Epilogue

"Ends are not bad things, they just mean that something else is about to begin. And there are many things that don't really end, anyway, they just begin again in a new way. Ends are not bad and many ends aren't really an ending; some things are never-ending." C. JoyBell C.

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Epilogue

Five Years Later

August, 1821

"Happy birthday, Jamie!" cheered Isabella against the jostle of the carriage.

Luke was very impressed that Isabella had managed to pack a sponge cake into a basket, transported it across Somerset on possibly the bumpiest stretch of road in England, and had managed to get it out without so much as smudging the icing.

Isabella had baked Jamie's eighth birthday cake by herself as a way of compensating for travelling on his birthday. As good as her intentions were, Luke was not entirely sure the sponge would be edible.

"Thank you, Mama," Jamie said gratefully, accepting the sponge cake.

"We have gifts for you when we return home, but there was not room in the trunk to bring them with us," Isabella said regretfully.

"Yes, Mama need to bring seven gowns with her which monopolised the trunk space," Luke said teasingly.

Isabella slapped his knee. "We are going to a wedding, Luke! It is easy for you to decide what you are wearing. You wear your uniform to every formal event we attend."

"And you love my uniform." Luke winked, resulting in the familiar flush that filled Isabella's cheeks whenever he teased her in front of their children.

"Oh, I forgot to bring plates!" exclaimed Isabella. She bit her bottom lip before saying, "Alright, you may eat with your hands, you two, but do not wipe them on your clean clothes! Use your handkerchiefs."

Jamie and three year old Katy did not need to be told twice. Both immediately grabbed a handful of their mother's sponge and began eating happily. To make accessing the sponge easier, Jamie placed the cake in between him and his sister and the two of them enjoyed stuffing as much of the cake as they could into their mouths. Clearly this one was edible.

Isabella sighed and rested her head on Luke's shoulder as they both watched their children eat Jamie's birthday cake.

It was little things like this that made Luke truly grateful. After all the dreadful things that life had dragged his family through, the fact that they could smile and enjoy a birthday while being thrown around in a carriage was a blessing.

Every so often, while appreciating these happy little moments, his thoughts were pulled back a few years to when things were not simple.

The transition back into normal life was not easy, nor quick. Luke had taken Doctor Whitney's advice and created a safe space for Isabella, and she had needed it on numerous occasions. In the first month, she had fled upstairs to their bedroom at least a dozen time in a frightened panic.

Isabella often hid from servants, or anyone who seemed to know her. It took her an age to get used to Annaliese's children calling her "Aunt Isabella". It was three months before she was brave enough to venture into the village, and another few weeks before she was ready to enter the little shops.

But even though she was making slow steps to return to her former life, Luke could tell that Isabella was never comfortable. She was never herself. Her new self. She had not regained her memories, and it made her uncomfortable to constantly be around people who were talking to her as if she did.

So after six months of Luke watching Isabella try to acclimate, he made the decision to move their family to the estate that he had purchased several years before. The estate was still located in Somerset, but some fifty miles away, far enough away for Isabella to relax into a new community, with new people, who were not asking her about something she said two years ago that she did not remember.

Naturally their family was devastated. Helena refused to speak to him for three days. Annaliese tried her best to cater to Isabella's every need in the kindest way possible to convince them to stay. But it was not to be.

And it was one of the best decisions that he had ever made.

Isabella was not her old self. She was her new self, and she needed room to discover who that person was.

Isabella thrived in their new house. She enjoyed being the mistress of their own home. She enjoyed employing her own household and deciding how she wanted things to run. She loved getting to know the tenant farmers that worked on the estate's land. She became friends with their wives, and enjoyed bringing Jamie along to play with the village children.

Their families were not strangers. Matthew and Annaliese visited once a month. Once Helena had got over the disappointment of their departure, she was also a frequent visitor.

Isabella's parents also enjoyed scheduled visits every so often.

Isabella found herself. She was not the same Isabella Luke had known before he had gone away to war. She had changed. But so had he. He was no longer juvenile and reckless. They had grown up without realising. And Luke had fallen in love with the new Isabella so easily.

How many men had the chance at falling in love with their wives twice?

Luke thrived in their new environment as well. He needed to find something to do with himself after finishing his career with the navy. And so he worked alongside his tenants, learning all about farming, crops, and procedure. It was gruelling hard work. But he would never forget walking inside the house, dripping with sweat, covered head to toe in dirt from ploughing, and Isabella was waiting for him, in their bedroom, with a sponge cake she had baked for him.

Baking was a pastime she had taken up when hiring their cook. She liked to spend time in the kitchen with her friend, Mrs Graham, who was kind enough to bake with Isabella when not feeding the entire household.

Biting into the sponge cake was like eating a rock, but Luke did his best to look as though it was the most delicious thing he had ever tasted. Isabella looked so proud of herself. She was watching him eat so excitedly.

It was not until the final rock-like bite of his slice of sponge that he realised that his bedding was missing from the settee on which Isabella was sitting.

Luke had started sleeping on the settee in their bedroom in Cassidy House as Isabella had not wanted to be alone during the night, but she was not comfortable sharing a bed with him.

This had become a little routine of theirs, and it had continued when they had moved into their new home. Luke's bedding was always neatly folded on the comfortable, white settee during the day. But it was now gone.

"I want you to know how thankful I am for your patience with me," Isabella had said.

"It is nothing."

"No, it is something!" she had insisted. He saw the excitement in her eyes turn to nerves. Her shoulders tensed as she started to speak. "You are wonderful to me. You have done everything to make my life easier for me, and ... I love you."

Luke closed his eyes and smiled as he let the music of those words wash over him. It had been a long time since he had heard Isabella say those words to him. But for Isabella, this was the first time that she was saying those words.

It had not been easy from then on. They were still a married couple, who encountered everyday problems that married couples encountered, but they loved each other, and they found a way to enjoy life with each other.

Some nine months after Isabella had first told Luke that she loved him, Helena Katherine Cassidy was born. The experience of holding a newborn, his newborn, was unlike anything else. It was something that he had missed out on with Jamie. But he would never forget his first moments with Katy.

Luke had been besotted with Katy from the minute she was born, and that had not changed in three years. As she was still too young to be in the school room with Jamie, she often trotted along behind Luke as he worked in the fields.

Katy looked very out of place among the farmers with her bouncy blonde curls and her fluffy pink dresses, but she had each one of those burly farmers wrapped around her little finger.

"Are we nearly there yet, Papa?" asked Katy impatiently.

His three year old's sweet little voice snapped him out of his day dream. He met Katy's large, brown eyes and laughed. Her face was covered in icing.

"Nearly," he replied. He could see the outskirts of Cassidy land passing by out the window. They would be there within the hour.

Isabella put her mangled sponge away and pulled out her handkerchief from the inside of her sleeve. She licked the corner and proceeded to wipe Jamie and Katy's faces.

"Mama!" moaned Jamie as he cringed.

"Oh, hush," replied Isabella. "Hands," she instructed. Both Jamie and Katy held out their hands and Isabella proceeded to wipe them free from icing and cake.

"Do you think they will have cake at the wedding, Mama?" asked Jamie.

"I imagine so," replied Isabella.

"I hope it is a good cake. Aunt Eleanor had a really nice wedding cake. This wedding should have a good cake, too," Jamie mumbled to himself.

Luke knew that Jamie and Katy would gladly perform their duties in the wedding party so long as there was a sweet reward in the end.

Luke took Isabella's hand just as the carriage passed through the gates of Cassidy House. He knew that it still made her anxious to be here, even if it had been five years. "Are you alright?"

Isabella put on a brave face and nodded. "This is a happy occasion."

"If at any moment you want to leave, you just tell me, alright?"

"I will."

As soon as their carriage stopped, the door was nearly pulled from its hinges by Annaliese. As soon as she saw her sister, Isabella visibly relaxed.

"Girls upstairs now! We have a wedding in less than twenty-four hours!" she exclaimed.

"Boys are not allowed?" Luke asked, feigning offense.

"Certainly not!" retorted Annaliese. Annaliese dragged Isabella and Katy from the carriage and pulled them inside the house.

As excited as Annaliese was, Luke hoped that Isabella would not be too overwhelmed. Cassidy House's footmen began to unload the carriage, so Luke and Jamie left them to it.

"What is it with girls and weddings?" Jamie asked his father.

Luke laughed and wondered how he would feel about weddings in twenty years. His wedding would forever be one of his most cherished memories. "You will understand it someday. Come on. Let us see if we can find your uncle."

Luke and Jamie climbed the stairs to the first floor and made their way down the hallway to knock on the door of the study. If they were congregated anywhere, it would be in the study.

"Yes?" called Matthew.

Luke pushed the door open and grinned. "Have you missed us?"

Matthew was not alone in the study. He was joined by Luke's long-time friend, and Eleanor's husband, the now Captain Peter Lockwood, William, who was now a strapping young man of sixteen, and the newest addition to their party, and the lucky groom to be, Mr Charlie Penney.

Matthew immediately crossed the room and hugged his brother. "Just in time."

"I blame the three year old," Luke joked. "Katy cannot travel more than five miles without needing a break."

"How are you, Luke?" asked Captain Lockwood, extending his hand.

Luke shook the hand of his old friend, and replied, "I am well, very well. And you? How is Sarah?"

Everyone had noticed that Peter and Eleanor had a particular interest in one another years ago, but it had taken awhile to come to fruition. Unlike Luke, Peter was still in the navy, and was called back into service not long after Isabella had returned to Cassidy House.

Peter and Eleanor maintained correspondence throughout their separation and had finally married a little over a year ago. Peter had retired from the navy, and he and Eleanor were living in London with their newborn daughter, Sarah.

"She is perfect," replied Peter fondly. "They both are. And how are you, young Jamie?"

"Good, thank you," replied Jamie politely.

Luke placed a hand on his son's back. "Our Jamie actually turns eight years old today," he said proudly, knowing full well he was embarrassing his son by pointing out his birthday.

"Oh, William," urged Matthew.

William immediately reacted and grabbed a parcel that had been sitting on Matthew's desk. William had grown into a decent, young man, despite his mischievous childhood. He reminded Luke much of Matthew as a teenager. He was starting to understand his responsibilities, and was spending his summer holidays learning how to run the family estate before he returned to Eton in September.

"Your Aunt Annaliese would never forget your birthday, Jamie," promised Matthew, just as William gave Jamie the parcel.

Jamie eagerly unwrapped the parcel. He had been gifted a book. "Frankenstein," he read. "By Anonymous." Jamie was an avid little reader, and Luke had no doubt he would enjoy the gift. "Thank you!" he said enthusiastically.

"Thank your aunt," chuckled Matthew.

Luke noticed that Charlie Penney was lingering awkwardly by Matthew's desk. Luke had never properly been introduced to Charlie. He had only ever known Charlie as the young solicitor Matthew had hired to look over some acquisition papers for him last summer after his previous solicitor had retired to Scotland.

Isabella had kept him informed of how Charlie had come to be well regarded by the Cassidys, until one fateful night when Charlie had had the nerve to ask Matthew for Georgiana's hand in marriage.

The Cassidys had had no idea of the attachment between Charlie and Georgiana, although Matthew was certain that Georgiana had sworn Annaliese to secrecy. Georgiana had apparently been pretending to be interested in her father's business as an excuse to spend time with Charlie.

After months and months of rendezvousing in secret, Charlie had decided to take the next step towards an engagement.

Matthew had been shocked and very angry. Georgiana was only nineteen, but to Matthew, she would always be a little girl. But he had eventually come around to the idea, so long as Charlie and Georgiana made their home nearby.

"Uh, Charlie Penney, my brother, Luke Cassidy. Luke, my future son-in-law," Matthew introduced.

Charlie was very young, and had only been practicing for two years. "It is good to finally meet you," Charlie greeted.

"Likewise." Luke smiled, and went to shake Charlie's hand. "Has he threatened to kill you yet?" he asked Charlie under his breath.

"Several dozen times," replied Charlie just as quietly.

Luke laughed. "Well, my brother will always have an accomplice in me, so you make sure to respect my darling niece, now," he warned, suddenly serious.

Charlie had not been expecting that. He nodded slowly. "I will, I promise."

The study door suddenly opened and a flurry of women entered the already crowded room.

"Uncle Luke!" exclaimed Georgiana. His niece raced over to him and hugged him tightly.

How was Georgiana getting married already? It seemed only yesterday his brother was pacing the hallway as Harriet gave birth to her. The time had flown by. It made him feel sick to think of his time with his own children racing by so quickly. Before he knew it he would be threatening to kill Katy's betrothed.

"Congratulations, Georgiana," Luke said, kissing her forehead.

"Thank you!" she said excitedly. "I am so excited you are all here. I was worried you would not make it in time!"

"I blame the three year old," Luke said again.

"Mama has already tried the flower girl dress on Katy and it fits perfectly. She will look so sweet next to Julianna and Emma." Georgiana's two youngest sisters, as well as Katy, were all going to be dressed in fluffy gowns at the wedding the next day.

The idea of watching his daughter walk down the aisle, even if she was only three, made him feel physically ill.

Luke greeted Eleanor, and then gave thirteen year old Eva a big hug before being enveloped by his mother.

"Are you alright?" she stressed. "You look very tan! Have you been out in the sun?"

"I am fine, Mother. Yes, I am tan. I have been out in the fields," he told her.

"Do you not have servants for that?"

"No, of course not. Katy is in charge of the ploughing," he teased.

Helena rolled her eyes. "How is Isabella?" she whispered seriously.

"Good," he promised. "We are very good."

Over his mother's shoulder, he could see that Isabella was very reserved. Their large family still overwhelmed her, and unfortunately they did not get to see the Isabella who thrived in their home often.

Luke joined her, and slipped a comforting arm around her waist. "Are you alright?"

She smiled slightly. "Katy looks beautiful," she replied, not answering the question.

"Just like her mother," he said, pressing his lips to her temple.

While Luke had been certain he would feel sick as he watched Katy walk down the aisle with her cousins, he simply cried. He, a grown man, wept as his little three year old tossed flower petals over her shoulder excitedly.

The wedding was beautiful. Georgiana was beautiful, and Charlie was bloody lucky.

And as he sat at the long table during the wedding breakfast, he suddenly felt very relieved that his daughter was only three, and was enjoying painting a face on top of her wedding cake using jam and her fingers. Jamie, who sat beside her, had his Frankenstein book hidden under the table. He still had time left with them.

The table at which they sat was decorated with beautiful seasonal flowers, in and amongst tureens of fruit, platters of sweetmeats, sliced wedding cake, and dishes Georgiana's favourite sweets.

In front of them was a glass filled with liquorice sticks. As soon as he saw them, he smiled, recalling the first time he had kissed Isabella. He pulled one of the liquorice sticks out of the glass and placed it between his teeth.

He was startled as Isabella suddenly kissed him, taking part of the liquorice stick with her. He turned to look at her with a stunned expression on his face.

Isabella was watching him with a curious expression.

"Why did you do that?" he asked.

"I ... I do not know ... I just ... I remembered doing that once," she said softly, a wry smile spreading across her face.

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The end!!!

I hope you enjoyed this story! And I hope you will join me for my next story!

I don't want to give too much away, but it is about a man on the brink of death from starvation. Just as he is about to accept his fate, he has a chance encounter with a woman who shows him true altruistic kindness. To him, she is an angel, and the impact she has on him will shape him for the rest of his life.

She gives him a bag of coins and tells him to make something of himself. She has faith in him. When he asks for his angel's name, she replies simply, "Faith." Will they ever cross paths again?

The story will be called "Have Faith" and I will put up the first chapter soon!

As I wrote this epilogue I finished Gilmore Girls. *cries* 7 seasons finished! What am I going to watch now while I'm getting ready for work?! I've just stated the revival episodes but there's only four there.

I've been thinking about watching "Nashville". Is it any good? Any other tv show suggestions for me? Prerequisite is that it must have romance - I need a good ship to jump on! I need a couple to root for! And no shocking deaths. I'm already scarred for life from Downton Abbey. I loved that show, but Matthew still broke my heart. The second season is airing on UKTV here and I'm just watching him and Mary longingly look at each other while he's engaged to Livinia. Oh, Matthew. I get to see you again when I see Beauty and the Beast.

I've already booked my tickets. Seeing it March 24th. I am so pumped!

Anyway, I hope you will enjoy "Have Faith" as I'm so excited to write it. But I'm content to bid farewell to the Cassidy clan. Time to start a new family ....