EPILOGUE

One month later…

The streets outside St George’s Church were lined with crowds who had filled Hanover Square to wish the newlyweds well. The air was alive with excitement and joy as the doors to the church finally opened, and the new Duke and Duchess of Lindenbrook emerged.

Charlotte looked down upon the assembled crowds in awe as she held her husband’s hand, love and happiness coursing through her body at the perfection of the day.

She looked over at Colin, who was the most handsome man in the world at that moment. His face was radiant, his golden waistcoat glimmering in the sunshine. The colour felt beyond appropriate for the light Colin had brought into her life. Every day they spent together was better than the last, and she could not wait to begin their lives together.

They descended the steps, Colin’s hand steadying her as they made their way to the carriage. They waved to the crowds as petals rained down over them from the women standing nearby.

Colin turned to her, his smile firmly in place.

“You are the most beautiful woman in the whole of England,” he said warmly, and Charlotte laughed as he put one arm around her shoulders, and they waved goodbye to the crowd from the open-topped carriage.

They arrived at Colin’s town-house sometime later to a wonderful wedding breakfast that the dowager duchess had arranged.

His mother, Maria Ludlow had been thrilled at the news of her son’s engagement. Her excitement had been all the more special for the affection that she showed to them both. Charlotte understood what Colin meant when he spoke of his mother’s rather cold exterior. She rarely showed any strong emotion and could appear rather severe. However, since their engagement had been announced, she could not have been more accommodating to Charlotte. Somehow, the prospect of a wedding had pulled her from her melancholy, and the change in Colin had been stark too. Mother and son appeared to be getting along better than they had in an age, and Charlotte was glad to see it.

Charlotte and Colin entered the room to waves of applause and excitement from those assembled there. The happy faces of Elizabeth and Malcolm met them, from where they sat at the top table.

Charlotte’s eyes found her father’s almost immediately and the happy smile he sent her way was a fresh surprise to see. He was sitting beside Lady Constance Ludlow, to whom he was already speaking animatedly, and Charlotte felt Colin squeeze her arm reassuringly as he led her to the table.

Lord Wentworth had been overjoyed at their union, but he and Colin had had much to resolve after the revelations of Lord Kilby’s true nature. Her father’s estate was, with the help of the duke, now on the road to recovery, and despite his blinkered insistence on her match to Kilby, Charlotte felt their relationship was better than it had ever been.

The newlyweds took their seats, Charlotte beside her father and Colin beside his mother. Edward Hayesworth raised a glass to the happy couple, and everyone repeated the toast, as Colin looked over at Charlotte with so much love in his eyes it caught her breath.

There was the tinkling of a glass from the side of the room, and Charlotte and Colin both turned to see Malcolm rising to his feet.

“My Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen, I wish to toast the happy couple myself, also. But with the addition of a little news of my own. I am honoured and humbled to announce my engagement to Lady Elizabeth Ludlow.”

Charlotte cried out joyfully and rose from her seat to run across the room to congratulate her friend. She was sure the move was frowned upon by many but as Elizabeth took her into her arms in a tight embrace, it was worth a few disapproving looks.

When she returned to her seat, Charlotte caught Sarah’s eye, who was seated on the other side of Lord Preston and was discreetly wiping her eyes as she grinned happily at Charlotte.

In the lead-up to the wedding, Sarah had been invaluable, and Charlotte and Colin had already agreed that she should stay on in his household until she might find another position. Charlotte was thrilled to have her old companion by her side, and they had spent many nights discussing all of the events that had taken place.

It was now common knowledge in every drawing room in London what a scoundrel Lord Kilby was. The information Colin had uncovered was barely the start of the man’s misdeeds. Colin had confided to her that he believed Kilby had been blackmailing more than just his father.

That fact had now been exposed from six different avenues, men admitting their dealings with him after they had gone sour and being unable to extricate themselves. Many of them had spoken to Colin directly about the matter for fear of their reputations being tarnished, and Charlotte knew it had been a great comfort to him to find that it was not merely his father who Kilby had duped.

Lord Kilby was awaiting trial for his financial misdeeds, and the scandal had taken London by storm. Charlotte had never seen so many invitations fall upon her doorstep in the wake of both the scandal and her marriage to Colin.

It was not long, however, as was usually the way with London society, before another scandal had eclipsed that of Lord Kilby. After their betrothal was announced, Miss Lavinia Norwell was found in an uncompromising position with a notorious rake at the final summer party of the season. She had scurried away to Scotland to wed a wealthy baron whom nobody had heard of.

Charlotte did not think much of either rumour. She was done with gossip and everything to do with it, just wishing to spend all of her time with her new husband and relish the reality she was now living in. History had not been repeated, and she was destined for a life of happiness with the man she loved. Wherever her mother might be, Charlotte felt she would highly approve.

The End