And yet there will be happiness...

Epilogue

She lifted her head and took a deep breath of the fresh sea air. The gentle rays of the sun shone on her still beautiful face and on her thick dark curls with a few streaks of gray. She smiled at the men standing in front of her. Both of them they were beautiful, one in his youth and passion, the other in wisdom and maturity. So similar and so different at the same time. Every look, every gesture, or smile of her son seemed to bring her back to the past, drawing a vivid portrait of his father. Now he frowned and shook his head with its thick dark curls, as if imitating the man opposite. The other man laughed, a simple, rolling, genuine laugh that warmed her heart. How she loved that laugh and smile. After all these years, she couldn't take her eyes off him.
"Can I get you a shawl, mother?", a beautiful dark-haired girl asked, setting a tray with cups and a teapot on the table.
"Thank you, Susan, but I'm not cold," Charlotte replied, smiling, gazing lovingly at her own daughter, happy to know how beautiful she would grow up, and wondering what other challenges life would hold in store for her in the future.
"Do you think dad and Daniel will ever agree?", asked Susan, carefully sipping tea from a beautiful Cup - my brother is so stubborn, and so is my dad.
Charlotte raised her eyebrows warningly, forcing him to Susan would regret her rash words.
"I'm sorry, I remember we don't discuss dad," she said, " but he's really stubborn. What's the big deal if Daniel wants to be a soldier?
How much Susan reminded her of her younger self, the same strength and drive, the same stubbornness, the same infallible faith in her own judgment.
"There's nothing wrong with that, Papa just asks him to take his time," said Mrs. Parker, smiling and picking up a second mug. " after all, only a couple of months ago your brother wanted to start a donkey farm, and only six months ago he was thinking of becoming a priest.
Susan laughed as easily and beautifully as her father.
"I never liked the idea of donkeys," she said, trying to remain serious, " but the army is different. Maybe this is his dream and it will bring him happiness.
"Daniel is too young for the service," Charlotte said.
"Mom, he's almost sixteen," Susan said  "Daniel is already a man".
"No doubt," Charlotte agreed, smiling, " and you, too, of course, are a real lady?"
"Yes, you'll let me go this year, won't you? Please, mother!" said young Miss Parker "Lord Babbington has already given Sophia permission! We'll have a lot more fun together!"
"Sophia is more than a year older than you," Charlotte said.
Susan clasped her hands together as if to say a prayer.
"Please," she almost begged, " the spring ball is coming, I want to dance so much. I am already sensible enough that you need not fear for my behavior"
"I think our children are in too much of a hurry to grow up," said Mr. Parker, who had joined them. He leaned over and gently kissed Charlotte's temple as she sat in the wicker chair. She looked around for her son and saw him standing by the hedge, looking at the fresh rosebuds. His face was peaceful, and it brought his mother peace.
"I think they're just looking for an adventure," said Mrs. Parker, finally distracted from Daniel, " and... I think they'll meet them very soon."
"You say that to make me feel better,"  Susan said,  "you've probably never done anything rash yourself"
"You are mistaken, my dear," Sidney replied with a smile, sitting down next to his wife. " your mother went to London alone to save her friend, not afraid of any dangers.
Charlotte gave her husband a look so eloquent that he immediately regretted his frankness.
"And then what happened?"  I asked impatiently Susan, " what happened in London?"
"Your father had to save me," Charlotte replied with a slight smile, -" Mr. Sidney Parker appeared out of the darkness like a hero, wearing a raincoat and carrying a cane, to pull the young lady out of the hands of the villain"
"Why do I feel like you're still making fun of me?"  Sidney asked, leaning toward Charlotte and taking her small hand in his.
"Oh, no, I didn't even think of it," said Mrs. Parker, " and now I can't imagine how it would have ended if you hadn't shown up in that alley."
Susan studied her parents carefully, glad that they still loved each other as much, as faithfully, and as tenderly as they had done so many years ago.
"But why didn't you ever tell me about it before?", she finally asked.
"Because it's not proper behavior for a girl," Charlotte snapped, not wanting to go into further explanation and reveal the story of Lady Broome, who was then just a rich heiress of a slave owner from Antigua, and not a famous black Lady all over England.
"I need to tell Ann and Daniel about this right away," she said Susan and, gathering up her skirts, ran in silence to meet her brother, who was still standing by the fence.
"Do you think I shouldn't have told her?",  Sidney asked, regretting his haste.
"I suppose it was a little rash," Charlotte said.
"Like your decision to go to London alone?"  Sidney asked.
"Yes, I think so," said Mrs. Parker, - but... I had good reasons."
"You wanted to save Georgiana, felt guilty about her disappearance", he supposed.
"Yes... but not only that, " said Charlotte.
" Well, what then?", Sidney asked.
" It was insanely ashamed, and I was afraid to fall in your eyes even lower", she answered honestly, "I could not bear the thought that you are somewhere and think bad of me" .
"I didn't really think badly of you," he said, "I was angry, resentful, and even yelled at you, which I regretted a few minutes later, but I couldn't bring myself to think bad of you. It was all my fault, too".
"Oh, Sidney," Charlotte said, squeezing his hand tightly, " if you only knew how much I love you.
"I know," he said, " and I love you even more."
He rose and, reaching out, lifted his wife from the chair, drawing her to him as if to dance with her the most beautiful dance in the world.
Sidney put his arm around Charlotte, holding her tight, as if afraid to part for even a second.
"God, everyone's looking at us," Charlotte chuckled, turning back into the young and defiant girl who had once stolen his heart.
"This is my home and my garden, and I will do whatever I think is best here", Sidney said.
"Very extravagant of you, Mr. Parker," Charlotte whispered.
"Yes," he said, " but I don't regret anything"
Sidney kissed Charlotte, still holding her gently to him, swaying in time to the inaudible waltz, sinking into the waves of love and tenderness that had been so lavish for the past seventeen years.