True Love’s Surprise – Extended Epilogue

Early summer in Douglas was beautiful. The grass was rich and green, and small patches of thistle, yarrow, and verbena popped up in small patches making the air fragrant and rich. Charlotte didn’t think there was a more beautiful place in all the world, and she sighed contently, knowing that she would spend the rest of her days in a place she adored.

With a man I adore, she thought giddily.

“What’s that smile for?” Abigail asked as she worked on pinning Charlotte’s hair.

“She’s obviously excited for today,” Jane exclaimed. “After all, it is her wedding day.”

They both giggled as if they were schoolgirls talking about their handsome beaus. Charlotte rolled her eyes. She might be getting married, something she never thought she would do, but she was still her old self. She was excited to be Joseph’s wife but was also nervous about the public display they were about to put on. Both she and Joseph preferred to be out of the limelight.

“If we don’t get a move on,” Charlotte said, bringing back the attention of her friends, “we are going to be late.”

“We have to finish getting you ready,” Abigail said. She pressed some rouge into Charlotte’s cheeks and lips, putting the finishing touches on her bridal look. Her dress was a simple cream creation embroidered with delicate pink roses. The color made her dark hair stand out in even deeper contrast. The little bit of rouge highlighted her high cheekbones and made her look every inch the blushing bride.

“If I’m late, Joseph may just have a heart attack,” Charlotte grumbled. She wasn’t joking either. Charlotte had been nervous about getting married. The town had been all a flutter when Tommy and Jane married in the spring. The busybodies still partially blamed Charlotte, which was ridiculous.

There wasn’t a single person alive who could look at Tommy and Jane and not see the love that was shining so brightly between them.

Joseph had wanted to marry shortly after them, but Charlotte insisted on waiting. In truth, she had still been grappling with the idea of becoming a wife. A role that she never thought she would take on.

Joseph was still worried that she would back out of their wedding. She smiled as she recalled how he had made her promise that she would be on time. She didn’t think that he could handle it if she were late.

“He will be speechless when he sees you,” Jane said.

“Joseph’s not the most loquacious,” Abigail said.

“He talks to me,” Charlotte said.

She couldn’t stop smiling. Her life with Joseph was different than any life she could ever have imagined. She had just moved into the ranch, leaving Aunt Mary’s farm, and every night the two of them read and discussed literature.

She sighed happily as she thought about her new life.

“Of course, he does,” Jane said. “You two are the perfect level of boring for one another.”

Abigail giggled, and Charlotte snorted with laughter. She, Jane, and Abigail had grown close to one another over the past few months. They’d stood together when Jane and Tommy wed in April, and they supported one another when Abigail gave birth early to a beautiful baby girl.

Charlotte’s heart felt so full as she watched her friends giggle like schoolgirls. She’d come to Douglas nearly a year ago simply hoping to escape her father’s greed. She had, but she’d found more than she ever thought possible. She found a home and a family.

Looking at her friends, both of whom were dressed in their Sunday best, Charlotte felt tears filling her eyes.

“Hey!” Abigail said. “No crying. You’ll ruin the rouge.”

“Yes,” Jane said. “This is a happy day.”

Charlotte bit the inside of her lip in an attempt to stifle her tears. “I’m just so thankful for the two of you,” she said.

“Oh dear,” Abigail said, waving a hand in front of her face. “Now, you are going to make me start.”

Charlotte laughed.

“Well,” Jane said, “I suppose I should probably not tell either of you that I’m expecting since you’ll probably turn into blubbering messes.”

That sobered both Charlotte and Abigail. “You’re pregnant?” Abigail asked, releasing a small gasp.

Jane nodded. She had a small smile on her face, and her dark eyes were warm with happiness. “I believe so,” she said. “You know we can’t be completely certain until I start showing but …”

Charlotte wrapped Jane in a hug. “This is so exciting!” she said. It truly was. Jane hadn’t left the ranch, thankfully. Though she lived with Tommy, she worked at the ranch making meals and tending to the small farm she’d planted. Charlotte was excited to know that there would soon be another child joining their makeshift family.

“Okay, okay,” Jane said, pulling away slightly. Her pretty face was red from embarrassment. “Today is your day,” she said, turning to Charlotte, “and we need to get you to the church on time.”

Charlotte wanted to stay and celebrate, but Jane was right. After all, she had promised Joseph that she wouldn’t leave him at the altar.

A sharp knock on the door caused all three girls to jump slightly. “Are you girls ready?” Aunt Mary asked, poking her head into the room. The girls were getting ready in the pastor’s residence, which was just next door to the church.

“Are the streets cleared?” Charlotte asked. She hadn’t cared much about the wedding. She’d left a great deal of the planning up to her aunt and Abigail. But the one thing she wanted to ensure more than anything was that the first time Joseph saw her, it was walking down the aisle.

“Joseph, William, and Tommy are all in the church. I saw them with my own eyes.”

Charlotte nodded. She took a deep breath and gathered her skirts in her hands. “I suppose that’s our cue,” she said.

“Wait,” Aunt Mary said. “I have something for you.”

Charlotte arched an eyebrow. She hoped that her aunt hadn’t spent too much money on whatever gift she had for her. Joseph did well on the ranch, and he’d offered Aunt Mary monetary help, but her aunt had waved him off.

“You didn’t have to get me anything,” Charlotte said. “You’ve done plenty already. You all have. I couldn’t be more grateful to have all of you in my life.”

“That’s sweet dear,” Aunt Mary said, as she pulled out a slim velvet case, “but this is a gift I can’t take too much credit for.”

Charlotte was incredibly confused. Did my father send something? she wondered briefly. When Charlotte rewrote to the family who’d offered her a governess spot, to decline, she’d also decided that it was time to write to her father as well. She hadn’t heard back. She’d decided to write once more, at Joseph’s insistence, to let him know about her wedding. She’d never received anything back.

No, she thought, looking at the jewelry box, this is likely not from him.

“Your mother gave this to me before she passed,” she said, pulling out a necklace that shined in the sunlight. It was silver filigree with small diamonds and a few pearls. Charlotte knew enough to know that this was incredibly expensive. “It’s almost like she knew that something was going to happen.”

Charlotte felt tears springing to her eyes. The only bit of sadness that she had today was that her mother wasn’t alive to be at her wedding.

“Here,” Aunt Mary said. She placed the necklace around Charlotte’s neck and clasped it at the back. The necklace was cold on her skin, but as she pressed her fingers to it, Charlotte couldn’t help feeling closer to her mother than she ever had.

“How about we give you two a few minutes,” Abigail said, grabbing Jane by the arm and ushering her out of the room.

“This is beautiful,” Charlotte said.

“Your father had it made for your mother as a gift when you were born,” Aunt Mary said, her tone sad.

Charlotte couldn’t help snorting. “I find it hard to believe that he would have cared enough to even mark the occasion.”

Aunt Mary released a small sigh. Charlotte knew that she did not like talking badly about her father, but she also never made excuses for him. “He wasn’t always the way he is,” Aunt Mary said.

Charlotte felt that old fear starting to blossom in her chest.

“Joseph isn’t your father,” Aunt Mary said. Her words instantly put Charlotte at ease. Her fear of ending up like her mother hadn’t gone away just because she was in love, but the more time she spent with him, the more she was sure that he was her soulmate.

“Do you think Mom would have been proud?” Charlotte asked.

Aunt Mary laughed merrily and took Charlotte’s face in her hands. “She would have been so proud. You were her jewel.”

Charlotte blinked back tears as she remembered her friend’s words. She pressed one hand to her necklace before turning to her aunt. “We should get going,” she said.

“Yes,” Aunt Mary agreed. “We don’t want Joseph thinking that you have run off.”

Charlotte couldn’t help laughing as the two of them walked out the door. She might not have her parents at her wedding, but Charlotte would be forever grateful to her aunt. After all, if Aunt Mary hadn’t brought her to Douglas, Charlotte would never have known the happiness she now felt.

***

Unlike his last wedding, which hadn’t ended the way he’d thought, which he was now grateful for, Joseph wasn’t nervous to be marrying Charlotte. He felt an odd sense of calm as he watched the doorway.

People were whispering slightly since Charlotte was slightly late. He chuckled to himself and shook his head. He’d suspected that her friends or aunt were the hold up. He’d seen Mary rushing around making sure he was at the altar before she went to get her niece.

“Nervous?” William asked, no doubt remembering how Joseph had been unable to keep still when he’d been waiting for Rebecca.

Joseph shook his head slightly. “No,” he said. It was the truth. He knew that Charlotte would walk down the aisle and that they would be married today. She was fearful of marriage, but Charlotte was the type of person who wouldn’t have committed to him if she hadn’t been planning for them to marry.

“I think we’re getting started,” William said, elbowing Joseph slightly. Joseph looked up to see Abigail standing in the doorway. She looked lovely in a pale-yellow gown, but Joseph wasn’t interested in her.

He held his breath as the music swelled, and Abigail and Jane walked down the aisle. He wouldn’t be able to say much about the time between when they got to the end of the aisle and when Charlotte and her aunt came into view.

Joseph was breathless and speechless as he watched Charlotte walk down the aisle towards him. She was dressed in a cream dress with pink embroidery. Her dark hair was pulled back off her face, and a thin lace veil covered it. He could just make out the smile on her face, and he couldn’t stop himself from smiling back.

He was so full of love and happiness that all the troubles that had come before this moment seemed like nothing.

As Charlotte came closer and closer, he was grateful for all the things that had brought them to this moment. The pain he had felt at Rebecca’s betrayal was now barely a memory.

Charlotte walked towards him as if she were floating on a cloud. Joseph could not focus on anything but her, and when she was in front of him, he was even more breathless than he had been before.

“Who gives this woman?” the pastor asked?

“I do,” Mary responded. Joseph had been upset that Charlotte’s father couldn’t put their differences aside to be there for his daughter’s big day, but in some ways, he was glad their wedding was filled with people who loved them.

He felt a sharp pain in his side and shot William a dark look. “Take her hand,” William reminded him.

There was a small chuckle from the crowd, but Joseph didn’t care. He reached out and took Charlotte’s hand in his own. She was wearing silk gloves, and he couldn’t wait to take them off and slip the thin silver band on her finger.

Joseph gripped the end of Charlotte’s veil and pulled it over her face. She was absolutely beautiful, and he felt mesmerized by her. “Hi,” she mouthed. Her eyes sparkled, and his smile grew larger.

He wanted to tell her everything that he was feeling, but he figured he would save it for later. Instead, they stood in front of the pastor and the town and declared their undying devotion to one another.

***

The wedding had gone off without a hitch, and now, Joseph was a happily married man. It felt odd considering all the things that had happened in order to get here. “Do you want to dance?” he asked his new wife.

He knew her answer before she even turned to look at him. She was still in her wedding dress, but she’d taken off the gloves and veil so that he could see her beautiful face and feel the warmth of her skin.

“Absolutely not,” she said.

He laughed heartily, drinking the rest of his wine. “I suppose we should be leaving the dancing to the experts,” he said, pointing at Tommy and Jane. His friend was spinning his wife around the dancefloor.

“Did you hear the news?” Charlotte said. She was leaning against him, and he could smell the lavender water that she used on her hair. He closed his eyes, sinking into the scent.

“What news?” he asked. He was only half paying attention.

“Jane is expecting,” she said.

He pulled away slightly, shocked by the news. Tommy had been with him all day, and he hadn’t mentioned a thing.

Probably didn’t want to take away from the day, Joseph thought. He and Tommy hadn’t missed a step after Tommy declared his love towards Jane. But Tommy was definitely hesitant to share things with Joseph. Joseph didn’t understand why. He was glad for them. He was even glad for Rebecca, wherever she was.

He now knew what true love felt like, and he would never want to keep a single person from having what he had with Charlotte.

“That’s wonderful news!” Joseph said, and he meant it. When he’d found out that Abigail was expecting, he’d been jealous that William would soon have the family Joseph longed for. Ultimately, that feeling had been what led to him reaching out to a marriage agency.

Now, he felt true happiness. He knew they would have a family soon enough, but for now, Joseph was content to be with Charlotte. He wanted her all to himself for a while.

“It is,” Charlotte said. “I was shocked, but Jane seems excited, and it’ll be nice to have another baby around.”

He nodded. “It will,” he agreed.

Charlotte turned to him, giving him an odd look.

“What?” he asked.

“I’m just wondering if you are happy?” she asked.

The question took him off guard. He would have thought that she could feel the happiness radiating off him. Ever since they’d been declared man and wife, he’d been unable not to have her in his eyes. When they’d arrived at the celebrations they would be throwing on the ranch, it had taken everything in him not to kick everyone out so the two of them could be alone.

He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. He heard a hoot and some laughter and pulled away quickly. Charlotte blushed and pressed her hands against her cheeks, which were now flushed.

“I’m the happiest I’ve ever been,” he said. “You’ve made me the happiest man.”

Charlotte wrapped her arms around him, and this time she pressed a kiss to his lips. He knew that they should be more respectful in their affections, but he knew people would forgive them. After all, they were just married.

When they pulled away, Joseph looked around. Everyone was eating, drinking, and dancing, and paying little attention to them. He appreciated that.

“I have a surprise for you,” he said. He’d planned to tell Charlotte of what he’d discussed with her aunt tomorrow after she rested, but he couldn’t keep it in. Today, he’d vowed to make her as happy as she’d made him, and he knew that what he had to tell her would help do that.

“Goodness,” Charlotte said, “everyone has surprises for me today.”

He laughed. “You are the bride,” he reminded her.

“So?” she asked, impatiently. “What is it?”

“How would you feel if Aunt Mary came to live with us?”

Charlotte gasped, and her eyes grew large. “What? How did you convince her to do that?”

“It wasn’t easy,” he said, “but I know how much you worried about her being alone on the farm.”

It had not been easy to convince Mary to leave her home. He couldn’t blame her. After all, it was the last place that she had been with her husband. The promise of little children was the draw. At least that was what she said, but he suspected she did not wish to be away from Charlotte any more than Charlotte wanted to be away from her.

“You’re an amazing husband,” Charlotte said.

He pressed a small kiss to her forehead and wrapped her in his arms. They were content to be wrapped in one another’s arms. Joseph had never thought that he would be lucky enough to find someone who completed him. It had only been through sheer luck that Charlotte stumbled into his life, and he would forever be grateful for her.

“I love you,” he said. He would never get tired of telling her.

She gave him a wide smile. “I love you too,” she told him.

And Joseph was never going to get tired of hearing those words come from her mouth. Charlotte completed him, and he was sure that their love story would be one for the books.

THE END

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