Epilogue

Epilogue

"Charlotte, look! Oh, look, how wonderful! Oh, I couldn't be happier. Look at this," Charlotte's mother exclaimed, having burst into Charlotte's bedroom at Thrushcross Grange, holding a piece of paper in her hand.

It was the day of Charlotte's marriage to Jacob, and Charlotte had arisen early to get ready, helped by Sara, who had been welcomed back into the family fold with open arms, and many apologies.

"Mother? Whatever is wrong?" Charlotte exclaimed, for her mother was so excited she was close to hysterics.

"Read it!" her mother exclaimed, clutching at her pearls with an ecstatic look on her face.

Charlotte looked down at the piece of paper. A letter! And a smile came over her face as she realized the source of her mother's excitement.

"My dearest cousin,

If I may be permitted to refer to you as such. What joy your letter brought to me this morning, and I beg your forgiveness for my not having written to you sooner. To hear of dear Charlotte's marriage to the Earl of Swadlincote pleases us all more than I can say. The Queen was delighted to hear it when I told her, and we await a report of the nuptial celebrations with great anticipation.

Here, at the Court of Saint James, we have had the privilege of witnessing two royal marriages of later–the Prince Philip to Lady Cherish Bonneville, and Princess Alexandra to the Duke of Wimbourne. A marriage brings such blessings, and I pray the same may be said for this happy occasion. I look forward to continuing our correspondence.

"With every good wish, Princess Louisa," Charlotte read out loud, smiling, as she came to the end.

Her mother had closed her eyes during the reading of the letter, and now she opened them, sighing as she clapped her hands together in delight.

"Dear Princess Louisa. She's simply wonderful, isn't she? I wrote to her as soon as the arrangements were made. I invited her, of course, but she's busy, and it's not easy to get from London," Charlotte's mother said.

Charlotte had not been consulted on this particular invitation or anything to do with the arrangements for the wedding. Her mother had seen to everything. Accepting help grudgingly from Jacob, who was hosting the nuptial celebrations at Downside.

"Oh, well. I'm sure she'd be willing to receive the Earl and Countess of Swadlincote at court. We'll have to be presented in due course; I suppose. I couldn't go without my mother," Charlotte said, and her mother clapped her hands together in delight.

"Oh, Charlotte, what a delight you are. How blessed I was in having you as my only daughter," she said, smiling at Charlotte, who had to try hard not to laugh.

Since they had returned from the north, Charlotte and her mother had got along a great deal better. Her mother had even apologized for her earlier behavior, telling Charlotte she only wanted her to be happy, and was now relieved to know she would be married to a man of good standing and integrity. The fact of his title and wealth certainly helped, too.

"But we must hurry if we're to get to the church on time," Charlotte said, glancing at the clock on the mantelpiece.

They were to be married in the village church, followed by a celebration at Downside. Charlotte had made her own dress with Sara's help, and now she stood in front of the looking glass to admire herself.

"You look beautiful, Miss Davidson," Sara said, and Charlotte smiled at her in the reflection.

"All thanks to you, Sara. I couldn't have done it without you," she said, but Sara shook her head.

"You're the one who fell in love, and he's the luckiest of men, Miss Davidson," she said.

She put on a lace shawl, a pair of diamond earrings, and a matching necklace gifted from her mother. With the final touches added, Charlotte was ready. The party made their way downstairs, where Charlotte's father was waiting for them. As she came down the stairs, he turned, smiling at Charlotte and holding out his arms.

"Don't you look beautiful, my darling?" he exclaimed, and the two of them embraced.

"I couldn't feel happier," Charlotte replied.

Jacob had made a full recovery from his injury, and with the Earl of Chester now safely on his way to a far-off penal colony, the troubles of the past were left behind. The smuggling ring had been disbanded, and Charlotte's father's reputation had not suffered greatly due to his business partner's misdemeanor. Indeed, he now had a new business partner, the Earl of Swadlincote, his soon to be son-in-law.

"Miss Davidson, there's a letter here for you. It arrived with the late post," the butler, Langley, said, holding out a silver tray with an envelope on it to Charlotte, who looked at it in surprise.

"We're already running late, Miss Davidson," Sara said, but Charlotte was curious, and she took the envelope in her hand, turning it over with interest.

She did not recognize the seal, but she pulled out the letter and began to read. Her eyes growing wide with astonishment as she did so.

"I don't believe it," she cried, looking up from the letter and shaking her head.

"But what is it, Charlotte?" her mother asked, and now it was Charlotte's turn to thrust the letter into her mother's hands.

"It's from a publisher, Mother. They want to publish my novel. And what's more, they want me to write two or even three more books," Charlotte exclaimed.

A moment earlier, she had told her parents she could not have felt happier, and yet now, her happiness knew no bounds. This was what she had dreamed of. To publish her novel and to see her name in print. It was extraordinary, and she knew who she had to thank.

It was Jacob who had contacted his friends in the publishing business and recommended Isabella's story to them. Charlotte had sent off the manuscript two months earlier and had almost forgotten about it in her excitement at the prospect of the wedding. But now, her heart was fit to burst, and she could not wait to tell Jacob the happy news.

"Oh, Charlotte, I can't believe it," her mother exclaimed, and Charlotte smiled.

She could hardly believe it, either, and now her father shook his head and laughed.

"I have to say, Charlotte, I doubted you from the beginning. I thought the idea of your publishing a novel was nonsense. I didn't like you writing, but… well, I couldn't be prouder now," he said, and he put his arms around Charlotte and kissed her on the cheek.

His words meant everything to Charlotte, and now even her mother admitted she had been wrong to try to prevent Charlotte from writing.

"It just seemed an idle pursuit for a lady, and you must promise you won't spend all day at it once you have a household to run," she said, as they drove in the carriage to the church.

Charlotte promised she would not, but Jacob had already made it clear he wanted Charlotte to pursue her interests in the years to come and was looking forward to hearing her read her stories aloud to him.

"I'm sure you've got lots more ideas," he had told her, after she had read the conclusion of Isabella's story.

Charlotte did have lots of ideas, and as the carriage pulled up outside the church, she wondered what would come next for Isabella after her marriage to the laird.

"Look at all these people, Miss Davidson," Sara said, peering out of the carriage window.

A large crowd of well-wishers had gathered outside the church, and applause broke out as Charlotte and her parents climbed down from the compartment.

"God bless you, my Lady," one of them called out.

Charlotte was taken aback. Had she really been called…

"I'll try my best to remember, Miss Davidson," Sara whispered, and Charlotte laughed.

"Oh, Sara. You know I'd much prefer it if you called me Charlotte," she replied, and Sara laughed.

"It doesn't matter what I call you, Miss Davidson, you'll always be my dearest friend," she said, and Charlotte smiled, slipping her arm into Sara's and leaning forward to kiss her on the cheek.

"And you'll be mine," she said.

The rector was standing at the door of the church to greet them, but as they approached, Charlotte was taken aback by the appearance of a familiar figure standing on the path. It was Olivia, and she was accompanied by her father, the Earl of Burton-Upon-Trent. Charlotte had heard nothing of Olivia since her return, but now the two of them stepped forward, the earl giving a curt bow to Charlotte, as Olivia looked stony faced.

"Forgive us for interrupting this most delightful of moments, Miss Davidson. But Olivia has something she'd like to say to you," the earl said.

Charlotte was taken aback, not knowing what to expect, but Olivia now looked at her, clutching her hands together and blushing as she spoke.

"I'm sorry," she said, and Charlotte smiled.

"It's quite all right," she said, holding out her hand to Olivia, who took it and smiled.

"I behaved very badly. I don't really know why. I really do want you and Jacob to be happy. It was a mistake to do what I did," she said, and Charlotte nodded.

"I think I've read enough books to understand why you did it," she said, and now it was Olivia who smiled.

"Perhaps I should try doing the same. I might understand human nature a little better if I did," she replied.

The rector–an elderly man in a white, billowing surplice, cleared his throat. They were already running late, and Charlotte could only imagine Jacob's nerves as he waited inside the church.

"Will you come in?" Charlotte asked, and Olivia nodded.

"I'd like that," she said, and Charlotte smiled. She was glad to know she no longer had an enemy in Olivia. It was proof that a person could change and become better, if given the chance of forgiveness and a new start.

The church bells were peeling, and the organ was thundering a mighty tune as they entered the church. It was full, and Charlotte recognized many of the servants from Downside, including Mrs. McDonald, who smiled at her as she passed.

"Good luck, my Lady," she whispered.

Jacob was standing on the chancel steps, and as Charlotte's father walked her down the aisle as the wedding march played, her turned to look at her with a smile.

"I was worried you weren't coming," he whispered, and Charlotte smiled back at him, slipping her arm into his.

"We met Olivia," she whispered, and Jacob's expression changed.

"What? What did she say… she wasn't rude to you, I hope," he said, but Charlotte shook her head.

"No, quite the opposite. She apologized to me. I asked her and her father to join us. I think she meant it, too," Charlotte replied, as now the minister came to stand before them, clearing his throat as he opened his prayer book, the wedding march now coming to a close.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here in the sight of God, and in the face of this Congregation, to join together this man and this woman in holy matrimony; which is an honourable estate, instituted of God in the time of man's innocence, signifying unto us the mystical union that is betwixt Christ and his Church…" the minister began, and now Charlotte and Jacob were married.

They promised fidelity to one another in all things, making a public declaration of the love they had so often expressed for one another in the weeks gone by. Charlotte could not have been happier. A happy marriage and overjoyed at the thought of publication. The knowledge of a happy future awaiting them both.

"I love you," Jacob whispered, as he leaned forward to kiss her after the final blessing.

"And I love you, too," Charlotte replied.

Linking arms, the two of them walked down the aisle of the church, greeting their guests as they passed. Charlotte's mother was in floods of tears, supported by Sara, who was no better herself. As they passed Mrs. McDonald, the housekeeper placed her hand on Jacob's arm. There were tears in her eyes, and she shook her head, struggling to form her words.

"My Lord, we're all so pleased for you; so proud of you. And my Lady, we want to welcome you to our family," she said, and Charlotte smiled.

She was glad to find herself part of such a family. Downside was saved, and with its new investment, the estate and title could look forward to a prosperous future.

"Thank you, Mrs. McDonald. You've been like a mother to me these past few years, and I know you'll make her Ladyship feeling very welcome," Jacob replied.

"It still feels strange to think of myself as having a title," Charlotte said, as together they left the church under a shower of rose petals and rice.

"But I know it won't change you. It really doesn't make any difference. I'd gladly get rid of it, if I could," Jacob replied.

"Don't let my mother hear you say that," Charlotte said, laughing, as they passed Olivia and her father, both of whom smiled and nodded.

"I'm so glad we've made our peace with her," Jacob said.

A carriage was waiting to take them back to Downside, and as they climbed inside, Charlotte remembered her other good news, waiting until they were seated to share it.

"I forgot to tell you; I had a letter from the publishers. My novel's going to be published," she said, and Jacob smiled at her.

"How wonderful. I'm so proud of you," he said, kissing her on the cheek.

"I couldn't have done it without you," Charlotte replied, but Jacob shook his head.

"You told the story yourself, Charlotte. And now you've told your own story, too. Will there be more stories about Isabella? I hope there'll be more stories about Charlotte, too," he said, and Charlotte nodded.

She felt certain there would be more stories, both her own, and that of Isabella. But for now, she was content to close the page on one chapter, and pause, before opening the page on the next.

THE END?

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