by Finch, Fanny
Epilogue
The sun beat down bright on the couples standing around the lawn of Mr. Wake’s estate. The party was in full swing, the last one of the season. It had been a year since the events that led Hestia to the man she would marry.
Lady Eugenia looked around at the guests, wondering where Hestia and Leander were. She heard their names announced but did not see them anywhere.
“Have you seen Lady Hestia or Lord Price, Mother?” she asked, without looking at the Viscountess of Culross. Her mother glanced around at the groups around her, shaking her head.
“I am afraid I have not. Have they been announced?”
“Yes, I was sure I heard their names not long ago. I would think they would come to see me right away.” Lady Eugenia knew her voice reflected the bitter disappointment of a child. But she wanted to see her friends, as they had not been to many of the parties planned for that season.
They were focused on preparing for their wedding.
Leander had settled many of the Earl of Nottingham’s debts and put together a business strategy that would help the older man regain his wealth. It would take some time but the progress so far had brought the name of Stalwood near the top of society’s list once again.
The Viscountess of Culross, in much better health than the season before, chuckled deeply. “You are their first priority, I am sure, my dear. There are other guests. They have probably been stopped on their way to find you.”
“Yes, I suppose you are right, Mother.” Lady Eugenia gave her a warm smile. “You are so wise. I adore you, Mother. I am so glad you are better. I prefer you over a companion.”
“You are sweet, my child. But you will not need a companion or your mother for much longer, will you?”
Lady Eugenia smiled. “No, I suppose I will not.”
“It was kind of Baron Wake to give this last party. He will not need to participate in the events next season. Both of his sons will be married.”
Her cheeks flaming, Lady Eugenia nodded. “Yes, that is true.”
“Speaking of Baron Wake’s sons, here is one now. Good afternoon, Mr. Wake. Mrs. Wake.”
Lady Eugenia thought how ironic it was that she would someday be the sister-in-law of the woman who threatened the happiness of Hestia and Leander the year before.
Drusilla curtsied to the mother and daughter, while Henry bowed.
“I trust you are enjoying the party so far?” Henry asked.
“Yes, quite,” the Viscountess of Culross responded. “Your father was generous to invite us all here one last time.”
“He is going to miss these parties, my lady. It has been adventurous for him, attempting to marry off his two sons.”
Henry looked at Lady Eugenia with a special smile and a twinkle in his eye. Lady Eugenia covered her mouth, giggling.
“We will soon be family, will we not?” Drusilla said with a smile. She was demure and gentle, having settled into her role as wife more than anyone would have expected. Lady Eugenia could see how comfortable and content she was.
“Yes, we will. I am sure we will all have good times together.”
“Especially at the Price wedding,” Drusilla said. “I know you will be there. We have also been invited.”
“That is lovely! Hestia will be a beautiful bride.”
“She certainly will.” Drusilla nodded, glancing up at her husband. “Where is that brother of yours, Mr. Wake? Why is he not here to share the fun with Lady Eugenia?”
Henry looked down at his wife with one eyebrow raised. “I am sure he will be about soon enough, my dear.” He looked at Lady Eugenia. “We will go fetch him for you.”
With that the two turned and went back into the crowd, giving Lady Eugenia and the Viscountess of Culross warm smiles.
“There they are!” Lady Eugenia spotted Hestia and Leander. She moved back and forth to see around the people between them. She waved when Hestia looked in her direction.
Hestia waved back and touched Leander on the arm, moving her eyes in Lady Eugenia’s direction.
The two began to make their way to Lady Eugenia. She stayed on her feet, waiting for them with an anxious heart. When Hestia was close enough, she grabbed her friend by the sides of her arms and leaned toward her, kissing the air close to both her cheeks.
“Oh Hestia! I have missed you so much. You really should have come to more parties.”
“I know, Eugenia. I have just been so busy lately. It is good to see you!”
“Mother is right here. You must say hello.”
“Of course.” Hestia moved around Lady Eugenia, smiling at the viscountess. “It is so good to see you looking so healthy, Lady Callow. I have been praying for you for a long time. Now, it seems I no longer need to.”
The Viscountess of Culross shook her head. “There is always a need for prayers, my dear. I will thank you to keep them coming.”
“Then I certainly will.”
After bowing to Lady Eugenia, Leander came up to stand by Hestia’s side. “Lady Callow. You are looking well.”
“Thank you, Lord Price. As are you. Have you been here long? My daughter was about to fall into fits because you did not immediately come to find her.”
“We intended to,” Hestia said, glancing over her shoulder at Lady Eugenia, smiling wide. “But we were stopped by several people on the way out to the lawn. I was unsure where you would be.”
Lady Eugenia laughed. “You must not worry about me. Mother is just teasing me. Here you are now and that is what matters. Come, take a walk with me?”
Hestia looked up at Leander, who nodded. “What a good idea,” he said. “It will give me time to scour this lady’s brain for information about weddings.”
The viscountess laughed. “I do not know how much information I can give you, sir, but I will certainly try to help in any way I can.”
The four of them laughed.
“Come, Hestia. Let us walk and reminisce.” Lady Eugenia’s voice was wistful. “I have always loved Baron Wake’s estate. It is too bad we will not see it again.”
“Whatever do you mean, Eugenia? You will be a member of the family. You can come here whenever you want.”
Lady Eugenia gave Hestia a look that suggested she had not thought of that before. Both young women burst out laughing.
“Oh my, now I do feel foolish.”
“Don’t feel foolish, my dear. You are such a bright light. I am proud to be your friend.”
“And you do not need to worry about foolish titles, such as companion. You are genuinely my friend now.”
“I was genuinely your friend before. It is just that now I am not bound by a contract of employment.”
“I wonder if we would have been friends if you had not come to be my companion.”
“My mother says that things work out the way they are supposed to because God has it planned that way,” Hestia said, looking out over the green lawn, admiring the scents and sights around her. “I like to believe that is true. I may have sacrificed my reputation for a time but it was only temporary. The same as my father’s.”
“If not for Lord Price, your father would not have recovered his fortune.”
“He is on his way and progressing nicely,” Hestia agreed. “But he has not recovered yet. I wait for the day when he no longer gambles with the family’s money.”
Hestia was only comfortable talking about such personal matters to Lady Eugenia and Leander. She relied on them because neither would pass along information to anyone else. When she spoke to them, the news stopped with them.
“Has he continued doing that, Hestia?” Lady Eugenia’s voice was sorrowful.
“Not as badly as before. He is learning. Lord Price is helping him.”
“Yes, that is good. That is very good. And I know your mother must appreciate it.”
“She adores Lord Price,” Hestia laughed. “She truly does. As do my sisters. They are quite jealous, I think.”
The two young women laughed at that, linking arms to turn
and walk the other way around the lawn. Hestia’s black slippers brushed through the green grass almost silently. The feeling that she was walking on air had not stopped for her.
She was told she was glowing, radiant with happiness. She felt it with Leander. He was a man of strength and valor.
“I am sure they will find the men for them soon.”
“They are unhappy because I am marrying before them and they are older than I. But I cannot help it. If there was ever a situation that was not prime to find a husband, it was mine of last season. I bumped into my future husband.”
Hestia laughed again.
“I told them they should try bumping into someone but it has to be real. They cannot force the accident. It has to be genuine.”
“Oh Hestia!” Lady Eugenia laughed. “I can imagine Virginia bumping into a gentleman and seriously hurting him or behaving in an overdramatic fashion. Perhaps it was not the wisest suggestion you could have given them.”
“Virginia can be quite overdramatic, yes,” Hestia shook her head. “But she is a lovely girl. I know someone will choose her soon. I do hope so. I do not want my sisters to feel shame because they are not yet married.”
“You did not feel any shame when you thought you would never marry, did you?” Lady Eugenia lowered her voice, tugging gently on Hestia’s arm. Hestia looked down at her.
“I do not know if what I felt was shame. It was more acceptance. Reluctance. I did not want to be a spinster. All young woman long to be married. I dreamed of my wedding day when I was a child. But as I grew older, I realized life does not always give you what you want. There are many heartbreaks to be found.”
“We learn to deal with them and move on.”
Hestia stopped walking and turned to her friend. “Are you feeling well, Lady Eugenia? Is all well with you and your courtship?”
The smile Lady Eugenia gave her friend was weak and shaky. “I do not know. He is nowhere to be found. I am unsure he still cares for me.”
Hestia raised her eyebrows. “I cannot believe what you are saying!” she exclaimed. “You must stop thinking this way. Is it only because you have not seen him today?”
Lady Eugenia dropped her eyes and nodded.
Hestia chuckled softly, cupping one of Lady Eugenia’s hands in both of hers. “You must stop thinking so negatively! This is Mr. Wake’s home. He is considered a host. He is speaking with everyone who sets foot on the land, I am sure.”
“Mrs. Wake came by and said he should be with me. I should be with him while he greets the guests, should I not?”
Hestia tilted her head to the side. “Eugenia, if you want to be introduced to everyone with him, why do you not seek him out? I am sure he would be pleased to have you by his side. It will give you an opportunity to meet new people.”
“I have been too busy waiting for you to arrive.” Lady Eugenia lifted her chin and gave Hestia a bright smile. “I will go find him. Would you like to come?”
Hestia shook her head, laughing. “I have to get back to Lord Price. If I am gone from him too long, he will seek me out, asking if I am all right. He does that if I have not spoken to him for a while.”
“That is very sweet.”
“He thinks of me at all times. I could not have asked for a more attentive husband.”
“I am so happy for you, Hestia. This has worked out perfectly for us both.”
Hestia gave Lady Eugenia a smile and curtsied politely. Lady Eugenia giggled and curtsied back to her. .
When they parted, Hestia watched Lady Eugenia move through the crowd, stopping at a few of the groups to ask if they had seen David.
She could not help thinking what a wonderful friend Lady Eugenia had been to her.
The Extended Epilogue
I am humbled you finished reading my novel An Earl for her Hopeless Heart , till the end!
Are you aching to know what happens to our lovebirds?
Click on the image or one of the links below to connect to a more personal level and as a BONUS, I will send you the Extended Epilogue of this Book!
or click here
https://dl.bookfunnel.com/lg56xov59x
Be a Part of Fanny Finch’s Family
I write for you, the readers, and I love hearing from you! Thank you for your on going support as we journey through the most romantic era together.
If you’re not a member of my family yet, it’s never too late. Stay up to date on upcoming releases and check out the website for all information on romance.
I hope my stories touch you as deeply as you have impacted me. Enjoy the happily ever after!
Let’s connect and download your Free Exclusive Story here!
(Available only to my subscribers)
http://BookHip.com/MMLGXA
A Lady’s Choice Preview
Emma looked around the ballroom for her cousin, Lady Camilla Fielding. The crowd was not yet as plentiful as it would be soon and she could tell Camilla had not yet arrived. She looked down at her gown and ran her eyes over her gloves, trying to do it as inconspicuously as possible. She had to look perfect tonight.
Her father had warned her: this was the season when she would need to find a suitor. By the end of the season, it was imperative that she be on her way to wedlock, if not already there.
She lifted her eyes and stared blankly in front of her, remembering the conversation before she’d left for the ball with her mother and younger sister.
Her father, Aaron Michael Wentworth, Duke of Corning, was not a young man. He wasn’t a young man when he married her mother and was even older when he married her stepmother, two years after her own mother’s death. With the second Duchess of Corning, the duke had taken on the responsibility of her daughter, Katherine, who was only two years younger than Emma. The duchess was also a widow, having lost her husband in the war. They had two twin sons, Michael and Thomas, six years ago.
His health was ailing. Only those closest to the family knew the true state of things.
He’d called her into the parlor, where he was seated in front of the fireplace, his legs covered by a thick blanket. He looked so old to her. She knelt by his chair and rested one small hand on his knee. She tried not to wince visibly. Touching his leg was like grasping the bones of a skeleton. It cut her to the very core.
“Papa,” she whispered. “Are you feeling all right today?”
The Duke of Corning smiled down at her. It was a warm smile, though weak. “I am as well as I expect to be, my dear,” he said, his voice soft. She wanted to hug him but was afraid it would hurt him.
“Can I get something for you? A cup of tea?”
Her father reached out and touched her cheek. She stared at him with tears brimming in her eyes.
“You look beautiful tonight, daughter,” he said. “As you can see, my health will not hold up for much longer. You must marry soon. You must find someone who is willing and able to care for our family. And I am hoping you find a man who fills your heart with happiness and love. I fear you will become unhappy. I do not wish that for you.”
“Oh, Papa, I do not want you to go!” Although she cried the words aloud, she sometimes thought she would rather he go live in the vast beautiful rooms of Heaven than stay on this earth in the state he was in. But when confronted with the fact that he would soon leave her, the urge to keep him in her life was overwhelming.
“I love you, my daughter. My time will come soon. I do not want to worry about you in my last days. Please, find yourself a good suitor so that I can be assured you will all be taken care of and loved the way you deserve.”
“I will try, Papa. You know I will.”
She’d been trying but not as much as she could have. She did not want to talk to men about trivial things, passing the time with small talk. How could she possibly find out the depths of a man’s soul, the way he thought about life in general and the people around him, how he treated those of less than equal standing to him in society, without spending real time with him? These were things sh
e wanted to discuss and witness for herself.
Gossip of the ton bored her. The men expected her to be polite, giving, obedient but also quiet and something for them to look at. She wanted something more.
She spent a lot of her time in the library, reading. There were so many interesting things to read and she wanted to talk about those things. She learned so much from reading, the talk of the ton bored her to no end. She did not care to gossip and flutter about like a bird without a brain. She wanted to talk about interesting things.
So, she stood at the ball by herself, waiting for the room to fill up, for Camilla to come, and for the men to begin approaching to be on her dance card.
She had not had any trouble filling her dance card in the past. Finding men to dance with was not the problem. She had a good figure, was of good height at 5’1, and was pleasant to look at. Her slender face was offset with two beautiful blue eyes and long curling blond hair that she typically kept piled up on her head. The Duchess of Corning always made sure she wore the most flattering gowns.
She knew it wasn’t her behavior or looks that were the problem. Finding an interesting suitor who would not bore her with talk of cards, the weather and other generalities. That was the problem.
She gave a sigh of relief when she saw Camilla enter the room. She hadn’t heard her cousin announced. She lifted her hand in a wave. Camilla saw her. A bright smile crossed her face. It was the kind of smile that made the recipient of it feel like they had won the highest honor of the land.
Camilla was a tall girl at 5’5 but not so tall that it made her uncomfortable to dance with. She was slender and her mother dressed her in beautiful dresses that never ceased to stun the men who laid eyes on her. She had long brown hair that was either piled high on her head and adorned with jewels or swept back into a thick braid, also adorned with beads, chains and other ornaments.
She crossed the room, coming directly to Emma. She leaned forward, giving Emma air kisses on both cheeks. “My dear cousin, you look absolutely gorgeous tonight. I am impressed!”