Epilogue
SIX MONTHS LATER
“There it is,” Sebastian said, hardly able to contain his excitement. “Go on, take a look.”
They were sitting in the back of the carriage. Sebastian on one side of the seat, Helena on the other, and Daniel between them.
Daniel had been nervous on the right over, unsure and scared. No doubt he was worried that this was some sort of trick, that it couldn’t possibly be real, and that at any moment the veil would be lifted, and reality would come and take him
“Go on…” Helena nudged the little boy. “There’s no need to worry.”
Daniel looked from her to Sebastian, his blue eyes wide on his round face, his chin quivering. His entire body trembled, as it had been doing for the entire ride from London.
Sebastian made sure to smile, nodding his confirmation. He was not surprised by how nervous the poor boy was; it was just as he had expected. But that would soon fade, and any moment now he would finally accept the truth of what was happening.
“Here…” Sebastian shuffled toward the window and pulled back the curtain. Then, he looked out the window, finding in the distance his estate as it rose from the horizon.
Slowly, Daniel crawled to where Sebastian was sitting. And then, just as slowly, he dared to peer out the window. He saw the estate approach, and his eyes grew even wider, just as his mouth fell open.
Sebastian had never seen someone look so surprised before… and happy.
“Is that…” Daniel stammered. “That is… Is it your home?”
“It is your home,” Sebastian corrected him. “From now until forever, Daniel. I promise you.”
“But… it is so big.” Daniel gaped at him.
Helena laughed as she shuffled beside them. “It is, isn’t it? Entirely too big for just two people. But I feel that for the three of us, it will be perfect.”
“I don’t… But why?” Daniel tore his gaze from the window and looked at them both, his face scrunched up. “I don’t understand. Why me? Why are you… Why me?”
Sebastian looked at Helena, who beamed. He then took her hand, as he did Daniel’s. “Why not?” he said simply. “We love you, Daniel, and all we want is the best for you. What other reason could we possibly need?”
“So, this is…” Daniel swallowed. “This is real?”
“Of course it is,” Helena affirmed.
“And you won’t send me back?”
“Why would you think that?” Sebastian asked.
Daniel shrugged. “If I do something wrong. If I upset you…” He bowed his head. “I won’t mind if you do. Truly, I will understand.”
“Daniel…” Sebastian scooped him up and put him on his lap.
“That’s not how this works. As far as I am concerned, you are my son, even if you upset me.
Even if you make me so mad that I want to scream…
” He made sure to laugh. “That will not change. This is your home now. We are your family. And nothing is going to change that.”
“We love you, Daniel.” Helena reached out and stroked the top of Daniel’s head. “I dare say that I love you even more than my husband.”
“Now, wait a minute!” Sebastian pretended to be upset.
Daniel giggled. “Really?”
“It is not so hard,” Helena said, winking at Sebastian. “You are rather adorable, while my husband is a big old grump.”
Sebastian rolled his eyes, but could not help smiling as Daniel went back to looking at the estate as it slowly drew closer. His eyes sparkled, and the smile he wore told Sebastian that finally, he was coming to accept this new reality.
He still couldn’t believe that this was happening.
It hadn’t been his intention. Initially, all Sebastian wanted was to establish the orphanage as an official state-sponsored institution.
That would ensure constant funding. It would ensure that more children would be able to find safety and care within its walls.
And it would ensure that even if Sebastian died tomorrow, there would always be a safe haven for abandoned children.
And he had done it too. His bill was passed. Funding was secured. What was more, Sebastian managed to gather enough support that two more orphanages across London were being built. Hundreds of children would be saved thanks to what he had done, and that was all he ever wanted.
Adopting Daniel had been Helena’s idea.
These last six months had seen her grow attached to the young boy beyond imagination. And with their marriage going well, with the bill being passed, and their future now to look forward to, Helena began to worry about what might happen if they did not have time to visit the orphanage every day.
What would Daniel think? Would he assume they abandoned him? Would he think that they had grown bored and left him like everyone else did?
No, that simply would not do. So, when she suggested adoption, Sebastian did not hesitate. He was in love with his wife; they had their whole future to look forward to, so why not start it with a family of their own?
“What do we do?” Daniel asked, still watching the estate.
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t…” He bit his lip. “There is so much. Are there other children there? What are we going to do when we… when we…” He smiled. “When we get home.”
Hearing him refer to the estate as home made Sebastian’s chest tighten.
Helena laughed. “How about a story?”
“Yes!” Daniel cried. “A story! Yes, please.”
“Oh, I know which one I want to hear.” Sebastian grinned at his wife knowingly.
She rolled her eyes. “I hardly think it is appropriate.”
“What?” Daniel looked between them. “What story? Tell me!”
“Only the most popular novel of the year,” Sebastian explained. “The Lady Who Would Be King. Have you not heard of it?”
“No.” Daniel beamed. “What’s it about?”
“What’s it about?” Sebastian raised an eyebrow at his wife.
She smiled and wrapped an arm around Daniel.
“It’s about freedom, Daniel. The freedom to live life on your own terms, no matter the cost. No matter what people say or think.
Because if you do that…” She took Sebastian’s right hand.
“… you will find happiness. And in the end, that’s all that matters. ”
Oh yes, Helena’s manuscript had been published. In fact, Sebastian was the very reason for it. Once Mr. Ramsay was arrested, and once the ton realized that his accusations were those of a deranged lunatic, Sebastian made it his mission to see Helena’s prized work put to print.
What was more, he insisted it be done under her own name.
Some people fussed over this. Others derided the notion of a female author. But once the work was published and it started to gather interest, that small issue was seen as irrelevant.
Who cared who wrote the book? Because a work of such talent transcended such trivial things as gender
So it was that Sebastian, Helena, and Daniel rode into the estate together. Once there, they gave Daniel a tour, after which they adjourned to the reading room, where Sebastian sat on the floor with his son, while Helena sat herself on the couch with the book open in her lap.
Sebastian held his son close and watched his wife closely, his heart feeling full like it never had before.
And all the while, he could not help but wonder what he had been afraid of all this time.
Why had he run from happiness, as if it were something to be afraid of? This was a life he should have been running toward, chasing after, wishing for, because for the first time in his life, he was truly at peace.
Not all stories had a happy ending, as Helena liked to tell him. But the best ones did. And Sebastian was pleased that in this instance, he was lucky enough to be a part of one.
“Right…” Helena cleared her throat as she opened her book. “The Lady Who Would Be King, by Lady Helena Monstrose, the Duchess of Hawthorne…”
The End?