Epilogue
“I must admit that I am sad that Violet cannot be there. I should so much have liked her to see me married.”
“I know, Ella, but it was just impossible. She could not have managed to get away from the hall to come up to Scotland with us so suddenly. She would have lost her position immediately, and the Earl would very likely be hot on our heels, doing what he could to prevent us getting married.”
“I can hardly believe that I am eloping. It is very exciting when you think about it, is it not?”
“It strikes me, Ella, that you are no stranger to excitement, and I think now that I have you in my life, I will be no stranger to excitement either.”
“I must admit I am a little adventurous at times.”
“Oh, you mean sneaking into a ball and running away, dropping your mask and disappearing into the night? Dressing as a scruffy little man to hand me a note outside my club having escaped from your home in the dark of night? Or perhaps you mean climbing out of the window like a little monkey at the circus?” He laughed loudly and put his arm around her. “I am only pleased that you are going to be getting married in a gown and not breeches.”
“What a good thing that Lady Brightwell is so similar in size to me. She really does have wonderful taste, does she not?” Ella said and looked down at herself approvingly. “I cannot think that I have ever been so well-dressed.”
“You always look beautiful, Ella,” Rufus said and put his arm around her as the carriage rumbled on into the sunshine. “Always.” He pulled her to him and kissed her again.
“I will never tire of you doing that, Rufus. When we are married, will you kiss me every day?”
“I will kiss you every day, every luncheon, and every night. And then I will kiss you every ten minutes in between.”
“What a wonderful life I am to have,” she said and traced her fingers down his handsome dark face as she looked into his eyes. “And I really do love you, Rufus. I have loved you for quite a long time.”
“And I have loved you for quite a long time too, Ella.” He laughed. “I will love you forever.”
“And when we return home, we will be married. There will be nobody on earth who can part us, and not a thing that my mother’s husband can do to upset us.”
“That is very true, my love.”
“But I wonder, is there a way that I could have my dear Violet with me? Could you not steal her away from Dandridge Hall just as you stole me away?”
“Well, I would certainly take her without references,” Rufus said and laughed. “But I hardly think that we can take Violet without taking that young man she speaks of.”
“Oh yes, William. You would like William. It was William who drove me out that night in the cart so that I might sneak into the ball. And he waited for me out in the woodlands on your estate, ready to spirit me away again.”
“Well, then I shall certainly steal William away too, whether he likes it or not.”
“I think they would both be very pleased, Rufus. And it would mean more to me than I can possibly tell you. Violet and William were my only friends in my darkest hours. Apart from you, of course, who was every bit the friend to me that they were. I would never have managed it without you all.”
“And you never shall have to manage without any of us ever again. I promise you that.”
“Thank you, my darling,” she said and leaned her head on his chest, feeling suddenly so tired.
“Sleep a while … we are nowhere near Scotland yet. Gretna Green is some days away, my dear.” She could feel Rufus’s deep laugh inside her body, almost as if it were her own.
As the carriage rumbled northwards, bound for Scotland, Ella knew that she had never been so content in all her life.
She had never been as happy as she was at that moment.
THE END
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