wedding.
The three of them slipped into a pew at the back.
“I think this is exactly what I should like for my wedding,” Arabella said quietly. “A small ceremony in a chapel with only those closest to us. Of course, since we will be inviting the Langleys, that is already ten people right there.”
Julian leaned over to Clara. “And what do you think? Would you like a small wedding also?”
She shook her head. “When I was planning my wedding before, with Benjamin, I thought that was what I wanted. Only a handful of people, carefully chosen. But after everything we have been through, I think I shall take you up on your offer of a ball to celebrate our first anniversary. And perhaps we can say our vows again with the vicar. He would like that, would he not?”
“I dare say he would. We shall hold it at the Southampton house. That way, we can control who comes although I think many will wish to travel up from London. It will have to be a house party.”
She beamed. “Yes. I should like that. How curious that for the longest time, I wanted only a small celebration, and now, I want everyone to see our love. I want everyone to know how happy we are.”
“Perhaps because before, a part of you always knew your fiancé was not the right one for you. And now that you have the right one, it is time to show the world.”
“Yes. I think that is exactly it. I want the whole world to know that you and I are together and in love, and that nothing will ever separate us again.”
He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers, and she closed her eyes.
For a moment, it felt as though she were floating because she knew it to be true.
The two of them being reunited did not mean there would never be a quarrel.
Of course, there would be, for Julian would continue to vex her to the point of distraction for the rest of their lives.
But she loved every moment of it, and there was not a single day that passed in which she was not grateful for him.
The End?