Page 124 of An Unwanted Spinster for the Duke

“Merciful? No. Just in love,” she whispered.

“I am certainly the luckiest man alive,” was all he could say, before he kissed her again.

He had never thought it possible to feel like he was bursting with happiness.

But here they were.

Epilogue

TWO MONTHS LATER

Adinner party at Oakmere Hall no longer sounded like something one must endure. These days, it was a way for close friends and family to come together to be grateful for everything that had transpired.

While nothing was surprising about Dominic sitting at the head of the table, it was certainly good to see him relaxed while Serafina sprawled across his lap.

The hounds dozed near the hearth, content with the company. The sisters were there, and so were Olivia and Simon. The most notable addition was Daniel, who had recently returned from his travels abroad.

“To His Grace, the Duke of Oakmere,” Daniel toasted, his tone conveying both his gratitude and an underlying mischief. “To my brother-in-law, who served as protector of my sisters, tamer of animals, and a recent pugilist. Thank you.”

Dominic grunted in mock humility, lifting his glass toward the younger man.

“You missed all the excitement, Dan.” Simon chuckled.

“I’m here now, am I not? I don’t imagine the excitement will come to a halt.”

“We did love some of the chaos, darling,” Olivia agreed, elbowing her husband playfully. “My dear Simon might have gotten a few scars here and there. Very fashionable.”

“I have enough from childhood, but yes, fashionable,” Simon said, puffing out his chest and wiggling his eyebrows. Then, he rubbed his wife’s belly. “Of course, with a little one on the way, I will slow down my foray into physical fights.”

“Linpool?” Daniel prompted as the hilarity died down.

“Serving a life sentence,” Dominic replied.

“Word has it that he tried charming the prison warden,” Simon added. “He got punched in the jaw. Good for him.”

“And Father is abroad?” Daniel asked. “On business?”

Dominic simply nodded. The man was, after all, in some sort of business.

The chuckles turned into worries. Wilhelmina’s brow creased with apprehension.

“What is it, Mina?” Marianne inquired.

“I received a letter from Mother.”

The room quieted down.

Nobody talked about Lady Grisham much—the woman Lord Grisham had married after his first wife had died, and the natural mother of Wilhelmina and the twins. She was merely an inconvenience nobody else wanted to think about.

“She’s returning to England,” Wilhelmina added. “She wants to oversee my debut. What if she ruins it?”

“Don’t fret. She won’t,” Marianne reassured her firmly. “You have all of us behind you.”

“If she tries anything, Mina,” Dominic added, “we can always unleash Perseus.”

As if they all agreed, Perseus bleated, Serafina purred, and the two hounds barked.

The laughter that followed proved how everyone present had become part of a big, happy family.