Epilogue
Three Months Later
The church rustled with the whispers of the parishioners and the swish of skirts as ladies moved restlessly, waiting for the wedding to begin.
From where he stood at the top of the aisle next to Alaric, Ewan could see men and women turning and craning their necks toward the doors, eager to see the bride.
Alaric, Ewan knew, was anxious to see her as well. Next to him, his friend moved back and forth on the balls of his feet, and his hands kept jumping to his cravat, as if to make sure that everything was in order.
“You look well, do not worry,” Ewan murmured to his friend. Alaric stopped fidgeting and gave him a shifty smile.
“You really think so?” he muttered.
“Of course I do,” Ewan said, grinning. “Anyway, is it not the bride who is supposed to be anxious on her wedding day, not the groom?”
Alaric laughed quietly. “I am not nervous, exactly. Simply… anticipatory. I have been waiting for this day for so long, praying for it for years, ever since the first day I set eyes on Lillian. And now that it is here, I have this terrible feeling that something will happen, and it will not actually go through.”
Ewan shook his head and placed a bracing hand on his friend’s arm.
“Do not worry, old friend,” he said. “This is happening. I would not let anything get in its way.”
At the very same time, the doors to the chapel opened, and everyone turned toward them.
Standing in the doorway were three people. At the front was Annabelle, in a white dress and orange ribbons in her hair. She was holding a basket, which was also filled with orange blossoms, and as all the eyes came to rest on her, she smiled shyly.
Behind her was the maid of honor, Cassandra.
And as Ewan took in the sight of his wife in a gown of pale pink, her studded with pearls, he felt his heart tighten in his chest. He had never seen anyone so beautiful or so radiant.
Her eyes were sparkling and her cheeks were flushed with pleasure, and if he had not already been madly in love with her, he would have fallen in love with her all over again in that moment.
Behind her, of course, was Lillian. The bride was in a gown of white gossamer silk.
It was not elaborate, only a touch of lace on the hem, while her hair had been braided with Highland wildflowers.
She looked like a goddess of the harvest, and beside him, Ewan felt Alaric draw himself up.
When he looked at his friend, it was to see that his smile was wide and his eyes were shining. Pure love emanated from him.
The organ began to play the processional, and Annabelle took a step forward. As she walked down the aisle, she tossed the orange blossoms ahead of her, creating a pathway of them. She looked excited and pleased with herself, which warmed Ewan’s heart, but halfway down the aisle, she tripped.
There was a collective gasp as the basket was sent flying forward, wildflowers spilling everywhere, and the little girl tumbled forward.
Ewan made to step forward at once. At the end of the aisle, so did Cassandra. His instinct was to save his daughter. To not let any harm or embarrassment come to her.
But then Annabelle was standing back up, brushing down her skirts, and gathering the flowers.
She looked around at the guests and smiled courageously.
There was a ripple of laughter, and then the guests broke out into applause.
Annabelle picked up the basket and gave a little curtsy.
At the far end of the aisle, Lillian was smiling and clapping, and a look of glowing pride lit Cassandra’s face.
It was the same look on Ewan’s, he knew.
His little girl was growing up. She was learning how to pick herself up, even when she fell down. It was making her resilient and strong.
And he knew exactly whose influence that was. It was Cassandra’s.
Annabelle continued down to the end of the aisle, where she took her place on the opposite side of the men. Ewan smiled and winked at his daughter, and she grinned back.
Then Cassandra was walking down the aisle as well, her eyes fixed on Ewan’s. They gazed at one another until she had taken her place next to Annabelle and it was the bride’s turn.
The moment Lillian stepped forward, everyone in the chapel stood up. She looked beautiful and brimming with happiness as she walked toward her husband-to-be, and when she took his hand in front of the vicar, both looked as if they were about to weep with joy.
The ceremony passed in a blur of vows, laughter, sweet smiles, and knowing glances between the happy couple.
And when at last the vicar declared them husband and wife, and they shared their first kiss as a married couple, Ewan clapped harder than anyone else.
It felt as if his life were complete, to see his best friend finally find happiness with the woman he had loved for so long.
The wedding breakfast took place in the dining hall of Calder Castle.
The whole room had been decorated for the occasion.
In theme with the florals from the ceremony, the hall had been hung with garlands of wildflowers, and candlesticks in every color had been placed into the bronze sconces along the wall.
Calder Castle had been preparing for the event for weeks, and the feast that Cook had prepared was the most elaborate and decadent that Ewan had ever seen under his roof. Certainly more so than his own wedding, which had been such a last-minute and strange affair that held far less celebration.
But it felt, as he and Cassandra sat next to each other, their fingers intertwined under the table, that they were not just celebrating the wedding of their best friends, but their own, as well.
The hall was filled with tenant-farmers and villagers that Ewan had known for years, and who had started to get to know Cassandra as well over the last few months.
Dr. Ludley was there with his family, and he kept looking over at Ewan and Cassandra in a way that made Ewan wonder if the man was still concerned for his health.
Cassandra’s parents were also in attendance, Lord and Lady Pembury, as were many of the Scottish politicians that had once spurned Ewan and looked down on him for being less polished than they were used to.
But thanks to Lord Pembury, they had started to come round. They were beginning to consider new regulations that would allow his drainage systems to be implemented more easily throughout the country.
Both Lord and Lady Pembury seemed to be enjoying themselves, as well.
Lord Pembury was talking happily with several of his political allies, while Lady Pembury was holding court among the village women.
She and Mrs. Drummond appeared to be in some sort of fight about the best way to make pastry, if Ewan was hearing things correctly from across the hall.
Mrs. Drummond kept shaking her head and repeating, “Fine ladies ought not to interfere in the kitchens, milady.”
Soon, the music started, and Alaric and Lillian took to the dancefloor. They were to open the dance, which Ewan knew had made Alaric very nervous.
He was not a good dancer, and, sure enough, the moment the music started this was plainly evident to everyone watching. Alaric kept tripping over his own feet, he forgot several important steps, and he was as stiff as a board.
But it did not matter. Lillian clearly found the whole thing hilarious, and the two of them could not stop laughing. They seemed completely lost in their own world of love and happiness. And by the time the music ended, both their eyes were shining with mirth and love.
“Come,” Ewan murmured, leaning close to Cassandra. “I desire a moment alone.”
Cassandra’s cheeks warmed, the way they often did when he spoke to her in this low, intimate voice, and the two of them rose quickly from their table and moved along the edge of the wall, away from the crowd.
They slipped out the door and into the hall, then Ewan pulled Cassandra along after him toward the front door.
Outside, the air was cool and refreshing after the crush of the wedding breakfast. Around them, the Highlands were quiet and still. Ewan led Cassandra to the garden, then seated her on a stone bench and leaned against a stone wall. From his jacket pocket, he drew a letter.
“I have been wanting to share this with you,” he said, unfolding the letter. “It arrived this morning, and I was waiting for the right moment. I did not want to ruin the celebrations, but I also knew you would want to know. That it will bring you some peace of mind.”
“What is it?” Cassandra asked, taking the letter from him. Her eyes scanned it, then she looked up, her lips parted. “Christopher has been convicted of attempted murder? It is decided, then?”
“It is decided,” Ewan said gravely. Relief flickered across her face, and her shoulders relaxed slightly. “I spoke to the magistrate last week, and they will show mercy. They will keep Christopher behind bars. He will not be able to harm us ever again. It is over, Cassandra.”
She refolded the letter, then took a step toward him, her expression concerned. Slowly, she reached up and touched his cheek.
“I know this is good news,” she murmured, “but I also cannot celebrate it. I know how much it pains you to know your brother will be imprisoned for the rest of his life. And I know you wish there was more you could have done to save him from himself.”
“I do,” Ewan said heavily. “This verdict is not without its grief. But I would not have it any other way. He cannot be free to hurt either of us again. Or Annabelle.”
“Or anyone else,” Cassandra said. For a moment, he frowned at her, unsure of what she meant, and then she took his hand and placed it across her belly. Then she looked up at him, her eyes quivering.
Ewan stood still for a moment, his hand on her belly. Awe and shock coursed through him. He stared down at her, barely able to breathe.
“Do you mean…?” he began, but he could not finish the sentence, emotion choked him.
Cassandra nodded. Her eyes were full of tears now. “I spoke to Dr. Ludley last night. Did you not see him looking at us all night?” she laughed. “He was very excited for us, he could hardly wait for you to find out!”
Ewan laughed as well. “I did see that! I thought he was afraid I had taken ill again.”
Cassandra’s hand tightened over his. “You are pleased, are you not?” she whispered.
Ewan immediately released her stomach and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer.
“I am more pleased than I could ever say,” he whispered, his lips against her cheek.
“You have made my life complete, Cassandra, in every way that you could. There is nothing I want more than to continue to grow our family together, until the Highlands are full of our children.”
“Annabelle has been asking for a sibling for some time now,” Cassandra giggled. “I would hate to disappoint her.”
Ewan placed both hands on the side of her face and brought her lips up to his. “You could never disappoint anyone in this family,” he whispered. “I love you, Cassandra, more than anything in this world. And I cannot wait to keep building this life with you.”
His shoulders shook as he kissed her, but not with grief. It was with boundless joy, a joy he had not thought he would ever get to feel in this life, and which, now that it was his, he would never let go of.
THE END?
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(After reading the Extended Epilogue, turn the page to read the first chapters from “A Lady in Disguise for the Brooding Duke”, my Best-Selling novel!)