Epilogue
“Well, I could have remained your lady’s maid, Charlotte.” Ruth said plaintively as she helped her sister into her beautiful ivory wedding gown.
“No, you could not, because you are my sister, Ruth. I cannot have you as a maid now that I know that, can I?”
“But what else am I to do?” Ruth was clearly teasing her.
“Be one of the family at last. Would you not like that?”
“I would like that more than anything, you know I would. But I cannot sensibly be a part of your family, sitting down to dinner and sharing my life with you all without drawing the suspicions of the rest of the household, not to mention the rest of society.”
“But if you were my companion, then you would.”
“Oh, I see.” Ruth said and Charlotte could see her thinking it through.
“And as my trusty companion, you would come everywhere with me. Into the town to buy fabric and have tea, abroad if my new husband and I ever decide to take a trip. Do you not see, we really shall be together forever?” Charlotte said and smiled before she saw Ruth’s expression drop. “My goodness, whatever is it? Why do you suddenly look so sad?”
“I am sad, sister because I cannot come over to the west of the county with you. As wonderful as it would be for us to be together every day, I cannot now live at Sandford Hall.”
“Because of Papa?” Charlotte said,and tears of emotion filled her eyes.
“I cannot leave him. He cannot lose two daughters in one day, it would be too cruel.”
“You have never blamed him, have you?”
“No, there is no sense in it. We all make mistakes in his life, each and every one of us. And it is only by dint of circumstances that the consequences differ for us all. But then I look at the consequences of your father’s mistake and I find that I can easily forgive him. After all, I finally have a sister, do I not? And, after one-and-twenty years on this planet, I realize I have a father who truly does love me. No, I cannot blame him for any of it, even if I should just a little.”
“I am bound to say that it gives me great comfort to know that you will be here with him when I am not. Oh, but I cannot tell you the pain that our parting will cause me.” Charlotte said, and her voice cracked.
“No, no, you must not cry before you go to church. You cannot arrive tearstained and have the whole congregation think you are marrying under duress.” Ruth said and laughed.
“And we are not to be parted now, are we? We live in the same county and we shall be regular visitors to one another, shall we not? Your new husband is a very fine and sensible man, so sensible that I do not think he would dare to try to keep two sisters apart now, do you?”
“I know he would not.”
“And so, we must now both reconcile ourselves to new lives. I shall stay here, and you shall stay at Sandford and we shall write every day and see one another often. And in that manner life shall work out very well indeed, shall it not?”
“You always know what to do, Ruth. You always have the most sensible plan of all and the very best way of saying it.”
“And you are always so very free with your compliments.”
“I do love you, my dear Ruth.”
“And I love you, sister.” Ruth said and the two of them embraced. “Now, you cannot leave him waiting any longer. We must set off now or your groom will think that you are not coming at all.”
“Very well, Ruth.” Charlotte said and kissed her sister’s cheek before the two of them walked hand-in-hand out of her chamber for the last time.
THE END
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(After reading the Extended Epilogue, turn the page to read the first chapters from “A Damsel for the Mysterious Duke”, my Amazon Best-Selling novel!)