Extended Epilogue

Two Years Later

Felicity walked between the raised beds of her herb garden, carefully studying each plant. So far, so good – they were all healthy, all thriving, even the newest ones.

Her garden as a whole was coming on remarkably well. Starting with this small herb garden, she’d gradually taken over at least half of the Lanwood domestic grounds, growing countless herbs, plants, flowers, and roots, anything her studies called for. She had her own section of the library, which was all botany books and her own notes.

She was in the process of writing her own essays on various herbal remedies, although recently that had come to a halt, while she dealt with more pressing issues.

Those pressing issues in question were with their nurse. Felicity heard the twins giggling with delight over something. Suppressing a smile, she stepped over the last raised bed, and turned back towards the terrace.

The twins were just short of one year old, and their names were Hareton and Flora respectively. They had the same shock of dark hair and large blue eyes and smiled gummily out at the world with irrepressible good nature. Summoned by the cries of his children, Arthur was stepping out of the open French doors, heading their way with a smile.

The nurse smiled up at her too, handing up one of the babies. Felicity took Flora, leaving Arthur to take Hareton.

“What time are your parents getting here?” Arthur inquired, throwing Hareton up into the air until the baby shrieked with delight.

“Not for another hour, I think.”

The relationship between Felicity and her mother was repaired slowly. There had been setbacks, of course – plenty of them. Mrs. Thornhill was not entirely prepared to admit that she was wrong, and Felicity had given way far too often when she lived at home to do so again now.

But it wasn’t over. There was time, still. Felicity lifted Flora up, pressing a kiss to her fat little cheek.

Beatrice and Lucy lived in Lanwood Manor still, too. Beatrice had hesitantly offered to move into the Dower House when Felicity and Arthur married, but that suggestion was firmly turned down.

“This is your home, both of you,” Felicity had said, hand in hand with her new husband. “There’s room enough for us all here.”

Frankly, Lucy and Beatrice’s presence was a great help during Felicity’s pregnancy, and during the early weeks and months after the babies were born. Twins took a toll in many ways, and although Felicity loved her children, it had not been easy.

On cue, Beatrice stepped out of the library, through the French doors onto the terrace, waving to Felicity.

“Lucy is in the rose garden,” she said, when she was close enough. “She wants to talk to you, Felicity.”

“I’ll go at once,” Felicity said, handing over the baby to their devoted grandmother, and set off along the gravel walks.

It was strange to think that the house where she’d been a guest for so long, and visited her dear old friend so many times was now hers. Hers.

She spotted Lucy just up ahead, sitting on a stone bench, making a sketch of a particularly perfect rose, its stem snipped, sitting on the bench beside her.

“A yellow rose, your favourite,” Felicity remarked, sitting down with a smile. “I often wished I could draw like you. I think Mama would have been more pleased with my womanly accomplishments if I could. She always thought that drawing and watercolours were particularly attractive skills in a lady.”

Lucy chuckled. “Yes, I recall.”

She set aside her sketch book, and picked up the rose, twirling it carefully between her fingers. The petals were perfect, in full bloom, flawless. Somebody had chosen that flower with infinite care.

“I’m grateful that you let me stay here, Felicity,” Lucy said suddenly. “Two years is a long time.”

Felicity frowned. “I let you stay here? Lucy, this is your home. I said it, and I meant it. You are my closest friend. I’ve loved the time we spent together. You aren’t thinking of leaving, are you? You aren’t thinking that you’re a burden? Because you are not, Lucy. I mean it.”

Felicity spoke the last sentence vehemently. At times like this, it was impossible not to think of those last few weeks with her parents, before her engagement to Arthur. Mrs. Thornhill had called her a burden, a foolish, selfish girl who cared about nobody but herself.

It was hard not to remember those harsh words. Mrs. Thornhill had confessed that she was sorry, that she wished she had handled things differently, but words, once spoken, could not be unsaid.

“I know you don’t think I’m a burden,” Lucy said, smiling wryly. “You are too kind, Felicity. I’ve always thought of you as a sister, and Beatrice has somehow become my mother, and Arthur my brother. I’m lucky, I know that. My father worried about me, you know, before he died. He was afraid I’d be alone and miserable in the world. I can see why he worried about that – single women are not protected in our society. I suppose deep down, I was afraid too. But that doesn’t matter anymore. I’m not alone. I have a wonderful family. I know how lucky I am.”

Felicity reached out, placing her hand on Lucy’s. Lucy was still twirling the rose between her fingers, eyeing it absently. Realisation struck.

“That rose,” Felicity said hesitantly. “Somebody gave it to you, didn’t they?”

Lucy smiled, nodding slowly. “Yes. Yes, they did.”

Felicity sucked in a breath. “Oh, Lucy! I had no idea you had a suitor!”

“It’s been a strange development,” she said, laughing. “I was happy as a spinster. Happy as I am, you know? I don’t attend balls and try to dance with gentlemen, I don’t care about marriage and family. I never thought much of it. And now… now it’s crept up on me.”

“Well, you know that Arthur has a great dowry reserved for you, which you can have whether you choose to leave us or get married, whenever you need it. Who is the gentleman?”

“I wanted you to know first,” Lucy said, avoiding the question. “Beatrice suspects, I know – I can never get anything past her! But I wanted your blessing. I don’t need your permission, I know that – I’m a grown woman, independent, and I can think for myself – but your blessing matters very much to me. To us.”

“Well, unless Lord Vincent is out of debtor’s prison and wants to marry you, I’m fairly sure I’ll give it,” Felicity said, a little taken aback at the little speech. “But who…”

Then Daniel stepped from around the hedge, red-faced, holding a matching yellow rose between his fingers.

“Surprise, Felicity,” he murmured, smiling nervously.

Felicity blinked, sure that she had gone to sleep at some point and was now dreaming.

“I… I don’t understand. Daniel, are you courting Lucy?”

“It’s rather beyond that, I’m afraid,” he said, with a short, uncertain laugh. “I have asked Lucy to marry me.”

He extended his hand, and Lucy took it, smiling affectionately up at him.

“It came upon us slowly,” she said, still gazing up at him. “I always enjoyed Daniel’s company, and once you married Arthur, Felicity, we saw such a great deal of him. At some point, I believe I finally understood that I did not simply enjoy his company – I loved him. I enjoyed his company more than that of anyone else in the world.”

“I realised I loved her a great deal sooner,” he said, laughing down at Lucy. “But I was afraid that she had no interest in marriage, and that I would only ruin our friendship if I declared myself. It took a great of courage – and a small amount of encouragement – to tell her my true feelings. And from there, we took things slowly, making sure that this was what both of us wanted.”

“Well,” Felicity said, feeling rather as if she’d had the wind knocked out of her. “This is a surprise.”

“Are you angry?” Lucy asked, a trace of hesitation in her voice. She was still holding Daniel’s hand, their fingers laced together. “He’s your cousin, and I know you are like brother and sister. I know how protective you are of him.”

“I’m protective of you, too,” Felicity said, recovering herself. “I’m happy for you.”

“Truly?”

“Of course, truly. I love you both, and seeing you love each other is everything I could ever have wanted.”

Bouncing to her feet, Felicity threw her arms around them both, pulling them into a tight hug.

“The truth is,” Lucy said, her voice a little muffled, “I saw how happy you and Arthur are. I loved my father, but I hardly remembered my mother. All the marriages I saw around me seemed… well, seemed miserable. Then I saw how happy you were, and I got to know Daniel better, and somehow… somehow it seemed right.”

“I’m glad for you,” Felicity said, feeling choked up all of a sudden. “But I suppose this means you’ll leave.”

They pulled apart, and she saw that Daniel and Lucy were misty-eyed, too.

“I hoped that Lucy would come and live with me,” Daniel admitted. “I have a fine house, which I’m seldom in, because I’m the only one there. We may have a family, or we may not. Either way, Lucy is the one I long to spend my life with. We’ve discussed it, and she says that she does want to come and live with me.”

“Aren’t… aren’t you happy here?” Felicity managed, not quite able to swallow past the lump in her throat. “We’d be happy for you to stay.”

Lucy smiled up at the house, something bittersweet in her expression.

“I have been happy here. So happy. But there’s not an inch of the place that doesn’t remind me of Father. I have loved it here, but I think… I think it’s time for me to start on a new life. My own life, with Daniel.”

She glanced up at him, and they exchanged a quick, loving smile. Felicity’s chest ached.

“Then I’m thrilled for you,” she said. “Of course I am. You don’t need my permission, but you have it, wholeheartedly, and my blessing.”

“I did wonder if I should ask Arthur’s permission before I asked Lucy to marry me,” Daniel admitted, “But I decided against it. I thought that Lucy would be perfectly able to give her own decision.”

“Quite right,” Lucy said, laughing. “Beatrice has guessed, I’m sure, but the engagement will be a surprise to her. We thought of breaking the news today, before Mr. and Mrs. Thornhill arrive. That is, if you don’t mind?”

“Of course I don’t mind,” Felicity said, and meant every word. “Come on, let’s tell the others.”

She led her two dearest friends – except for Arthur, naturally – back out of the rose garden, along to the terrace. She saw Beatrice, stretched out on a seat, lost in a book. She saw the nurse laughing as Arthur blew raspberries on first Flora’s belly, then Hareton’s. He glanced up, noticing her, and she watched a soft look come into his eyes when he saw her.

His gaze slipped past, onto Daniel and Lucy, and dropped down to their still-clasped hands. She saw understanding there, and their eyes met again. She lifted her eyebrows, just once, and saw that he understood.

Beatrice looked up at last and glanced questioningly at them.

“Attention, all!” Felicity declared with a raised voice. “Daniel and Lucy have an announcement to make. Fear not, for it is delightful news.”            

The End