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Emma laughed, knowing that the man she’d thought nothing more than a dreadful scoundrel and defiler of women had her heart so completely.
Epilogue
Christmas 1821
“TO EMMA AND SIMON, on their first Christmas together,” Harry started, holding a glass of champagne in the dining room of Emma’s Kent estate. “May they always be in love as deeply as they are at this moment. May their children bring them nothing but happiness, and as they grow old together, may they find peace in the love of their family.”
“To Emma and Simon,” Tessa said, holding up her glass.
Tessa wiped away a tear as her heart filled with happiness. Seeing her two younger sisters so happy and in love with men who cherished them made everything she endured worth it. This was what she’d wanted when she married her first three husbands.
But she’d never expected she could find love herself. She reached over and squeezed her husband’s hand.
The only person still not completely happy with the union was her mother. Not that Tessa was surprised by her bitter reaction. Mamma said she only wanted the best for her daughters, which should mean a man who loves them. But only one of her daughters ended up with a title, and it happened to be the one who never cared about finding a man with a title.
“Happy Christmas,” Her father said, from the far end of the table.
“Thank you, Papa,” Emma said, beaming a smile over at him.
While their father wasn’t involved in much, he did make an effort to see his daughters on holidays and special occasions. All three of them had differing opinions on him. As the oldest, she might have more sympathy for him only because she saw how her mother manipulated him. Louisa still felt anger toward him, but each time they saw each other noticed, they spoke a little more. Emma seemed to have the least hard feelings for him. She held more antagonism toward their mother, who had tried to manipulate them all in so many ways.
Tessa pushed the negative thoughts away as her unborn son or daughter kicked her in the ribs. Looking over at both her sisters, she noticed they rubbed their bellies. She did not doubt that soon, there would be even more children filling the room. Never had she thought her life could be so fulfilling. Between the rumors, deaths, and scandals, she assumed she would remain a widow and feared her sisters might become spinsters. Now, with everyone happily married, she felt incredibly blessed.
Simon rose from his seat with his champagne glass in his hand. Holding the glass up, he said, “To the Daring Drake Sisters, your days of scandals and rumors are finished now that you are all married. Yet Jack, Harry, and I are quite certain we hope our daughters will turn out like their mothers.”
The End
