Epilogue

Three months later…

T his was the end. Well not a true end. It was in some ways very much a beginning. Tonight’s ball marked the culmination of months of planning and the final chapter of the revenge pact. It felt like a lifetime ago that the five wallflowers had banded together, vowing to help one another reclaim their dignity and gain retribution against those who had wronged them. What none of them had expected was that their shared quest for justice would lead each of them to love in the most unexpected of places.

Selena glanced at the four women who had become her closest confidantes and grinned. They had agreed to meet privately before the ball commenced, savoring a moment of camaraderie before stepping into their new lives. Emma, now the Marchioness of Ardmore, stood beside her with a glowing smile. They had shared a double wedding, she and Emma. On the same day that Selena became the Duchess of Castlebury, Emma had wed her beloved marquess. Two special licenses, one vicar, and a shared commitment to love had bound them to the men who had captured their hearts. It had been a fitting culmination to the Christmastide house party that had changed everything for both of them. It had been the only double wedding of the wallflowers. It had seemed appropriate considering that Emma and Selena had fallen in love at the same time and at the same house party.

Kingston and Ardmore also fully believed that all house parties should be avoided by any gentleman that wished to avoid marriage. It was almost laughable how much they spouted that advice to anyone who would listen. Especially as in the same breath, they recommended them. After all they had found love and they would have changed nothing about that outcome.

“Are you ready for this?” Cora asked, her tone teasing but her eyes warm.

“I am,” Selena replied with a confident smile. “It feels as though every moment of my life has led to this.”

Neither Selena nor Emma had announced their marriages in the Times. It wasn’t the season, after all, and keeping their nuptials quiet had been integral to Selena’s revenge plan. The ton had dismissed her as unmarriageable, deeming all five of the wallflowers unworthy. That would change tonight. Well, they were in for a shock. The ton would learn that not only had Lilah, Cora, and Victoria had wed, but so had Selena and Emma.

For Selena, this moment was particularly sweet. She had been overlooked for so long—her lack of a dowry rendering her invisible despite her beauty. It only mattered that she lacked connections or income to add to her future husband’s coffers. Today that would all change. To the ton, she had been nothing more than a wallflower on the verge of spinsterhood. But tonight, they would realize the mistake they had made when they had dismissed her as nothing.

“I, for one, cannot wait to see their faces,” Victoria said with a grin, embracing Selena. “It will be glorious.”

“After tonight,” Lilah added, “our revenge pact will be complete. It truly is the beginning of a new era.”

“And we will be the hostesses whose invitations they’ll scramble to receive,” Emma said with a mischievous smile. “Let the snubbing commence.”

Cora laughed. “I don’t plan on entertaining often. My days with my husband are more than enough for me.”

“As long as you don’t disappear entirely,” Lilah told her sister. “I suppose I can accept that. Especially since I feel the same.”

“Enough stalling,” Emma declared. “Selena and I have entrances to make.” She gestured toward the other three. “Go find your husbands and have yourselves announced. We shall see you in the ballroom.”

The women embraced Selena before departing. She watched them go, her heart swelling with gratitude for their friendship. Left alone, she waited in her sitting room for Kingston. The guests knew they were to meet the Duchess of Castlebury that evening, but no one knew her identity. The unusual nature of the event had only heightened curiosity, ensuring that no one had declined the invitation.

Kingston entered the room moments later, looking impossibly handsome in his evening attire. His blue eyes sparkled with mischief.

“Do not even think about it,” Selena warned, eyeing him playfully. “Whatever wickedness you are planning, save it for later. I cannot allow you to muss my gown or my coiffure.”

He grinned. “As long as you promise I may indulge in said wickedness later.”

“You may,” she said, her voice dropping to a sultry tone. “In fact, you may whisk me away after the first dance and begin immediately.”

He groaned, closing his eyes as if savoring the promise. “Have I told you how much I love you?”

“Yes,” she replied with a smile. “And I love you, too.” She winked. “It is a good thing I said yes to being your duchess.”

Kingston pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply, warming her to her core. When they finally broke apart, she whispered, “Let’s go join our guests.”

They left the sitting room together and made their way to the ballroom. At the entrance, the butler greeted them with a knowing smile. A footman opened the doors, and a clear voice rang out: “The Duke and Duchess of Castlebury.”

All eyes turned to them, and gasps echoed through the room as recognition dawned on the guests. Selena smiled serenely, her composure unshaken. She turned to Kingston and met his heated gaze. He cupped her cheek, and kissed her lightly. The scandalized murmurs that rippled through the ballroom only added to her satisfaction.

As they began their first dance, Selena felt as if she were floating. She had never imagined a life so full of love and joy. She glanced at Kingston, her heart swelling with gratitude. If her dream of a quiet Christmas had not been stolen from her, she might never have discovered this extraordinary love. Some things were simply meant to be, and she knew with certainty that she had been fated to love the Duke of Castlebury.