The Queen Of His Heart (completed)

Epilogue (Ella)

Ella stared at her twin daughters in absolute horror as they dared their cousin to put a frog in their trousers.

"Marcus Luther Bradford, you will do no such thing. You are a Duke and you should act like one. These savages....." Before Ella could continue scolding, she was interrupted by her husband of twenty years.

"...look beautiful. Marcus dance with your cousins like a true gentleman and find them more partners. Now off with you kids." Ella scowled at her husband as the three younger adults left in a hurry. Max smiled at her sheepishly and she knew he was about to apologize.

"You know that Marcus will do anything for Giselle, even make a fool of himself. No amount of scolding would have stopped him from putting a frog in his trousers. I gave him something better to do, now he will dance with your daughters." Ella laughed at his statement, she was ready for battle and Max knew it.

"MY daughters? Now they are MY daughters? I warned you they will grow up and act like heathens if you don't punish them but you never listened. They are completely out of control now and suddenly they are MY daughters? No Your Grace, this is all your fault and they are YOUR daughters." Ella looked around to see if anyone noticed how she was acting and saw that all eyes were trained on Marcus and Giselle as they danced together, they looked beautiful. Their mixed parentage was obvious in the colour of their skin but instead of being a disadvantage it worked in their favor. They always stood out in the sea of pale faces and ivory skins. One day the two of them would make a perfect couple and she would become Bella's relative in more then one way.

"They are independent and free spirited like their mother, no man would ever think about taking advantage of them. They can shoot, ride and hunt better then most gentleman in this ballroom. We made them strong and intelligent Ella, there's nothing wrong with that. If a man can't value what our daughters have then that man is not the one for them." Ella saw the extreme paternal ferociousness that overcame Max's features and relaxed.

"Maybe I'm tired. The fact that they are getting marriage proposals is not helping at all, my girls are all grown up." Ella's eyes teared up as she thought about the future.

"You should prepare yourself my Duchess, first it will be Giselle and Mirabella then Susan and then Rudolph will want to leave the heir's wing. We will be all alone in this big fat house, imagine the freedom we will have." Ella was sure that Max wanted to make her cry in the middle of the ball room but she started laughing when he mentioned freedom.

"It will be such a relief to have the place to ourselves. We could retire to country as well." Ella suggested with a laugh. They would always make time for a swim in the lake at their country estate, it was time to retire to that life of leisure and sun.