Epilogue
“Agnes, I don’t think anyone has ever looked more beautiful than you do today,” Dorothy enthused, holding her at arm’s length.
“Yes,” Violet agreed. “That gown is just lovely on you.”
The gown was a pale cream color, designed in the latest fashion, and it was the finest garment Agnes had ever owned.
She had never taken much of an interest in clothing before, but things were different since Gabriel had become a part of her life.
She thought a great deal more about what she wore each day, knowing that he was going to see her in it.
And today had been the most important day of all their time together.
“I chose the gown,” Helena boasted.
Everyone laughed. “Did you really?” Violet asked, intrigued.
“She really did,” Agnes said, giving her new niece a fond smile.
“Helena has wonderful taste, and I knew that I would be able to count on her to choose something that would suit me well. I owe her a debt of gratitude for finding this gown. I wouldn’t feel nearly as beautiful today in anything else. ”
“Oh, but I’m sure you would,” Helena countered. “I agree it’s the perfect gown for you, but what really makes you shine is just how happy you are. Everyone can see it. You’re glowing.”
“She’s right, Agnes,” Bridget put in. “I don’t know when I’ve seen you this happy. But then, until recently, I had never seen you in love. It’s so wonderful to know that you’ve finally found this joy.”
“The duke is a lucky man,” Dorothy said. “I don’t think anyone will argue with that.”
“And where has he gone, anyway?” Violet asked. “I would have thought he would want to make sure to spend every available moment with you today, Agnes. After all, you two are newly married now.”
Agnes laughed. “I think we’re both just so relieved to have things settled at last,” she said.
“I don’t feel the need to remain glued to his side, and I’m sure he doesn’t feel it either.
We have the rest of our lives for that. So I won’t claim to know exactly where he’s gone—but it also doesn’t matter.
I know he’ll be back and that’s what’s important to me. ”
“I know where he went,” Bridget said. “He and Reeves are off having a conversation.”
“Oh, dear,” Agnes laughed. “Dare I ask what that’s about?”
“I don’t think it would surprise you,” Bridget said. “Reeves takes his duties as elder brother very seriously, and he wants to speak to Gabriel once more now that your marriage is official. He wants to remind him how important it is to treat you well.”
Agnes shook her head. “Reeves ought to try to have a little faith,” she said.
“But I understand my brother. He wants to control things as much as he can. I hope their conversation satisfies him. For myself, I have nothing but the highest trust and confidence in Gabriel. I know that the two of us are going to be very happy together.”
“I know you are too,” Helena put in. “I hope that I find someone I love as much as you love Uncle Gabriel someday, Agnes. I hope that when I marry, it’s the same as what you two have. If it is, I could really see myself being happy in a marriage.”
“That’s right,” Agnes told her. “You should try to find someone who loves you enough to treat you as though you’re special to him.
Someone who makes you feel precious—but at the same time, gives you the freedom to be yourself in every way.
” She smiled fondly. “I don’t know that I could ever have married anyone other than your uncle, but he has always loved me for who I am and has never tried to make me into someone else. That means the world to me.”
“You’ll be the one to come to balls with me when I make my debut, won’t you?” Helena asked anxiously. “I can’t stand the thought of Uncle Gabriel being the one to do it. I’m sure he would frighten off any man who looked at me twice.”
“And what about that young man of yours—Benjamin?” Agnes asked. “You speak as if you’ve lost interest in him altogether.”
“Well…no,” Helena said. “Not exactly. But I’m going to have to make a debut. There’s no chance Uncle Gabriel will release me from that obligation, you know.”
“I do know,” Agnes said. “I think it’s good that you accept that.”
“It’s best that I try to enjoy myself,” Helena said.
“Since this is going to happen either way, I want to make the most of it. And that means meeting people, dancing…and I’m sure Uncle Gabriel would prefer that I just stand beside the wall and look pretty, that I give people something to admire.
But I have no interest in being a part of the scenery! ”
Dorothy laughed. “She sounds like a younger you, Agnes. You’re the perfect aunt for her.”
“Oh, don’t get me started on that,” a voice spoke up.
Agnes turned to see her new husband standing behind her.
He was beaming. She had never seen him look so happy, and to know that she was the reason for his joy was enough to make her own grow exponentially, though she would have said such a thing was impossible.
A moment ago, she had believed she was as happy as she could possibly be.
But now, beyond reason, she was happier still.
That’s what marriage to Gabriel is going to be like. He will keep surprising me with how much happiness I’m capable of. Every day will be better than the one before it. I can hardly wait to begin.
“Ladies,” Gabriel said now, “I wonder if you would permit me to borrow my wife for a moment, as I would very much like to share a dance with her on our wedding day.”
“Of course,” Dorothy said. “We’ll go and get some food. Helena, why don’t you come along with us? You can go on telling us about your hopes for your upcoming debut.”
The ladies wandered off. Gabriel threaded his arm through Helena’s and led her in the direction of the dance floor. When they arrived, he took her in his arms, and together they began the familiar steps.
They had done this so many times before.
But it still felt new and remarkable to Agnes to realize that there was no pretense in it now.
There was no artifice. They were no longer putting on a performance for the people watching them.
Finally, they could admit to what they had felt all along—this dance was for them, and for the joy they got from holding one another in their arms.
“So,” Gabriel said as they turned. “You were talking about Helena’s debut?”
“She has some enthusiasm for it,” Agnes said.
“Dare I hope that means she’s given up on the idea of the solicitor’s boy?”
Agnes laughed. “She’s young and in love. No, I don’t think she has given up on that yet. I think she’s simply ready to allow herself to enjoy what’s coming her way in the meantime. We should embrace that for her.”
“Oh, you’re right,” Gabriel agreed. “If she’s willing to participate with enthusiasm, it’s the best outcome we could have asked for. It means that she’ll stand a chance at finding a gentleman who is a proper match for her, and forgetting about that boy.”
“You know, he does seem a nice enough boy,” Agnes pointed out. “If Helena was to fall in love with someone, she could have done worse. I know he can’t provide the kind of future you’d like for her, but at least he seems kind.”
“Oh, not you too,” Gabriel said.
“No, no,” she assured him. “I’m not going to try to talk you into letting her see him. It’s your decision to make, at least for the moment. I’m just reminding you that we could have it a good deal worse.”
“I suppose you’re right,” Gabriel agreed. “All I truly care about is that she’s happy. You know that.”
“I do,” Agnes agreed. “And in truth, I think that watching you find love has really helped with that. She’s seen now what’s possible. I can tell there is a part of her that aspires to find what we did, that believes it’s possible because she’s seen it happen.”
Gabriel grinned at her. “I’ll confess,” he said, “I wouldn’t have believed it myself if I hadn’t seen it happen. I wouldn’t have thought this could be.”
“No, nor would I,” Agnes agreed, feeling a thrill as he pulled her in just a little bit closer.
“You know there’s a reason I remained a spinster all these years.
I just…never believed that things like this were real.
I knew people married all the time, of course, and that they told themselves they were truly in love.
But I suppose deep down I thought they were deluding themselves.
I thought they got into these affairs for practical reasons and just told themselves it was love to make it feel romantic instead of rational.
And I thought I was so much more clever than anyone else, because of course there was no real reason why anyone needed a marriage.
There was nothing a marriage was ever going to do for me that I couldn’t do for myself. ”
“And now?” Gabriel asked with a smile.
She laughed. “Well, now I’m forced to admit that I was wrong about that—about all of it—right from the very start,” she said. “My core assumption was wrong, because love is real. I can never deny that now.”
“You’re not alone in any of this,” he assured her.
“You’re describing exactly the way I felt about it, and still feel.
How can I deny that love is real when I look at your face and all I want is to take you in my arms and kiss you?
Being with you makes me forget everything I once thought was important. ”
Agnes laughed. “You see, there was a time when I would have pointed to that as proof that the whole enterprise was a disaster,” she said.
“How could anything that takes you away from the rest of your life so thoroughly be good? How could it be anything but an unwelcome distraction, even a hindrance? But it’s so very different from anything I ever expected.
With you, it really is good to be distracted.
It allows me to take a break from my worries.
And my worries are made less by sharing them with you as well. ”
Gabriel beamed at her. “We’re going to have a beautiful life together,” he told her. “I can hardly wait for it to begin.”
“Then you’re in luck.” She gave him a smirk. “You don’t have to wait. Not anymore. Our life together begins right now, and all we have to do is to step into it.”
She couldn’t resist anymore. She couldn’t force herself to wait until the party was over and they returned home, even though she knew that she should.
People will understand. It’s our wedding day. And if they don’t understand…well, I suppose that will simply have to be their problem, and not mine.
She rose up on her toes, pulling Gabriel close, and pressed her lips to his. His mouth was warm and yielding, and it felt like coming home, and Agnes was struck with the wonderful thought that she could do this every day for the rest of her life if she wanted to.
And she very much wanted to.
He was hers now, and she was his. They belonged to one another. Nothing would ever come between them, and nothing would tear them apart.
As she kissed him again, she reflected that she could have written the longest list in the world, and she would still never have thought to include something as magical as this.
The End?