Epilogue

EPILOGUE

T he piercing scream had William reeling back and slamming his thick boot into the door’s hinges, dismantling it in one attempt before ramming his shoulder into the higher one.

When the door caved in, William sprinted into the foyer and found the Baron clasping Bridget with an arm across her throat and a fireplace poker up as a weapon.

“Do not come any further!” Adam snarled. “You have no power here.”

“He poisoned Frederick!” Bridget shouted from the top of her lungs. “He was the one who killed him, William, not you! I am so—”

“Be quiet!” Adam roared.

Keeping his calm at the revelation, he focused on Adam and tried to find a way into the guard Adam presented. Where was the weakness? Where was the opening to attack?

“Let her go,” he tried. “You can have me instead?”

“And why would I want you?” Adam hissed. “I was trying to get rid of you!”

“And you can,” William lied. “Just… let her go and I will give you whatever you want. Money, land, a higher station, anything, simply let her go first.”

“Pah! It is you who needs to let her go,” Adam growled. “Do your part and annul the marriage. Let her be free, Arlington.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” William gritted his teeth, while regretting that he had come to Kent all alone. If he’d had Colin or Andrew with him, they would have easily overpowered the Baron and taken him down.

Now, it was only him.

The baron raised the poker to Bridget’s neck. “Or else, leave and never come back,” he muttered darkly.

William tried to find her eyes, seeing if he could convey a wordless message to her but Bridget did not seem to be in a receiving mood. Her face went flinty, and something flashed in her eyes right before her hands flew up behind the poker, covering her neck before she stomped on Adam’s boot with all her might.

He dropped his makeshift weapon, and she darted away while snatching the poker from the ground—as William launched himself recklessly into Adam and the pair of them trundled to the floor.

Adam’s fist slammed into William’s jaw and even with the spots dancing behind his eyes, William had the wherewithal to ram his fist into the baron’s midsection, the force punching air from Adam’s throat.

Quickly following was a hook smashed into Adam’s left temple, but the man seemed to be giving up too easily—until they rolled, and he yanked a dagger from his boot to swipe at William’s throat.

Moving on pure instinct, William blocked the blow with his elbow up, not even feeling the burn of the blade cutting through his skin as he made to wrestle it from the man’s hand, only to slam it into the hard floor, once, twice, and three times until something went— crack .

Howling in pain, Adam was a puppet in William’s hands as he yanked Adam from the floor, rammed him into the wall, and jammed his forearm into his windpipe. The Baron grunted, his knife clattering to the floor from a broken wrist.

“I g-give,” Adam choked out. “Let me... g-go...”

Disgusted, William yanked him from the wall and he crumpled to his knees—right before Bridget slapped him across the face, her chest heaving.

Pulling her to his side, William stopped her, gazing at the dazed man at their feet. “It’s done, my dear. It’s done.”

She trembled in rage and fear while he searched for something to bind the man with, and tugged a tie from a curtain and quickly bound him while Bridget plucked a leather book from the floor. “Th-this is all we need to prove he killed my brother. He documented it thoroughly.”

William could not bring himself to care about the book.

Instead, he cupped her face with both hands. “Please forgive me. I should have confessed the truth the moment I knew it but I was afraid, damn well terrified that you would hate me for life and it made me a coward. I—I never expected to fall in love with you, but it was only then I learned how deeply I was taken by you… that I would turn into anything to keep you.”

His heart punched against his ribs with the confession. “I’d come tonight to ask you the same thing, laden with guilt in my heart, but now, now I have a speck of relief. It does not excuse my cowardice, but I promise you that I will use the rest of my life to make up for it.”

She pressed her cheek into his chest. “I love you too. But there is nothing for me to forgive, nor was there before. You were being sincere, you did nothing out of malice. Please forgive me for only thinking you murdered Frederick. It hurt so deeply because I loved you so much. To know that someone I love could hurt me so… it-it soured my heart.”

He wrapped an arm around her back and pressed her head under his neck. “Let’s go home, my sweet.”

“What about him?”

“Him? We’ll drop him off at the Bow Street Runners on the way,” William murmured, then leaned his head and kissed her sweetly. “Let's start our lives afresh.”

“I want nothing more.”

Just then, William's eyes fixed on a shadow in the doorway, and his muscles tensed instinctively, ready for another threat. It had been a night fraught with danger, and his guard was up, his senses sharp.

"Who's there?" His voice was blunt, ringing with a defensive edge.

"It's only Samuel," Bridget quickly interjected. She reached out, her touch gentle on his arm, calming him. "He led me to the book to reveal Adam’s true intentions. Sam, would you please fetch Mr. Hughes, the carriage driver?" Her voice was steady, disarming William's tension not with force but with the gentle certainty of her presence.

Samuel, having been given his task, nodded quietly and disappeared with swift steps to carry out Bridget's request.

William's gaze softened as he looked down at Bridget, feeling the residual adrenaline begin to ebb away under her influence. The leather book she held was a heavy reminder of the night's revelations, yet her touch, her proximity, brought an anchoring calm.

The sound of footsteps approached, heavier this time, as Mr. Hughes entered the room. The carriage driver stopped short, his eyes widening in surprise and a frown of confusion crossing his features at the sight of his master, Adam, bound and subdued on the floor.

"What on earth has happened here?" Hughes blurted out, his gaze darting from Adam to William and Bridget.

William stepped toward the man with an air of authority. "As the fourth Duke of Arlington, I command you to take your master directly to Bow Street Runners," he stated firmly, his voice carrying the weight of his title. "There is no room for delay and we shall be following shortly behind."

Hughes, momentarily taken aback by the presence of William, hesitated, his loyalty to his employer causing him conflict. "But, Your Grace—"

When William realized he was not likely to get any leeway with the man, he sighed, then added, "The matter pertains to the murder of an aristocrat. It would be for your own benefit to comply, Hughes. This is non-negotiable."

The driver's eyes widened at the severity of the situation, and he nodded immediately. "Sincerest apologies, Your Grace!" he exclaimed, then moved to assist Adam to his feet, casting cautious glances back, as if still processing the surreal turn of events.

With Adam and Hughes preoccupied, William turned to Bridget, his hand reaching for hers. "Let's go home," he suggested softly.

Together, the pair of them stepped outside, the night air crisp and invigorating after the oppressive atmosphere indoors. They walked over to where William's horse was tethered nearby, patiently waiting under the soft silver light of the moon

With a steady hand, William helped Bridget towards the horse. She mounted with grace, initially sitting behind the saddle as he prepared to mount. Once he was securely in the saddle, William gently gathered Bridget in his arms and, with a smooth motion, swung her around to sit in front of him. She settled against his chest, her back to his front, facing the direction they were headed. It was an intimate arrangement, her presence a comforting warmth against the chill of the night.

"You were incredibly brave tonight," William murmured into her hair as he took the reins and nudged the horse into a gentle walk.

"And how fitting it is that it’s you who has come to my aid this night," Bridget replied with a small smile. She leaned back into him, the fit of their bodies together natural and reassuring.

As they moved away from the estate, the steady clop of hooves against the path joined the symphony of the night, creating a tranquil ambiance. The shadows of the trees lined their path, casting long, ghostly figures that danced lightly in the moonlight. The world around them felt expansive and full of possibilities, the quiet of the night enveloping them in a peaceful cocoon. William's hold around Bridget tightened slightly.

"I love you, Bridget. I should have trusted that love more," he confessed with a touch of guilt. "If I had, perhaps none of this would have happened."

"I love you too, William. More than the world, but don't ever apologize for such a thing as that," Bridget responded, turning slightly within his embrace to look at him. Her eyes met his, shining with a mixture of love and the reflective glow of the moon.

Their gaze held, time seeming to slow as they found solace in each other's eyes. William leaned down, his lips meeting hers in a kiss that held all the promises of a new beginning and the closure of past pains.

The kiss was gentle yet profound, sealing their union truly this time, and reinforcing their bond as they set off together, the road ahead promising a journey not just back to their home, but towards a renewed future together.

The End?