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Epilogue

One year later…

T he warm glow of summer filled the air as Pippa and Christopher, the Duke and Duchess of Haverleigh, journeyed down the winding lanes of the countryside. The sun was low in the sky, casting golden hues over the fields and farms, while the soft clatter of their carriage wheels created a steady rhythm that matched the beating of Christopher’s heart. They had married in the Whitmore chapel with her family there to watch them exchange their vows. Her mother had finally started to break free from her grief and helped her to plan their wedding. It was the happiest day of his life to make her his wife. Now there was one more thing he had to do.

He had planned an extensive wedding trip. She had mentioned how she had wanted to travel as he kept his promise to court her properly. So, Christopher had arranged a wedding trip where they could visit all the places she wished to go. He could not wait to share it all with her. But there was one stop left to make before they could continue on their journey to the continent.

Today as the familiar trees and fields of Haverleigh approached, it felt as though they were returning to something far more important. This was Christopher’s home. His childhood home. A place he had avoided for years, ever since his father’s untimely death had cast a long shadow over the estate. Haverleigh had once been a place of sorrow, of unresolved feelings and memories that were difficult to reconcile. He missed when it had been a place of happiness and joy. He hoped to change that with Pippa at his side.

“Are you ready for this?” Pippa asked, a note of concern in her voice. Her gaze flickered from the window, meeting his. Her eyes were warm with understanding. She already knew how difficult this would be for him—she had been the one to suggest they visit his home. She understood how much sadness he still carried after his father’s death.

“I hope I am,” he replied, his voice low and filled with affection. “I never thought I’d be back here, not after all that happened.”

Pippa gave him a soft smile, her fingers gently brushing against his. “But you are back, Christopher. You’re here now, and I think it’s time you stopped running away from it.”

He exhaled deeply, turning his gaze to the window. The estate was finally coming into view, its familiar silhouette against the horizon. The towering spires of Haverleigh were distant but unmistakable. It had been too long since he’d seen the grand old house, since he’d walked the halls of the place where he’d spent so many years. So many of those years without the presence of his father and without the security of knowing what came next.

“You’re right,” he said softly, his heart tugging at him as the estate drew nearer. “I’ve avoided this place for too long. I wasn’t sure if I could face it.”

Pippa’s voice was gentle as she reached for his hand. “We will fill it with love and laughter again. It will know the joy we feel and if we are blessed with children—they will call Haverleigh home. There’s no reason to keep it shrouded in darkness.”

Christopher looked at her, a warmth flooding his chest as he took in the sincere understanding in her eyes. He had feared coming back here, but now, with Pippa beside him, it didn’t seem so daunting. The thought of returning to Haverleigh had once brought him only discomfort and sadness, but now… now he felt something different. He felt the stirrings of peace, of something healed and whole. As their carriage pulled up to the grand front door of Haverleigh, Christopher stepped out first, offering his hand to Pippa. She smiled and took it, her fingers warm in his. Together, they ascended the grand steps to the door. The door opened, and the butler greeted them with a bow before ushering them inside.

The house was silent but welcoming, its halls stretching long and wide, with high ceilings and great windows that let in the light of the setting sun. Everything was familiar, but now it felt different. Less lonely. Less empty. Christopher hesitated for only a moment before stepping further into the entrance hall, Pippa by his side. His heart lifted as the familiar weight of the house settled around him—this was his home, this was where he had grown up. It was a place filled with memories, both painful and joyful, but most importantly, it was now a place where new memories could be made.

“I don’t know what I expected,” Christopher murmured, his voice thick with emotion as he looked around, “but I don’t feel the way I thought I would.”

Pippa smiled up at him. “You were afraid. You thought you could never come back here. But now you have. And it’s different, isn’t it?”

He nodded, his eyes softening. “It is. It’s not the same place I left behind. It’s… ours now. Ours to fill with new memories.”

The weight that had once anchored him to the past was gone. Pippa’s presence in his life, their shared future, had made everything feel lighter, brighter, filled with the potential for all the love and happiness they had yet to discover together.

“Come,” Pippa said, her hand in his as she tugged him gently. “Let’s explore. I think it’s time you make peace with Haverleigh, and let it be something new.” There was a wicked gleam in her gaze. “And you have yet to kiss me in our home. You should rectify that immediately.” She darted down the hall all but begging him to chase her.

Christopher smiled and followed after her, knowing that with Pippa by his side, everything was possible. Whatever had happened before, whatever had haunted him in this house, could be left behind. The future was theirs to create.

As she led him on a merry chase through the halls he finally believed he could be happy. It was then that Christopher realized something—Haverleigh was no longer a place of sorrow for him. It was a place of new beginnings. And he could finally see it for what it was: home. The home he had always wanted, and now, with Pippa, the home he would build for their future together. Her love made what he thought impossible a reality. Love truly was grand.