Epilogue - Part 1

"I was always taught that when you're lucky enough to learn something or have some advantage you should share it." Areva Martin

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Epilogue – Part One

September, 1824

Nine Years Later

It still felt a little odd to Olivia at times when she sat in what was once her grandfather's study. She could still picture him at times smoking his cigars, reading the paper, and being quite oblivious to what was going on around him.

It was her office now. It had been since her grandfather had passed away the winter following her leaving London. Olivia and her aunt grieved for Bernard Murray deeply, but his death set in motion a series of events that Olivia felt so fortunate for.

Upon Bernard's death, Olivia's Uncle Colin, and Bernard's only son, inherited the baronetcy and the estate. Colin, however, was settled with his family in Surrey, and his wife did not want to leave.

There was now the matter of the house. What was to happen to it? Who was to live in it? Would it be sold?

Olivia had not the income to lease it from her uncle, and Lorna's obligations were now elsewhere. It was not until Ruth had arrived at the Murray estate one evening with a lifeline that Olivia would be forever grateful for.

Ruth gifted Olivia a cheque for twenty-five thousand pounds, her dowry, minus the bits and pieces she had taken from it throughout her childhood to fund teachers and schools.

"I now know it is highly unlikely your father and I will ever put this money into the hands of your husband." It was Ruth's backhanded way of accepting that Olivia would not be marrying any time soon.

Olivia had left London to do what she had always intended. To change the world. A lofty ambition at the best of times. All she had managed to do between leaving London and her grandfather passing was stock libraries, pay a few teaching wages, and offer tutoring.

She now had twenty-five thousand pounds to achieve her goal.

And she had achieved it.

Olivia now sat in her own office, the office of the founder of the Women's College of Knowledge and Improvement. Using the money, she had leased the estate from her uncle, and had founded the school.

It was not a finishing school. It was a school where girls could seek the same further education that men could at the most prestigious universities in the country.

Once girls had finished their schooling in their own villages, they could come to Olivia's college to study and further their abilities to give them greater opportunities than merely marrying for security.

She had started off with only a handful of pupils, and one teacher: herself.

Olivia's school was condemned. It was not a woman's place to learn. She needed to marry and procreate. There was a reason only men were permitted to attend university.

It only further fuelled Olivia's desire to succeed.

Olivia brought in like-minded teachers to school the girls on subjects like science and philosophy. It was Olivia's desire to give women education and training, safety essentially from needing to marry, as opposed to wanting to marry.

Olivia's school was in its eighth year of operation. In that time, the school had produced writers, mathematicians, teachers, nurses, midwives, thinkers, people that could contribute more to society than being a mere domestic servant to her family.

Olivia's next goal? To have a doctor graduate from her school. She knew it would take a lot of fighting, but if anyone had the ambition, it was her.

The nurses and midwives that were already being trained at the college practically had the knowledge of a doctor, they just could not be called so. In the meantime, Olivia was glad that she was able to train women who could provide safe and informed care to others regardless of their title.

Olivia received letters often from students past.

Nothing made her prouder than hearing from a former pupil who was supporting her family through work gained from her own ability. There would always be challenges in securing work as a woman, but Olivia used her influence wherever she could to help her pupils.

She had a knack for digging in her heels until she got her way.

Olivia received applications from both men and woman every day. Olivia accommodated all she could, but she was limited for space at the Murray estate. She taught and housed two hundred pupils at a time. Two dozen of the upstairs rooms had been converted into bunkrooms and the majority of the downstairs rooms had been converted into classrooms,

Tuition was subject to circumstance. Olivia charged the vast majority of the students a pound a month for board and schooling. This income helped her to pay her teachers and keep the school running smoothly.

When she received applications from men, the turnover of the school allowed her to sponsor those she could to institutions that admitted men. Olivia had helped men who would have otherwise been factory workers, to study medicine and law among other subjects. Her greatest success was a man named John Belby, the son of a farmer who became a solicitor and was now the apprentice of the Lord Chief Justice in London. Her uncle had sponsored his admittance at Olivia's insistence.

Olivia knew that she was not a conventional woman of the time. She knew that many people disliked her, hated her even, and hated what she stood for even more. But she was proud of herself. Olivia never could have been happy with her life if she had simply stood by and watched others do the work. She wanted to get her hands dirty.

And now, sitting in her own office, surrounded by letters of testimony as to the positive effect that she had had on the lives of hundreds of women, and the lives of men too, she was satisfied that she had changed the world, even if it was only her little corner of it.

Olivia sifted through the mail that had been delivered that morning and pounced on the letter from her aunt when she saw Lorna's handwriting. Even though Lorna lived in a neighbouring village, they still corresponded twice, sometimes thrice weekly.

Lorna had been very supportive of Olivia's idea to turn Bernard Murray's house into a school. She had not wanted the estate to be sold and was glad that it could be saved. Lorna had stayed with her beloved father until the end, and had only revealed her attachment to her fiancé after Bernard's death. Olivia had always known that her aunt would never leave her father.

Strangely, Olivia was not surprised to learn that while she had been away nine years earlier that Lorna had formed an attachment to the magistrate who had arrested her for voting in the Norwood election. She had detected a flirtation at the time but had not given it any more thought until Lorna revealed the engagement.

Finn Kelly and Lorna's wedding a few months later had been the last time that Olivia had seen the Kensingtons, although the eldest son had been absent from the nuptials. It was too difficult for both parties to maintain the relationship.

But Finn and Lorna had been living happily ever since, and Olivia enjoyed doting on their six year old son Patrick, her cousin, often.

Olivia read Lorna's letter, thanking her for Paddy's birthday present and inviting her for dinner the following week once Olivia was returned from London.

Just as Olivia was about to pen her reply to Lorna, there was a knock on her door.

"Come in," called Olivia.

The door opened and the butler, Stoughton entered. "Pardon the interruption, milady, but you have a visitor. A potential pupil."

"Oh, well let her in then," encouraged Olivia. She stood up from the desk and watched as Stoughton made way for her visitor.

She was a young woman. She looked to be about twenty or so, with a fair face. She was very pretty indeed, with dark brown hair fixed elegantly and dark brown eyes. She was dressed very richly, wearing a gown the colour of corn silk adorned with expensive lace. She was not the sort of girl that Olivia was used to receiving, but Olivia was willing to help anyone who sought to better themselves.

As she walked nervously towards Olivia, something about her seemed familiar. Olivia walked around the desk and extended her hand to her guest. She only hesitated slightly before shaking Olivia's hand.

"I know, it seems strange. You get into the habit of it though. I refuse to have my hand kissed by a man. I have no desire for his spit on my skin, thank you very much," Olivia joked, hoping to ease the girl's nerves.

It seemed to work as she laughed.

"My name is Olivia Pendleton," she introduced herself, offering the girl a seat. "Please sit down. What is your name?"

"Yes, I know who you are. We have met before," replied the girl as she took the seat Olivia offered.

Olivia knew that she had seemed familiar. "Pray, tell me who you are."

"My name is Lucy Kensington," she replied.

Olivia could not help but open her mouth in surprise. Of course it was Lucy. She could see it now. How remarkably similar she was to her mother, Olivia's aunt. "Of course you are," Olivia said after a moment of shock. "Lucy, how are you?"

Lucy smiled, albeit the nerves still present in her demeanour. "I am well," she replied.

"Lucy, what can I do for you?"

Lucy bit her bottom lip before saying, "I am in need of guidance, I suppose. I was hoping you could help me."

"I shall try."

Lucy huffed with embarrassment. "I shall not dance around the subject. You know I am illegitimate. Everyone knows I am illegitimate. My position in life does not reflect my family's."

It was indeed unfortunate how well circulated the circumstances of Lucy Kensington's birth was. It did not matter that she had a good, respectable surname. She was illegitimate and there would always be those who would turn their noses up at her because of it.

Lucy seemed so uncomfortable and embarrassed at saying such things to Olivia. She seemed to channel her nervous energy into fiddling with a ring that she wore on her right hand.

Olivia had to do a double take when she saw the ring. It, like Lucy, she had seen before. The gold band with emerald stones had been presented to her. That ring had been Olivia's engagement ring.

Olivia sucked in a breath as her heart rate started to pick up. It was as if reality had suddenly landed on her shoulders, nine years of denial rearing its ugly head. She had done her best not to think about him for the best part of a decade. She couldn't think about him. Thinking about him would distract her from her vision, from her ambition.

And yet here he was, on Lucy Kensington's finger, staring at her with his bright green eyes. That vision was almost starling. She could still remember the exact hue of his eyes.

"Are you alright, Miss Pendleton? You look awfully pale."

Olivia snapped out of her panic and did her best to focus on Lucy. "Yes, I am fine," she said, lying through her teeth. "Please, go on."

Lucy nodded. "Well, I am afraid that I will never get married. Nobody will ever marry me, and anybody who would marry me would be doing so for the wrong reasons." Olivia could see the genuine fear in Lucy's eyes. It was a fear that Olivia hated. Women felt such a responsibility to be married.

Olivia had many philosophies, but her philosophy on marriage was one that she spoke of the most. "I am afraid I cannot help you find a husband," replied Olivia, "but I can help you not to need one."

"That is what I want," confirmed Lucy. "I want to learn how to support myself. I know my parents would never resent me, but I never want to become a burden to them."

Olivia could tell that Lucy was not at the college for education. She was not hungry for further study as her other pupils were. She was afraid, and rightly so. Olivia hated to think of the abuse that Lucy had experienced from others. People could be terribly cruel. Olivia wagered that at her age, her friends were getting married and were leaving her behind, and Lucy was afraid of what was to happen to her.

In knowing the characters of her aunt and her husband, they would have raised Lucy as though she was no different to her siblings. And yet Lucy was different. She was not prepared for life beyond the walls of Norwood Cottage and she was afraid.

"Lucy, I understand more than most what it is to be vilified for who you are. My school is a place where women can come to seek equal opportunity in education. What you need, I feel, is a friend to tell you that everything will be alright."

Olivia could tell that she had hit a nerve. Lucy looked more vulnerable than ever.

"But no one will ever marry me," she stated fearfully.

Olivia smiled sympathetically. "There is someone out there for everyone." Spying that ring on Lucy's finger reminded Olivia that there had once been someone for her as well. "Marriage is not something that should be entered into because it is fashionable, or because you are afraid of being called a spinster. I am eight and twenty years old! I have heard the name calling but I do not let it influence my conviction. It is not something to be rushed into when you are still a girl. It is not something that should be entered into with thoughts of money or security. You should not marry merely to be married. Women ought to use their right to choose a husband for the right reasons. You must take the time to seek answers from your proposed spouse. Does he love you? Does he support you? Does he listen to you? Does he believe in you? And this one I am particularly passionate about. Does he advocate for you?" Olivia exhaled. "Why chain yourself for life to a man who could not answer yes to all those questions?"

Lucy seemed to sit back in her chair and ponder Olivia's words. It was a speech Olivia had given many times before. Marriage for convenience was one of the practices she was endeavouring to stop through education. If women could earn their own wage, they would not have the need to marry so quickly. They would have the luxury to choose a husband later, one whom they had properly gotten to know.

"I do understand the point you are trying to make," replied Lucy after a while, "but my fear is that no one will ever want to marry me. Who would tie themselves to someone like me?" Lucy was becoming quite emotional at the thought.

Olivia was quickly out of her chair again and offering Lucy a handkerchief. "The right man will," she promised. "The right man will not care a wit about your birth. He will love every part of you."

Lucy accepted the handkerchief and wiped her eyes. "Thank you," she said gratefully. "I hope you are right."

"I am never wrong," she retorted confidently.

"Do you think you will ever get married?" Lucy asked. "If you find a man who could answer yes to all your questions?"

Olivia looked down at Lucy's ring, she hoped nonchalantly. "I almost did," she replied honestly, "to a man who loved and supported me beyond anything." Lucy's ignorance of this hurt Olivia in a way. She had no knowledge of her past with Kit, which had to mean that Kit had never mentioned her.

Of course he hadn't. He had gifted Olivia's engagement ring to his sister! Kit had left Olivia in his past. Olivia could not fathom how that fact was affecting her.

"Why didn't you marry him?" Lucy asked curiously.

Why didn't Olivia marry Kit? What had stopped her? She had been nineteen for starters. She felt that she had so much more to do with her life than be a politician's wife. She hadn't achieved any of her goals. It didn't make sense for someone like her to be married, to belong to a man and to lose her independence.

Standing here as a mature woman, she could argue against each and every one of those points. But at the time, she had felt that she needed to leave to reach her goals. Look at what she had achieved because of it.

She was helping girls, teaching them, coaching them on all sorts, including marriage, and she had never taken her own advice.

Nine years earlier, sitting on that bench, she could have answered yes to every one of her questions. Had she stayed, had she sat and talked to Kit, allowed him to understand properly what she was going through, she could have still achieved her dreams. Kit was not the sort of man to keep her in the house, expecting her to make social calls on with wives of other MPs. How could she have ever thought that would have been her life?

Olivia shook off the doubts. It would not help anything now. It was in the past. It was done. She would never see Kit again. She had not all this time, so what benefit was there thinking about this? "Because at the time, I believed that what I wanted to achieve in my life did not correspond with being married," replied Olivia.

Lucy did not press the issue further. She stood up from her chair and faced Olivia. "I am really grateful that you took the time to speak to me," she said sincerely. "You are living proof, I think, that not every woman needs to be married to be happy."

"You are welcome, Lucy. Let me see you out, and then I ought to organise myself. I am away to London tomorrow. Scouting a new building for a second school. I want to take on more pupils, we have just run out of room here." Olivia smiled, albeit not as wide as she usually did. Not every woman needed to be married to be happy. But was it possible that Olivia might have been happy with the right man? She was satisfied with her life, but was she happy?

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Hope you enjoyed Part One of the epilogue! I'll get Part Two up soon :)

Thank you for all your lovely support on the last chapter! It was so amazing to see how excited you were for my future stories.

Lucy's story won the vote. I will be writing her story next. I actually opened up my plan for her story the other day and I had written a lot more then I thought I had and I got excited reading it.

I write stories that I like to read after all!

But there was a lot of support for the other two story ideas and I definitely will be writing them after Lucy's story. I'm fairly certain Lucy's story will be the last in this series. I haven't got any other plans thus far.

Anyways, so in the next chapter we'll find out what happened to Kit over the years and maybe, just maybe they'll run back into each other. We will also meet Lucy's beau!

Happy Independence Day for the other day for my American readers.

And for my English readers ... IT'S COMING HOME  .... hopefully! Anyone else watching the World Cup?

Okay, I'd better get to bed.

Vote and comment!!