A Girl Who Can Dream

Epilogue

All's well that ends well. That was the only way to put my experience.

After my return, the wedding was put as top priority between our families. Father hired the most elegant wedding planner available and with Lady Adeline's eager planning, the wedding took place as a major event just a month later. It was the happiest day of my life, I had to admit.

At the end, when the guests came up to congratulate us, Poppy and Hattie, who'd been married for weeks now, laughed at the comment I'd made before. About how I was going to study before marriage. I'd been angered by their rude behavior, and had expected the same from Elizabetha, but she'd been kind in her words. She'd told me to keep dreaming and that she knew Grayson would let me study if I wanted to.

Their words had made me remember my wish and I checked on the program that Elizabetha had mentioned before. It had turned out that they did take in women, but the entrance exam was harder than most. I'd decided to move to New York to take the exam and hope that my knowledge was enough to pass it. Grayson, who I'd tried to persuade to stay, had insisted on accompanying me. We'd decided to live permanently in New York until our services were required in either Garner or Lavender Hall.

As for dear Emma, I can safely say that she's settled into her new life quite well. While I'd taken care of her as an older sister would, Molly loved her as she would her own child. After quite some debating and arguing, Father had agreed to let her take care of the children and receive extra pay for it on the condition that they wouldn't make her compromise her work. This left Molly to convince her husband. Mr. Butler wanted children of his own, not these children who belonged to someone else. Still, because of his love for his wife and the happiness that he saw that they gave her, Mr. Butler agreed to take full responsibility for them.

This past weekend, the official papers were signed and Emma and Johnny Griffiths were adopted by Molly and Oliver Butler. I could tell by their bright eyes that they were both happy about the decision that their foster parents had made.

The person who'd started all of this, Sir Victor Baskerville, was arrested as promised by Inspector Bennett. The inquest, held a week before the wedding, had been a success on our part. After Molly, Father, and Grayson had all given their testimonies and I'd told my account of what had happened, the jury had easily decided that the baronet was guilty and he was sentenced to jail for some time.

The problem left by that was what to do with poor Kilorn Baskerville, the thirteen year old son of the wicked man. I'd met him after his father had been dragged into jail and he'd been a cold, miserable boy with no one to turn to.

Afraid that he might plot some revenge against me, and feeling bad for him, I'd offered to look after him. Not adopt him, like Molly had done, but just take responsibility for him while his father couldn't. He'd agreed, though sulkily, and I had to say, he'd prospered under my mentorship. Under Grayson and me, he'd turned into a happier boy. We'd taken him out of the boarding school in which he was admitted and gotten him private tutors who helped him more.

Now that he was so dear to us, it was impossible to let him stay in England while Grayson and I were traveling to New York, so we booked first class ship tickets for him as well and he was happy to come with us.

Everything, it seemed, had come to the proper end, and I couldn't have wished for anything better than this. It was like the fairy tales, we all lived happily ever after.