Iris’s emotions only soared after the wonderful night of the party, it felt incredible for her to know that everything was finally coming together. It might not have been the smoothest fairy tale in the world, but now she had her prince and her happy ever after. She had everything that she’d ever wanted.

Nothing worth having came easily anyway.

“I cannot believe that you are leaving,” Alice and Victoria crowded Iris as she got ready to finally say goodbye to the Oakley household that had brought her so much joy. “But I am sure you will have lots of fun in America.”

They shared a look then, which Iris understood all too well. Rumours were spreading, and she found that this time she didn’t mind. She was the center of attention, and she truly did not mind. The official story was that Iris was to help Ewan with his new business venture across the world, but there were some not so discrete whispers that suggested everyone could see through the lie anyway. Iris did not mind them knowing that she and Ewan had fallen in love, she just did not want them to see that she was not who she purported to be. That was a secret that still needed to be kept.

Victoria knew, of course, but she would never tell. She had her cousin’s interests at heart, as well as her own.

“You, Lord Oakley, and the Lady all leaving home in the same week," Alice continued obliviously. "It is going to be a very quiet place without you all.”

“I am sure you will find ways to amuse yourself,” Iris teased. “You have always been very good at that.”

She embraced them both, in turn, mentally saying goodbye to two people that had made her feel wonderful during her time in the Oakley household. Maybe she had been closer to Amy, but she still enjoyed the company of these two very much.

Although the hugs she shared with these two did not gut her in the way hugging Amy for the very last time had. At that moment, she felt like she was about to lose a limb. As happy as she was for her soon to be sister-in-law, it was a struggle to let her go.

Still, things had to change for better things to come in their place. If this whole experience had taught her anything it was that the grass was always greener if you were willing to reach out and grab it.

“Daisy?” Mr. Shipman, the butler that had once caused her nothing but issues, grabbed her attention. “You have a visitor at the door, a young lady who says she wishes to speak with you before you leave.”

“Oh.” Confusion flooded Iris, she could not think who this could be. Her sisters had agreed to see her as she boarded the ship so as not to blow the cover, so it could not be them. “I see; did she say who she was?”

“She did not give a name, but she was extremely keen to see you.”

Iris raced to the door with a sense of panic deep in her chest. She did not know anyone, not in this life, apart from her sisters, so she honestly could not work out who it would be. She had the horrible feeling that everything was about to be unravelled just as she was about to get it all.

“Oh my goodness.” Her hands clapped to her mouth as she saw the vision in the door frame. “Oh my goodness, I do not even know what to say.”

Her heart stopped beating, she felt elated, confused, happy, and intensely shocked all at the same time. Of all the people she thought this might be, she never assumed that it would be this sweet face looking back at her. This was the one person that she assumed she would never see again. She had placed a metaphorical line in the sand, even if there was not any closure.

Now though, it seemed that all of that was going to change.

“Come here,” Daisy exclaimed gleefully. “I need to hug you.”

Iris fell into Daisy’s arms, finding great comfort in this familiar environment. They never got to say the proper goodbye last time, if she could get it now then she could truly move to America with everything sorted back home.

“Oh my goodness, Daisy,” she whispered into her hair. “I have missed you so very much.”

Daisy pulled back and she stared into Iris’s eyes. There she could see a true happiness in her face. Despite all the odds being stacked against her, Daisy seemed to have found happiness with the Duke.

Iris examined Daisy in her beautiful new fashion; her flowing pink dress, her buttery hair was curled to perfection, she had jewels decorating every inch of her. She looked as if she had been born into this life.

“Is there anywhere that we can talk?” Daisy asked pointedly. “There must be a room where we can catch up?”

Iris thought carefully, but there was nowhere that she was not certain that they would not be overheard. Now that she finally had Daisy back in her life, even if it was only for a moment, she wanted to be able to talk freely with her, to find out everything.

“I think we should take a walk around the gardens? It is such a nice day.”

It was not that nice really, but Daisy understood. “Of course, that sounds wonderful, although I might need to find a seat. I do not know if you have heard about my condition?”

Iris smiled brightly. “I have been informed that you are expecting. That is wonderful news.”

The girls said nothing else until they were fully outside and far enough away from the house that they felt safe. Almost simultaneously they burst into laughter at the madness of how far they had come. The last time they were truly together, they were working on the switch, now they were living in the results of it.

“So, Elizabeth has informed me that you are moving to America. Is this true?”

“It is.” Iris blushed, but she knew she could share the truth with her friend. “I have finally found love.”

“With the Lord? I knew it. I always knew you would find some well to do man who could love you wholly.” Iris did not even need to confirm that Daisy’s assumptions were true, they both knew it was the case. “Is that why you are leaving?”

“We are leaving to protect everyone, but also to be free.” Iris pursed her lips before she launched into her next question. “How have you been, Daisy? I have heard a little, but I think of you often. I want to know that you are happy with what has happened.”

“Oh, Iris, I have found true love,” Daisy swooned. “I know you might not think much of the Duke, and I understand why people think of him as a hard man, but I have gotten underneath his exterior and he is not all bad.” She paused for a second as if she was thinking through her next words carefully. “He does not say much, but fortunately I talk enough for the both of us.”

Iris let out a deep breath that she had not even realized she was holding in. Daisy was happy, truly happy, and in love. Her joy was based on more than just a title. She found great solace in that, and it felt good to know that her friend had it all.

“We started off a little awkwardly, I found his silence challenging and I did not know where to place myself, but now I love our home and our life together.”

“Is he away often, like you feared?”

“He has his work, but he is home often enough for me. I am very content.”

“Good.” Iris rested her hand on Daisy’s. “I am truly glad that your life has been good to you.”

“And you have been alright? You have done well working in Lord Oakley’s home?”

"I worked with a wonderful young lady," Iris smiled at the memory of her time with Amy. "I was to her what you always were to me. I became her friend and her confidant. I got her to a place where she is now married and very happy."

“Well that is wonderful news,” Daisy exclaimed. “I always thought that you would be much happier with a purpose in your life. What purpose will you find in America?

“I do not know,” Iris admitted. “But I am certain I will find something.”

The Lord had money to look after them but Iris knew for sure that she would not simply sit around and do nothing. She needed a true purpose to keep her going.

"I did not tell anyone who I am at the door because I was not certain what people knew..."

"Oh, no one knows anything," Iris reassured her rapidly. "The Lord knows the truth and Victoria. Lady Amy knows some, but not much. I have been very careful with the information because I know that it affects you too.”

“I only had to check because of my unborn child, please do not think that is the reason I came.”

“I would never think that.”

“I have not told the Duke either. He assumes that I am Iris Warwick, and I am happy for him to believe that.”

Iris nodded, she did not mind but she also could not have done that herself. She could never have started her love story on that one massive untruth. But maybe her identity meant more to her than it ever did Daisy.

“Are you used to your new name.”

“I am, actually. It is a good name.”

They paused for a moment and smiled serenely at one another, both in the knowledge that they had both found true happiness.

Iris knew that Daisy needed the goodbye just as much as she did. They had been friends for far too long to simply vanish from one another’s lives. Iris felt bad now that she had planned on doing just that. She should have been the one to make the effort.

“I suppose I must be going,” Daisy declared sadly. “As must you, for your big worldwide adventure.”

Daisy’s eyes misted as she realized that this was the end. She was glad that so many wonderful things had become of the switch, but she would have loved to hit the pause button for just a second. She would have loved to go back in time, to have lunch in Iris’s room one last time.

Although it was not Iris’s room anymore, or even Iris’s home. The house belonged to Olivia and she and Iris both had their own lives.

“It has been so wonderful to see you,” Iris gasped. “I am so glad that you came before I left. I do not know how I would have felt without truly knowing what had become of you.”

As they held one another, all the unsaid emotions flowed between them, they remembered everything that had gone between them, all the times they had supported one another. If they had not met, if Daisy didn't work for the Warwick family, who knew what would have become of their lives?

They would never have been able to find happiness.

“I will certainly never forget you!” Daisy exclaimed loudly. “You have impacted me in so many ways.”

“And you have done the same to me.”

With that, they were both crying. Weeping with glee that their lives had turned out so well, but also sobbing with sadness that they would be going their separate ways forever now. They had grown used to being out of each other’s lives, but this was another step entirely.

“I will be a mother to a lady, and you an adventurer. Who would have thought it? The maid and the girl who never left her room, who was locked away from the world. It is crazy, please agree with me that it has been crazy.”

“Life has been strange, has it not?” Iris had not thought of it in such simplistic terms before, but actually, that was incredibly accurate. “But yes, it is crazy. Wonderful too.”

“Oh yes, very wonderful. I never knew that it could be so good.”

As they walked back towards the house, there was a sense of peace finally surrounding the girls. For the whole time that they had been friends, they had never felt so calm and content with life. Everything was perfect and it could really only get better. And now they had their closure. The past had been put behind them, all they had now was a bright green future.