Epilogue
“Do you know about King Henry VIII, Lady Byron?” Alice asked, her hands clasped behind her back as she stood before the older woman. “He had six wives, and two of them lost their heads. Miss Peyton taught me about it, and then Seraphina told me even more.”
Lady Byron nodded slowly. She had barely made it through the threshold of the estate when Alice had accosted her. “I am well acquainted with King Henry. A most tumultuous sovereign. Did this Miss Peyton happen to mention his first wife, Catherine of Aragon?”
“Yes!” Alice nodded eagerly. “She said King Henry wanted to set her aside because she didn’t give him a son, but Catherine fought him for years.”
“Indeed she did,” Lady Byron said dryly.
“Though few people bother to mention that before she ever married Henry, Catherine was betrothed to his elder brother, Arthur, who died when he was merely fifteen. She was left stranded in English court for years, speaking barely a word of the language, surviving on grit before she ever wore the crown.”
Alice’s wide eyes grew impossibly larger. She shook her head softly. “No... Miss Peyton didn’t tell me that at all.”
“Most history texts written by men tend to leave out the resilience of the women involved,” Lady Byron noted calmly. “If this estate possesses a half-decent library, we might look for the chronicles of the Spanish court. I could show you her actual letters.”
Alice beamed, nodding vigorously. “I would like that very much! The library is up the stairs, just down the hall!”
With that, Lady Byron offered a curt nod, and Alice eagerly led the way.
William stood near the stairs, his elbow resting against it, watching their retreating backs. Beside him, Seraphina folded her hands over her waist, her gaze tracking them.
“They just met,” she mumbled. “How did they get along so quickly when they met ten seconds ago?”
“I think you are in a better position to answer that question, Seraphina,” William answered. “You made Alice the inquisitive young lady she is now.”
William took her hand into his. “How do you think Lady Byron will take the news that you are not returning to the countryside with her?” William asked softly, turning his head to look at his wife.
Seraphina exhaled, gently squeezing his hand.
“I have no idea. But the fact that she accepted our invitation to come to Norwyn Manor must count for something, doesn’t it?
I was terrified she would refuse. Though...
I can already see that Alice is quite taken with her.
That’s a good thing. I do not think there is a single question Alice could ask that Lady Byron would not know how to answer.
She is the answer to all of Alice’s inquisitive questions, even the ones I struggle to explain. That is a wonderful thing.”
William chuckled. “Right. That should be a great help.” He glanced up the stairs toward the library. “I suppose I ought to join them. Who better to navigate the collection than the one who has lived here the longest?”
“Go on, then,” Seraphina said, smiling up at him. “I shall go check with the kitchen staff to ensure the guest wing is properly prepared and dinner is set according to her preferences.”
As Seraphina turned to walk toward the domestic wing, William made his way toward the library.
He was the happiest he had ever been in his entire life. Months ago, his work had been his only refuge, an endless cycle of ledgers, files, and estate management that he used to numb the silence of his existence. Now, work had lost its hold on him entirely.
His true refuge was Seraphina.
He found himself lingering in bed every morning, wrapped in the warmth of the sheets, simply talking with her for hours while the sun filtered through the curtains.
He never wanted to get up. The endless demands of his duchy could wait, spending those sacred hours wrapped around his wife was the only thing that mattered.
William pushed open the doors of the library and stepped inside. Lady Byron stood near one of the tall bookcases, running a finger along the spines.
“Your Grace,” she murmured, hearing his footsteps. “You have a lovely manor. It is quite magnificent, much larger than I had anticipated.”
William paused, his brow furrowing slightly. “You have never been here before?”
Given her past connection with his late father, he had assumed she had set foot in the house at least once.
“No,” Lady Byron replied smoothly, turning to face him. “This is my very first time visiting.”
“Fascinating,” William admitted, crossing his arms over his chest. “Does that mean the only place my father ever met you was at the cottage?”
“Yes,” she said placing both hands behind her. “That cottage was the only place he ever allowed us to exist. I suppose I should have realized much earlier that he was never going to take me seriously, keeping me hidden away in a small dwelling where society could never see us.”
William’s expression sobered. He lowered his head, not wanting to continue the line of conversation so as not to upset her any further.
“I have not forgotten what you did, Lady Byron,” William said, changing the subject.
“I haven’t forgotten how you frightened my wife.
I understand how Seraphina was able to forgive you.
She possesses a heart far kinder than mine, but I do not like the idea of what you put her through.
Even if it is not my place to grant forgiveness on her behalf, I am not sure I can simply let it pass. ”
He took a small breath, looking at her directly. “However... I am bound to admit one thing. I am grateful those letters brought us together. If you had not sent them, Seraphina would never have broken into my study, and I would never have met her. For that outcome alone, I am profoundly glad.”
Lady Byron turned her head, her sharp stare fixing upon him with an intensely strange, calculating gaze.
William frowned slightly beneath her scrutiny. “What is it? What are you thinking?”
“Seraphina is not coming back to live with me in the countryside, is she?” Lady Byron asked plainly.
William did not offer a verbal response. He simply met her gaze, giving her a knowing look.
Lady Byron let out a resigned sigh. “I figured as much the moment I received her letter inviting me here. A blind man could have seen that what existed between the two of you was far from a mere arrangement. When she looked at you... it was the way I once looked at your father. I know that look all too well, and you were far too defensive of her that day in my drawing room. It did not take much to put two and two together.”
“Are you upset about it?” William asked directly.
“I do not get upset over such things these days,” Lady Byron replied. “Though I will admit... I do not particularly care for the fact that one of my girls has married a Carlton.”
William raised an eyebrow. “Why is that?”
“It is nothing personal against you,” she said softly. “I do not know you well enough to judge your character. It is simply the memory attached to the name.”
“I am not my father, Viscountess,” he said.
“I can tell,” she answered. “If Seraphina is happy, that is truly all that matters to me. I trust her completely, and I know she will keep in touch. Receiving her invitation proved to me that the door will always be open for me to visit whenever I wish. Perhaps it is time I face my own fears and re-enter society a bit more, now that my girls have paved the way.”
William felt a knot of tension uncoil in his chest. “I am glad you see it that way. Seraphina was remarkably nervous to tell you.”
“I would expect nothing less from her,” Lady Byron said, her tone softening. “Out of all three of my girls, Seraphina is the one who cares most deeply about what I think and feel.”
William nodded in understanding. “So, what will you do now? Will you return to the countryside, or stay with us for a while? You are welcome to remain as long as you like.”
“No.” Lady Byron shook her head. “I will stay only a few days. Seraphina is still a newlywed, and I shall give her the space to enjoy her new family life. I intend to go stay with Leonora at Lord Sterling’s estate.
His health is deteriorating quickly,” Lady Byron explained.
“Euphemia, his niece, is with child, so she cannot make the travel to see him as often, and Leonora is the only one in that big house, watching over him. I wish to be there to assist, and I want to spend time with Leonora as well. She is the last of my girls who remains unmarried, and we need our time as a family. Besides... she is getting closer and closer to the truth.”
William’s brows drew together in confusion. “The truth? What truth?”
Lady Byron titled her head. “You will know in due time, Your Grace. Or you may simply ask your wife.”
Before William could press her further, Alice came running towards them, her governess, Miss Peyton trailing at a distance behind her.
“We found it! We found the book!” Alice declared triumphantly, holding up a dusty, leather-bound volume. “You must tell me the story now, Lady Byron! Please.”
Lady Byron smiled, taking the volume from the child’s hands. “You are an eager one, aren’t you? I like that. Your mind is ripe for knowledge. Very well, let us see what Catherine of Aragon has to teach us.”
“We can sit near the window, where Her Grace always writes,” Alice said, leading her away.
William gave them a polite nod and withdrew from the room, leaving them to their own world. He walked down the long, sunlit hallway, searching for his wife. He found Seraphina standing near the dining hall, speaking animatedly to the housekeeper about the evening menu.
“—and please make sure the tart is not overly sweet,” Seraphina was saying, her hands gesturing lightly. “She does not care for heavy sugars, so perhaps a light lemon preserve would be best... Oh, and we should check the guest chambers once more—”
William stepped up behind her, wrapping his arms gently around her waist and pulling her back against his chest.
“Calm down, my love,” William murmured into her hair, his chin resting on her shoulder.
“I should be calm, should I not?” she whispered, shutting her eyes as she leaned back into him.
“Yes. Let the staff do their work,” he said and placed a peck on the side of her neck. “She already knows.”
Seraphina went still in his arms, turning her head to look up at him in surprise. “She... she knows?”
“She claims she figured it out the moment she received your letter,” William said, a smile touching his lips. “She knows you’re not going back.”
Seraphina let out a long breath, a chuckle bubbling up from her lips as she leaned back against him. “Of course she knows. She isn’t a child. Was she upset?”
William shook his head. “She understands. She wants to stay a few days, and then go see your sister, Leonora, and take care of Lord Sterling.”
“He is quite sick,” Seraphina sighed. “I should visit him too. He really helped the three of us when we first arrived in Mayfair. He was accommodating, not taking into consideration the fact that, technically, he is only related to Effie. He treated all of us well.”
“I’ll go with you,” William said, pulling her back into his embrace. She wrapped her arms around his neck. William held her tight, his heart brimming with joy that filled every corner of his soul.
He leaned forward, propped her head up and captured her lips in a sweet, short kiss. It was a kiss full of promises, untethered joy, and the certainty of their future.
“I love you, Seraphina,” William whispered against her lips, his hands framing her face. “Forever.”
Seraphina smiled, her cheeks turning their usual pink. “I love you, William. Forever.”
William looked down at her, taking in the small, triumphant tilt of her chin.
For a man who had spent his entire life measuring safety in terms of distance and control, surrender had once seemed like a terrifying prospect.
Yet here, in the swell of her presence, he felt no loss of footing, only the happiness of a man who had finally stopped running.
Slowly, he let out all the breath in his lungs, resting his cheek against Seraphina’s hair, content to let the rest of the world keep its logic while he held the only truth that mattered.
The End?