Epilogue

Epilogue

“I couldn’t believe it when I heard that he’s thirty years older than her. But I suppose it didn’t matter to her, did it? He’s rich. That’s all that counts,” Henrietta said, shaking her head, as Juliette turned to examine her appearance in the looking glass by the window in her bedroom.

It was the day of her marriage to Alexander, just a month after he had proposed, and Emily and Henrietta were helping her get ready, assisted by Juliette’s maid, Hannah. Henrietta had arrived that morning with a remarkable piece of information. Lavinia was now betrothed to a man named Lord Alton, a wealthy widower, whom she had met shortly after her break with Nicholas.

“I’m sure she’ll be very happy,” Juliette said, as Henrietta shook her head.

“Well, good riddance to her. That’s what I say,” she replied.

Juliette glanced at Emily and smiled.

“I feel sorry for her, in a way. It’s her mother who pushed her into all of this,” Juliette said, but Henrietta shook her head.

“I don’t feel sorry for her at all. She made her bed, now she can lie in it. Anyway, it doesn’t matter, does it? Nicholas is free of her, and for that, I’m thankful,” Henrietta said.

“I think that’s everything, my lady. You look ever so pretty,” Hannah said, stepping back as she finished arranging Juliette’s shawl.

“Thank you, Hannah. You’ve done wonders with my hair,” Juliette replied, smiling at the maid, who curtsied.

Juliette and Emily were both wearing new dresses. Juliette’s was ivory, with a short train and matching shawl. Emily was wearing blue to match Henrietta. Juliette wore pearls belonging to grandmother; an inheritance she was proud to display. With the hour of the wedding fast approaching, it was time for them to leave, even as one question remained.

“Will Nicholas be joining us?” Juliette asked, and Henrietta sighed and shook her head.

“I should’ve told you when I arrived. No. He’s going to Ireland to stay with our cousin. He left this morning,” Henrietta replied.

Juliette nodded. She and Alexander had invited Nicholas to the wedding. He had apparently been pleased to hear of the match, or so Henrietta had said. But Juliette suspected his departure for Ireland was not entirely coincidental. She hoped he was not feeling hurt by her marriage to Alexander, even though she feared the possibility it was.

“Is he all right?” she asked, as the three of them made their way downstairs to the hallway.

“He will be. But you mustn’t worry about him. Leave that to me. I just hope Ireland has fewer Lavinias than Paris did,” Henrietta replied.

In the hallway, they found Juliette’s mother and father waiting for them. The viscount looked resplendent in his military uniform, and Juliette’s mother was dressed beautifully in a purple gown and matching shawl, with a tiara on her head.

“Oh, Juliette, don’t you look beautiful! Two brides in two weeks,” she said. Emily’s wedding had taken place just a short while before.

“Thank you, Mother,” Juliette replied, as they made their way out to the waiting carriage.

It was only a short drive to the church, and with the day bright and sunny, Juliette could not have felt happier at the prospect of what was to come. Henrietta was right. It was not Juliette’s place to worry about Nicholas. He would find someone, and he would be happy, even if it took some time. As for Lavinia, Juliette held no animosity towards her. If anything, she had felt sorry for her, and if she could find some sense of happiness in marrying Lord Alton, so be it.

“Look at the crowd gathered outside the church,” Emily exclaimed, as they approached the city church where they were to be married.

Juliette had hoped they would marry in Norfolk and away from the ton, but her mother had insisted on a grand affair. It appeared she had invited all her acquaintances to join them.

“Quite right. A society wedding needs a crowd,” Juliette’s mother said, as the carriage pulled up outside the church.

As Juliette got out, helped by her father, the rector appeared at the door of the church, clad in a billowing white surplice. The bells were ringing, and the sound of the organ was drifting through the air.

“My Lord, good morning,” the rector said, shaking Juliette’s father’s hand.

“Good morning! It’s a beautiful morning for a wedding,” the viscount replied.

“And a very nervous groom,” the rector said.

Juliette smiled. She could not imagine anything would make Alexander nervous. Now she pictured him at the front of the church with Gregory, pacing up and down, as he waited for her.

“Then we’d better not leave him waiting for too long,” she said, glancing and smiling at Emily and Henrietta.

“Not like Gregory,” Emily said, and the three of them laughed.

On Emily’s wedding day, the carriage had lost two spokes, and they had had to walk the last mile to the church, making them half an hour late. Gregory had been beside himself.

“No, not like Gregory,” Juliette replied, and now the rector led them to the door of the church, as the gathered crowd called out well wishes.

The church was full, and at a signal from the rector, the organ thundered into the wedding march as Juliette took her father’s arm.

“Are you ready?” he asked, and Juliette nodded.

She could not have felt happier than in that moment. Marrying Alexander and building a future together filled her with such joy; it was indescribable. As they turned into the church, she caught sight of Alexander for the first time. He had his back to her and was dressed in a new blue frock coat and white breeches. As they approached in the procession, he turned, catching her eye and smiling.

“You look… beautiful,” he whispered, as she came to stand next to him in front of the communion table.

“And you look very handsome,” Juliette replied, as now the rector came to stand in front of them with his prayer book in hand, clearing his throat as the wedding march came to an end.

“ 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; which is an honorable estate, instituted of God in the time of man’s innocence, signifying unto us the mystical union that is betwixt Christ and his Church…” he began, glancing from Juliette to Alexander as he spoke.

Now, they made their vows, promising fidelity and love to one another for the rest of their lives – in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer. Rings were exchanged, and after the final blessing, the newly married couple turned to receive the assent of the congregation as they shared a kiss.

“Oh, it was beautiful,” Juliette’s mother exclaimed, as she hurried over with tears in her eyes, closely followed by Alexander’s mother, who said just the same thing.

“We’re so glad to have you as our sister, Juliette,” the twins both said, and Juliette smiled, still not knowing quite which was which.

Others congratulated them, and as they arrived at the door of the church, they found Emily and Gregory waiting for them.

“How does it feel?” Emily asked, and Juliette smiled.

“To be married, you mean?” she asked, and Emily nodded.

“That’s right. Isn’t it wonderful?” she said, and Juliette nodded.

It was wonderful, and she could not have felt happier as she glanced up at Alexander, her husband. Juliette knew it would feel strange to refer to him as such for some time. To think how close they had come to disaster, with neither of them knowing how the other had truly felt.

“I couldn’t be happier,” Juliette replied, as she stood arm in arm with Alexander.

“And what happens now? Will you go back to Norfolk?” Gregory asked, and Alexander nodded.

“I think so, yes. We’ve got pigsties to repair,” he said, laughing as Juliette showed Emily her ring.

Emily’s ring was the one Alexander had won back for Gregory at a game of cards. It was a magnificent piece of jewelry, a gift from the Tsar of Russia. Juliette’s was more modest in design.

A gold band, inlaid with precious stones. But what mattered was the symbolism – what it meant to them both. The two cousins had each found happiness, and together, they could look forward to the happiest of futures. As they stepped out of the church, it felt to Juliette as though her whole life lay before her, a new beginning, and the happiness of all that was to come.

“Isn’t it a beautiful day? I didn’t notice it earlier – I was far too nervous,” Alexander said, as now they were showered with rice and dried rose petals by the gathered crowd outside.

“It wouldn’t matter if the sun never shone again – I’d still be happier than I could possibly describe,” Juliette replied.

Alexander turned to her and smiled.

“I feel just the same,” he said.

A carriage was waiting to take them to the celebrations, and as Alexander helped Juliette into the compartment, she turned to find the others – her mother and father, Emily and Gregory, Henrietta, Alexander’s mother, and the twins, all waving at them from the door of the church.

“You haven’t thrown your posy,” Henrietta called out, and Juliette laughed, turning away, and tossing the posy over her shoulder from the door of the carriage.

A shriek of delight rang out, and Juliette turned to find Henrietta holding the posy.

“I knew it would be you,” Juliette called out, as now she climbed into the carriage with Alexander at her side.

“I love you, Juliette,” he said, before kissing her gently on the lips as the carriage pulled away.

“And I love you, too – and that’s all that matters, isn’t it?” Juliette replied, as the carriage pulled away, and the story of their life together began.

THE END?