Epilogue

Jane was filled with dread as her carriage rolled into the Pennington estate the following day to deliver the news of the annulment as she had been instructed to.

Usually she would be unable to visit a man alone, but as a married woman she had the priviledge to move as she liked without a chaperone.

As she emerged from the carriage, her eyes fixated on the imposing building, her heart was heavy with the realization that she was on the brink of solidifying a future with Graham.

The weight of the events to come made her legs weak, but she steeled herself, knowing she had no choice but to face him.

As she stepped into the house, she was immediately met by the butler, who greeted her warmly. "Welcome, Lady Jane. The Marquess is expecting you."

The address reminded her once again that she was no longer the duchess and would likely never be anymore. However, the man's kind smile offered a brief moment of respite in the midst of her worries.

"This way."

Despite her entire bodily reluctance, Jane mustered her courage, swallowing her apprehension as she nodded in acknowledgment and followed his lead.

As she ventured through the unfamiliar halls of the Pennington home, her eyes darted around, taking in the surroundings she had never seen before. Compared to the grandeur of the Montford estate she had grown fond of, the modesty of the Pennington residence struck her somewhat oddly.

A pang of sadness gripped her heart at the realization that this humble abode would now be her new dwelling, likely never setting foot in Montford again.

The butler guided her through the corridors until they stopped at a grand door, where he turned to her with a warm smile and spoke, "The Marquess eagerly awaits your presence, my lady."

Overwhelmed with different emotions, Jane found she could no longer speak, so she simply nodded in silent acknowledgment, her thoughts swirling with uncertainty.

After the butler excused himself, she stood alone before the imposing door, gathering her courage before she raised her hand to knock.

"You can come in."

A shiver of dread ran down her spine at the familiar, chilling voice that beckoned her inside.

Heart pounding, she pushed the door open to find Graham seated at his desk in the study, his eyes alight with excitement and indescribable lust. His presence alone was suffocating, his smile baring manipulative undertones.

With a welcoming gesture, he urged her, "Step forward, my darling."

The affectionate term felt like insects crawling all over her body. Taking a deep breath, Jane approached the desk where he sat, doing her best to calm her shaking hands. She greeted him softly, "Good day, Lord Pennington."

Anxious to leave as quickly as she could, she delivered the news she had come to share, keeping her voice steady as she informed him, "I have done as you demanded. I have severed ties with the duke and obtained an annulment."

A twisted grin crept across Graham's face and his eyes gleamed with a malevolent joy as he exclaimed, "Marvelous news!"

Seemingly overwhelmed with happiness, he leaped from his seat, closing the distance between them in a rush of elation. Startled, Jane instinctively took a step back, her heart pounding with fear.

Observing her reaction, Graham's expression flickered with a hint of annoyance, quickly replaced by his usual sickly charming smile.

"We shall depart as soon as the formalities are concluded," He declared with excitement, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. He sighed softly as he eyed her, "Finally, we will be together forever, my love."

Feeling trapped and desperate to escape, Jane mustered the strength to utter, "Yes, I shall go get my belongings ready."

With a trembling resolve, she turned to leave, her steps quickening in a bid to put distance between herself and Graham's menacing presence.

Unfortunately, before she could make her escape, his hand shot out, gripping her own with a force that made her heart plummet in her chest.

His voice, low and husky, slithered into her ears like a venomous serpent, "Where do you think you're going?"

Jane's voice quivered as she replied, "I- I have to leave to prepare. I said so."

Her attempts to free herself were futile as his grip tightened, pulling her closer to him with a cruel force that made her cry out in pain and terror.

She fought to keep away the tears that threatened to stream down her face, her only available defiance against the sheer horror events unfolding before her.

"Stop squirming and look at me, woman!" His words filled with such dominance and cruelty, echoed in the air.

Her throat threatened to expose her tears as she pleaded with desperation, "Please, let me go, Lord Pennington, I beg of you. Release me! This is unacceptable, Lord Pennington! Please!"

With a menacing glare, his voice thundered through the room, "Unacceptable? Are you not to be my wife soon?!" His words dripped with possessiveness and entitlement, "Don't you dare play games with me, woman! I can do as I wish with you, you are mine!"

His fingers dug deeper into her skin and Jane's cries filled the room as a surge of adrenaline coursed through her veins. In a moment of instinctual self-preservation, she lashed out, delivering a swift kick to his leg.

A groan escaped his lips as he momentarily loosened his grip, giving her a flicker of hope.

However, just as she turned to flee, his wrath flared anew. His fingers dug deeper into her skin as he yanked her back to his side, seething, "You're going to regret that!"

The sharp pain of his nails cutting into her flesh elicited a piercing scream from Jane, the sound of anguish and fear echoing past the study.

Suddenly, the door burst open with a resounding bang, and to both her and Graham's surprise, Colin stormed into the room, his voice a thunderous roar as he demanded, "Let go of my wife, you worthless cad!"

Colin's fury erupted as he landed a powerful blow on Graham's face, sending him reeling backward and instantly loosening his grip on Jane. Jane, in a state of shock, began sobbing uncontrollably as Colin hoisted Graham up once more.

He shouldn't be here!

Her breath caught as she saw his arm, ready to deliver another punishing punch to Graham. Just then, the timely arrival of the constable intervened, bringing a swift end to the chaos unfolding in the room.

As Graham was apprehended, he spat out vile profanities, his voice laced with venom, "You'll pay for this, you coward! She was mine from the start! You believe this to be the end? I will have my revenge! You will pay for this!"

Colin's voice cut through the chaos, firm and resolute, "You should thank your stars the constable showed up in time. For I swear I would have made you swallow that tongue of yours."

As soon as Graham was out of sight, Colin gently pulled Jane into his embrace, her tears flowing uncontrollably as he tried to soothe her. "You're safe now..."

All the emotions Jane had been keeping in came pouring out in the form of her tears. She clung unto her husband, weeping continuously and freely.

"You should have told me what was happening, Jane," He murmured softly, his voice filled with concern. " I'm your husband, and I'm here to protect you, I will always be here to protect you."

He continued to reassure her, his words filled with tenderness and determination as he held her.

Amidst Jane's tears, she opened her mouth, everything pouring out along with her cracks and sniffles, "I'm so sorry, Colin. I was scared, and I thought agreeing to Graham's demands would be the best solution for everyone."

"I would have given everything up to keep you all safe. But I was weak." she hiccupped as she pulled away, her eyes red and voice wavering with emotion. "Deep down, I couldn't bear the thought of losing you. The pain of it all was unbearable, Colin, it was oh, so unbearable..."

Colin's gaze was filled with adoration as he wiped a tear from her face, his voice soft as he spoke, "You will always be mine, and I will always be yours."

With a tender touch, he released their embrace, still holding her hand affectionately.

"I love you, Jane," He confessed, his voice brimming with sincerity. "I've loved you for so long."

Her heart raced uncontrollably at his heartfelt words, emotions soaring at the declaration. A new wave of tears erupted as she reciprocated, "And I love you, I love you too, Colin."

Colin's lips landed on hers. And everything felt right in the world. She forgot everything that happened. She forgot her fear, her desperation, her anger towards Graham. None of them mattered! For he was holding her tight and meant every word he said, every word she so desperately wanted to hear.

The soft caress of his lips left her, but his face remained close. And she could still feel his erratic breathing. Neither wanted the moment to end.

"Ahem."

Jane's brow raised slightly at the sight of the unfamiliar man standing at the door. But before she could question, the man announced triumphantly, "Graham is gone now, and he will never bother you again."

"And was it truly necessary to state the obvious?" Jane could hear some irritation in his voice. He must have felt the same thing she was feeling.

"It was only right I interrupted." The man raised an eyebrow at him as he admonished, "As a duke, it is improper to engage in such activities in a house that isn't yours." His emphasis on the words caused Jane's cheeks to flush with embarrassment.

The trouble from before seemingly forgotten, Colin began a playful banter with the man and Jane stood by observing the exchange between the two men in quiet amusement.

"Oh, we shall continue this conversation another time," At last, the man shushed Colin. Turning back to Jane with a wide smile, he introduced himself, "I am Mark Harding, Earl of Ashbourne."

With a mischievous twinkle in his eye, he added, "And your husband's only friend, given his terrible attitude. It is quite a pleasure to finally meet you."

Jane let out a laugh at his remark and warmly greeted him, expressing her delight at finally meeting him in return.

"Your sister…"

They were making their way out of the Pennington estate when Mark suddenly turned to Jane once more, his eyes heavily inquisitive as he asked, "Might I know if she's engaged or in the process of courting anyone new?"

Jane's eyes widened at the unexpected question and she raised a brow as she replied, "Not that I know of, no."

"Ah, well that is… Excellent news." Mark nodded, a smile that caused her brows to shift even higher playing on his lips.

When they arrived home at last, Jane rushed through the door, her heart brimming with joy at the sight of Margaret and Louisa. They enveloped in a warm embrace, their words filled with love and longing as they gushed at each other.

"We missed you so much. Oh, please do not ever leave us again."

"I will never my darlings, I am so sorry." Jane pulled little Louisa into a tighter hug, her heart leaping with joy from the embrace.

"Yes, and you must apologize to Uncle Colin as well, he missed you tremendously more!" Margaret pointed towards Colin in the corner.

"Is that so?" Jane laughed lightly, turning to the find her husband's face crimson.

"Oh yes! Uncle Colin clearly felt it the worst." Louisa chimed in immediately. Her words painted a vivid picture of Colin's struggles in her absence, "He looked terrible every day!"

"He did not eat, nor wash or sleep properly. He walked around looking like a starving butler." Margaret nodded as she added.

"Is that true?" Colin's cheeks flushed even deeper when Jane playfully teased him, "Can you truly not live without me now?"

"Yes, indeed." To her surprise, his response was swift.

Jane couldn't help but blush furiously, her cheeks aflame with the intensity of her emotions.

Amidst Margaret and Louisa's delighted squeals, her nervous laughter rang through the room.

Margaret's little surprised face at her uncle's confession mirrored Jane's.

Her heart continued to beat rapidly as her husband pulled her aside once they were done with the girls.

Her cheeks were flushed as he towered over her with a gaze she had seen only a couple of times.

With a gentle pull at her waist, he drew her close, planting a soft kiss on her lips, leaving her gasping in delightful surprise, her eyes wide as he pulled away with a smile.

"My wife is back, I can finally live in peace and happiness, can't I?"

The End?