Epilogue

Florentina smiled up at the Duke as the wedding ceremony began. This was the happiest moment of her life, knowing that she was now to stand and take her place as the Duke’s wife. The church was filled with her family and her friends, as well as those from within the ton who, given their standing in society and their connection to the Duke, had received an obligatory invitation. The only sorrow in her heart was that her brother had still not shown his face in London but, aside from that, Florentina felt nothing but joy.

“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. It is not to be taken in hand unadvisedly, lightly, or wantonly but reverently, discreetly, advisedly, soberly, and in the fear of God; duly considering the causes for which matrimony was ordained. Therefore, if any man can show any just cause, why they may not lawfully be joined together, let him now speak, or else hereafter forever hold his peace.”

The Duke looked down at her and smiled as a few quiet moments passed. Florentina did not fear the silence, for she knew there was no one to protest. Lady Dinah had not been seen in London since the night of the Duke’s ball, and as far as Florentina knew, Lord Finneston had also left for Bath, so their wedding, she was certain, would be quite without incident.

“Very good.” The vicar then looked at Florentina directly before turning his gaze to the Duke. “I charge you both, that if either of you know any reason why you may not lawfully be joined together in matrimony, you must now confess it.”

There came another short pause, but Florentina only continued to smile, waiting for the ceremony to continue. All she wanted to do was make her promise and then step out of the church, her hand on the Duke’s arm as his wife. Finally, the vicar smiled.

“Then, shall we begin?” He looked at the Duke of Dartmoor, his smile flickering as the seriousness of the moment fell upon both Florentina and those present. “Will you, Samuel, Duke of Dartmoor, have this woman as your wedded wife, to live together in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love her, comfort her, honour, and keep her in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all other, keep only unto her, so long as you both shall live?”

There was not even a flicker of hesitation. “I will.”

Would that it be my turn to make such a promise.

For whatever reason, the vicar then paused again, only to finally permit his gaze to fall upon Florentina. “And you, Lady Florentina? Will you have this man as your wedded husband, to live together in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you obey him, and serve him, love, honour, and keep him in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all other, keep only unto him, so long as you both shall live?

Florentina lifted her chin a little. “I will.” She looked at the Duke as she spoke rather than the vicar, wanting him to know that it was to him that she spoke these words. The Duke nodded, his eyes shining as he looked back at her, clearly just as eager as she to make his vows to completion.

“Who gives this woman to be married to this man?”

Before any words could be spoken, before Lord Huntsford—Florentina’s uncle—could say that he had done so, the sound of a door opening and closing behind them made Florentina jump.

“I do!”

She turned bodily, only to see her brother rushing to the front of the church as murmurs of astonishment filled the church. Florentina’s heart leapt, her eyes wide as her brother came to stand beside her, his chest heaving.

“I received your letter, Florentina,” he said, breathing heavily now. “I thought I would be too late, but I am here—and I am sorry.”

Florentina blinked back her tears of happiness, taking his hand in her own. “You are here now. Just when I need you.”

Her brother shook his head. “You needed me much sooner than this, Florentina, I am aware of that.” Looking to the Duke, he gave him a nod. “There is much I need to say, many apologies I need to make. But for the moment, I am here to give you away.” He squeezed Florentina’s hand. “I am overjoyed to know that you have found a gentleman to care for you, Florentina. You deserve happiness.”

“And I swear I shall give it,” the Duke murmured as Florentina, sniffing, looked back at the vicar who was frowning in confusion.

“Might you ask the question again?” Florentina asked carefully, hoping that the vicar would not think her improper. “My brother is here now, and he will give me away.”

The vicar took another moment, only to nod and smile, clearly aware that something significant had taken place. “But of course.” He paused, then gestured to Florentina. “Who gives this woman to be married to this man?”

“I do.” Her brother squeezed Florentina’s hand and then, with great solemnity, set Florentina’s hand upon the Duke’s. A thrill raced up Florentina’s arm and into her heart as she finally not only stood near to him but was hand in hand with the gentleman she loved.

Her brother stepped back.

“Hearing this, then might you, Your Grace, repeat these words?”

Following the vicar, the Duke spoke his words of promise to Florentina. “I, Samuel, the Duke of Dartmoor, take you,Lady Florentina,to my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part.”

Tears came into Florentina’s eyes as she then took her turn, repeating the words after the vicar. “I, Lady Florentinatake youSamuel, Duke of Dartmoor, as my wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, cherish, and to obey, till death us do part.”

The Duke pressed her hand gently as she spoke, perhaps seeing the tears of joy shining in her eyes.

“Then might we have the rings?” The vicar looked at Lord Crawley—a gentleman soon to be Florentina’s brother given his recent engagement to Christina—and the fellow handed a ring to the vicar.

“Then if you are ready, Your Grace, speak these words after me.”

“I am ready.” The Duke took in a breath and looked into Florentina’s eyes as he spoke. “Lady Florentina, with this ring, I thee wed. With my body, I thee worship, and with all my worldly goods, I thee endow.”

The vicar nodded.

At that, the Duke picked up the ring and set it on Lady Florentina’s fourth finger. Florentina’s heart burst with overwhelming joy as she looked down at their joined hands, the symbol of their forever connection now set on her finger.

After a brief pause, the vicar placed his hand over theirs and looked out at the congregation, drawing their attention to the moment. “Those who have joined together, let no man put asunder. For as much as Samuel, Duke of Dartmoor, and Lady Florentina have consented to this union and have witnessed the same before this company, having given and pledged their troth to one another, and declared it by the giving and receiving of rings and by the joining of hands, I now pronounce them husband and wife.”

Florentina’s face broke into a wide smile, her eyes briefly closing as she acknowledged that her promise to the Duke was now complete and that she would be his wife for as long as she lived.

Her new husband squeezed her hand, and Florentina knelt, the vicar ready to give them both the final blessing of the ceremony. Her heart was filled with light and happiness, her lips curving into a soft smile as the vicar extended his hand towards them. "May you be blessed with love, joy, and strength in your union. May you be guided with favour and grace, living together in peace and harmony, and may you find fulfilment and happiness in each other for the rest of your days.”

“So it shall be,” Florentina heard the Duke say, his voice firm and determined and, as she looked at him, she saw the joy shining in his eyes. There was no time for her to say anything, however, for the marriage lines had to be signed in a room away from the congregation, with only the vicar and her brother to witness it. Florentina’s hand trembled as she wrote her name—not from fear but from the overwhelming happiness which flooded her. The moment it was finished, the very second she rose from her chair, the Duke snatched her up in his arms, pulling her tight to him, and Florentina melted into his embrace.

“I love you so very much,” he whispered into her ear, her hands around his neck as she blinked back joyous tears. “We are wed now, husband and wife.” Releasing her gently, he framed her face with his hands as the vicar and her brother eased out of the room, leaving them alone. “Bound together for the rest of our days.”

“We are.”

His eyes searched hers. “You are still pleased to have wed me, I hope?”

Florentina’s eyebrows lifted. “Of course I am! I could not have any more happiness in my heart, I am sure, else I would quite explode with joy! I cannot express how happy I am in this moment, Dartmoor. I cannot find the words to tell you just how glad I am to be your wife.”

It took just a moment longer but, eventually, the Duke smiled and lowering his head, kissed her gently. Florentina leaned into him, their first kiss shared as husband and wife. It was a significant moment, one that sent sparks rushing through her, excitement and anticipation flooding her.

“I suppose I should take you back to the congregation,” the Duke murmured against her lips, as Florentina let out a soft sigh. “Loathe though I am to do it.”

She laughed softly, feeling the very same way. “I suppose we must, however.”

“I am glad that your brother came to the wedding.” Leaning back gently, he caught her hands in his. “That must have been a wonderful moment for you.”

Florentina smiled. “It made the day all the happier, yes. Though, as he has said, there is much he needs to talk about.”

The Duke’s expression grew heavy for a moment. “As do I,” he answered, quietly. “I need to apologise for what I did, in taking your brother’s house from him when he was too much in his cups. Though, I must say, in giving up the house I have been given something all the more precious, though I still believe I do not deserve you, Florentina.”

She slipped one hand around his neck. “You need not dwell on the past any longer,” she murmured, reaching up on tiptoe to kiss him again. “Now all we have to focus on is the future and I can already see just how wonderful it is going to be.”

***

Having thoroughly delighted herself at the wedding breakfast, Florentina sat back in her chair, contented. She was married now to the most wonderful gentleman in all of London—as far as she was concerned, of course—and now all that was left was to think about what her future was going to be like.

“Florentina?”

The voice came into her thoughts and broke through them as Florentina turned her head almost lazily, lost in contentment, only to see her brother standing in front of her, his hands clasped tightly and a paleness about his features. “Henry?”

“Can I sit with you, Florentina?”

She nodded and sat up a little straighter, patting the empty space on the sofa beside her. “Please.”

“I thank you.” Her brother let out a slow breath as he came to sit down, clearly trying to look into her eyes but struggling to do so. His gaze continued to dart away, from one place to the next as he licked his lips and then shook his head. “Florentina, I—”

“Before you begin, let me assure you that I am quite contented in my marriage to the Duke of Dartmoor.” Florentina reached across and took her brother’s hand, squeezing it lightly. “I know, no doubt, that mother has informed you about what took place, about the foolish agreement between myself and the Duke, but none of that matters now. All that I am concerned with is my future and I can assure you, it will be a happy one.”

Her brother searched her face, perhaps wondering if Florentina was either pretending in order to spare his feelings or making them a little more fervent in order to protect him from the truth.

“I am speaking genuinely,” Florentina told him, gently. “I did not expect to fall in love with the Duke, for I thought him arrogant, selfish and utterly disagreeable but, in the end, things have changed between us—and within his character—and thus, we are now very happy together.”

Henry swallowed and then looked away. “All the same, Florentina, it was a position you should never have found yourself in. I knew I had done wrong, I knew that I had let down my family in a way that was entirely unreconcilable. And instead of coming to support you, instead of acknowledging what I had done, I hid.”

Florentina smiled ruefully. “Is that what you were doing? Hiding from us?”

Her brother lowered his gaze, rubbing one hand over his chin. “Yes, I was.”

“But why?”

“Because of my shame.” Looking back at her again, Henry’s brows furrowed. “You cannot understand the depth of my shame, Florentina. Our father had not long passed, and I, having inherited the title and the responsibility, was meant to care for my mother and sisters.” He shook his head. “Instead, overwhelmed by the weight of it all, I did nothing but act foolishly—drinking more than I should have and gambling without any thought of the consequences.” Closing his eyes, he let out a slow, shuddering breath. “I am truly sorry, Florentina. Once I realised what I had done, once I understood the full extent of my actions, it was far too late. Yes, I can claim it was the drink that clouded my judgment, but the truth is, I was utterly irresponsible. You cannot imagine the shame I felt as I wrote that letter to you. It tore through me, imagining what our mother would think, knowing the disappointment I had brought upon us all.”

“Did you not think of our future? What we would do once we learned of it?”

Henry scrubbed one hand down his face. “I did. The truth is, Florentina, I had a vague hope that once the Duke discovered that my mother and sisters still resided in the house, he would pull back from what he was doing and would return the house to me.”

“But you did not realise just how callous a gentleman he was,” Florentina finished for him, as her brother nodded. “There was nothing he would do to aid you, for he was similar to you in many ways.”

Her brother’s lips pulled into a rueful smile. “Selfish, arrogant and inconsiderate of others?”

“Yes, precisely,” Florentina laughed, not holding back the truth from her brother. “That is precisely what I thought when I first met the Duke. But I am glad to say that he has distinctly altered now, to the point that I am quite in love with him.”

“I can see it in your eyes when you speak of him.” Henry’s gaze roved around the room until, clearly catching sight of the Duke, he paused and then nodded. “And by the way he keeps looking at you with that smile on his face, I would say that he is quite in love with you too.” With another small sigh, he turned his gaze back towards Florentina. “Your Duke has reformed himself, has he not? Then I must also hope that I, too, can be reformed.”

Florentina settled her other hand upon his. “I know that you can,” she said, gently, seeing her brother’s throat bob as he swallowed hard. “You came back to us, Henry. That is enough to begin with. The rest will come.”

***

“I saw you talking to your brother.”

Florentina smiled at her husband as the carriage rocked them gently, making its way back to the Duke’s townhouse. “Yes, I did.”

“And were you contented with what he said?”

“I am.” She smiled contentedly, feeling now as though every part of her life had settled back into place. “He apologised profusely, explained to me why he had done as he did and promised that he will do all he can to reform his character. And I believe that he will do just as he has said.”

The Duke’s gaze became tender. “My dear Florentina, your capacity to love and care for those who have hurt you is almost unbelievable. I do not think I have ever met anyone who is willing to trust, to believe in someone’s ability to change despite their previous actions.”

“Ah, but I have been proven right in my trust, have I not?” Florentina’s eyes twinkled as a slow smile spread across the Duke’s face. “You have reformed completely and have changed into the sort of gentleman that I might be inclined to fall deeply in love with.”

“Is that so?” A teasing look came into the Duke’s eyes as he shifted across the carriage to sit beside her, one arm going right around her shoulders. “Fall deeply in love with him, did you say?”

“I did.” Florentina laughed up into his eyes, loving the sensations that ran through her as his fingers brushed across the nape of her neck. “What do you think such a gentleman would say to that sort of hope?”

The Duke lowered his head, a whisper of excitement rushing around Florentina. “I think,” he answered, his voice low, sending a shiver through her, “that such a gentleman would consider himself incredibly honoured to have such a gift offered to him. And that he would tell the lady in question that his heart, in as poor a state as it is, is entirely her own. Though what she might do with it, I cannot imagine.”

“She would treasure it,” Florentina murmured, her eyes fluttering closed as the Duke drew near for a kiss, “and promise to keep it safe, always.”

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