Agatha had not yet decided on a name for the boarding school, but they had already started accepting students, most of whom orphaned. Margaret and Cole would have loved to have Fiona live with them, but everyone knew what's best for the child. And for Faye, who chose to stay with Fiona.

The Haverstons were present when Edmund arrived in an unmarked carriage with his cousin. The little girl was excited to see the twins again, and of course, Faye, who would not let her go even after she had stopped crying.

Fiona was also introduced to the Haverstons despite Edmund's reluctance. She only knew them as friends of Cole and Margaret. After meeting Benedict and Agatha, Belinda, who was trying her best not to break down and cry, asked her niece if she would like to explore the garden at the back of her new home, Edmund a silent shadow behind them.

Cole was finally at ease that Fiona was safe and that she would have Faye with her for most days. The two children had a lot of healing ahead of them and being away from Wickhurst and Willowfair, he hoped they would find strength in each other in Devonshire.

After a tearful goodbye with Fiona, Edmund reluctantly prepared to leave. Walking the young man to his carriage, Cole said, "I wish that someday you can tell us more about the Manor. There are still women and children trapped in that place. We have to help them."

Edmund shook his head. "I've pledged my loyalty to my family now, Lord Ashmore. You can take me, have the League interrogate me, but let me tell you now—my will know about it and they will do everything in their power to make me stop talking. Everything. Don't forget that I'm a Trilby too, my lord. I can sleep at night peacefully so long as I get to live and Fiona is safe. There are other people who can selflessly fight for others. I'm not one of them." His jaw twitched as he stepped away. "At least not yet."

***

That evening, Cole sat beside Faye in the settee and watched Fiona play with the twins. "Have you decided on a name?" he asked her. "The papers are ready. We just need your name."

Faye turned to him, a smile slowly forming on her lips. "I like that my name starts with the same letter as Fiona. I think I'll keep it."

Cole nodded. "Faye is a very beautiful name."

"So is Fiona."

They both laughed when Fiona squealed, running after Ysabella.

"I'm told that you've been learning how to read and write."

"Yes, I have."

Cole smiled. "The school will provide you with more learnings," he promised. He turned to Faye to add, "You and Faye will have each other. And you will have us always. You are both special to us now. This shall be temporary. Someday, we hope to bring you home with us to Ashmore."

Faye looked away. "But I'm not special."

"Every child is, Faye," Cole said. "I had a sister, you know. So I know just how special young ladies such as you are."

"Where is this sister?"

"She's not with us any longer."

"What was her name?"

"Leah," he said. "She was smart and kind. And she liked to read a lot."

"Truly? I suppose you miss her a lot."

He cleared his throat and nodded. "I do. Very much."

***

After spending another week in Devonshire, Margaret and Cole left to return to Wickhurst where they had to deal with another difficult mission: their wedding.

A sleeping engagement.

It was how Lady Alice called it and that was how The Herald reported it.

It did cause quite a stir, but not as much as that of Levi's or Benedict's. Many agreed it was about time Margaret Everard married someone, and it was better that she be married to a man her brother trusted (that part did not quite sit well with Nicholas, Maxwell, and Ralph).

Others were curious as to how the engagement came about, or when or how the courtship started, which Lady Alice very nonchalantly explained away by saying Cole Devitt was friends with her sons (again, much to the chagrin of Nicholas, Maxwell, and Ralph). The Herald, of course, was able to gather more details and satisfied everyone's curiosity:

Cole Devitt had been a good friend of Benedict Everard since their years in Adam's. Devitt had been courting Margaret Everard since they met many years ago, but it was put on hold after the death of Harold Everard and Leah Devitt. Both families mourned the untimely deaths of their beloveds, the courtship taking a step back. It had only been recently that the two were reacquainted after Devitt's reinstatement in Wickhurst, giving Cole and Margaret yet another chance to fall in love all over again.

The wedding was in two days and every Everard had once more gathered in Wickhurst. While Margaret was busy being dragged around town for fittings, Cole stayed in his villa to prepare himself for yet another dinner with the Everards.

However, when Hugh informed him that Lady Victoria wished to be entertained, he was surprised. Since their time in Sheills, Cole had not had an opportunity to chat with Margaret's best friend.

By the look she gave him when he entered the parlor, Cole knew that Tori was still uncomfortable with the situation. And she had every right to be so.

"Lady Victoria. Good afternoon," he said with a bow.

Tori smiled but it did not reach her eyes. "Good evening, Cole. Please. We'll be family soon. You can call me Tori. You once did before."

Cole awkwardly looked around the room.

"I'm here because I wish to say a few things before the wedding and I hope the two of us can forget about it hereafter."

"Of course," he said, motioning for her to sit. Tea was served, but neither of them touched it.

"My friend did not deserve the misery you brought upon her years ago," Tori said, her eyes filled with worry. "I hope that you do not cause her pain again for I am only going to give you but this one chance to prove me wrong." She stopped to moisten her lips. "I was there when she was in her worst and trust me when I say I could never allow her to be in that dark, dark place ever again." Her eyes filled with unshed tears. "I truly wish the best for the both of you. I know you, too, have been through terrible years. And when things get a little difficult, always remember how you were without each other. Please remind her every day that you love her. I know you do. She is not one who will say it every day, but her love for you is timeless."

Cole smiled at Tori, nodding, grateful that Margaret had a friend like her. Thankful that someone had been there for her. "I try my best every day, Tori." He paused for a moment, hoping she could see in his eyes the love and devotion he had for her friend. "Thank you for being there for her. When I was not."

Victoria's nose flared before she burst into tears. "Oh, now you're making me cry!" the woman said. "Now, what would Levi think?" She laughed as she accepted the napkin from him. Face dry, eyes moist, Tori grinned at him. "I hope you don't suffer as much with the Everards. You know her brothers. You've been friends with them. They'll get over it."

It was his turn to laugh. "I've seen them all in their best and worst many years ago. I know how to deal with them."

"Good. Let them think they're winning. They like it. And don't say much. They hate it when you don't talk. They think all the terrible things when their enemies are silent. Agatha would agree. She practices it every now and then, she says."

They shared a laugh, both in-laws to the most challenging family in Wickhurst for once in connivance.

***

Margaret was continuously awed by her mother's great talents in preparing for a grand wedding. Like how Tori and Agatha were made to suffer, Margaret was whisked from one shop to another for fittings and others.

Her days were filled with so many activities for the wedding that she hardly had any time to think about the League or even Cole.

But a day prior to the grand event, Margaret had a caller while her mother went out with the twins for their fittings. The said caller refused to enter the Everard House. She was waiting inside her carriage, Jefferson said.

"You do not have to look like you would rather burn than stay one more minute in front of my home, my lady," Margaret said after she settled opposite Ida Devitt in her carriage.

The woman's ire could have slashed through the tiny space between them. "My son told me that if I cannot extend my felicitations, he would rather I do not attend the wedding."

"We can both agree that felicitations were given," Margaret said. "And you can, of course, choose not to attend." The woman's face flushed. "But I know that your love for your status will require you to do so."

"My son is making the biggest mistake of his life," Ida Devitt said, eyes locked on Margaret's.

Leaning over just enough to show the woman the small smile that curled the corner of her lips, Margaret said, "I am marrying your son and you shall have to accept it."

The same murderous look flashed across the woman's face as Margaret opened the carriage door. Ida Devitt grabbed her arm to stop her. Through her teeth, she said, "I am here to order you to not go through with the wedding." Margaret was quite ready to hear that so she simply blinked in defiance. "If you truly love my son, you will spare him of the grief he will surely have to suffer being married to you. Your very presence will remind him of our dear Leah and his hatred for your brother will consume you both."

Margaret drew a long breath before she spoke. "It seems, my lady, that the only person who is consumed of the past is you. Your son and I know what the past has caused us all. He and my brother shall settle their differences in time, if not now. But what your son and I have will never change." She forced a smile.

The woman's eyes widened with contained fury. "You are a despicable creature, Margaret Everard." Ida Devitt growled. "I will never honor anything you give to my son. I will never lay my eyes on your children and I do pray to God that you will never bear any for you do not deserve it after everything you've stolen from my family."

A sudden rush of cold, raw anger came over Margaret. She managed to come to her feet and walk up to the woman in a matter of seconds. "I know about you and Osmond Trilby," she coldly said under her breath. Her statement was rewarded with a look of sudden horror in Ida Devitt's eyes. "And as for Leah," she said, leaning closer to whisper, "I believe we both know—and so does your son—that there is an entirely different story there."

"Let go of my daughter, Lady Devitt," a cold voice said from outside the carriage.

Margaret and Ida Devitt snapped their heads. Lady Alice Everard was standing on the side of the road, looking sharply at Ida.

"That is not how you treat your future daughter-in-law now, is it?" Lady Alice asked through her tight smile.

Ida Devitt let go of Margaret's arm, face flushed.

"Are you coming in for tea, Ida?" Lady Alice asked. "I can bring out something bitter if you wish." And as the lady glared at her, Alice Everard stepped forward and under her breath, said, "With a drop of poison as gratitude for how you so gracefully treat my daughter." When Ida Devitt's eyes widened in horror, Alice blinked and widened her smile. "But, of course, if you promise to peacefully leave early, we also have milk and sugar."

Ida Devitt scoffed and flinched when Alice Everard shut the carriage door with a bang, a big smile, and a taste of that poison in her blue gaze.

Margaret scoffed at her mother in disbelief when Ida Devitt shouted for her coachman to drive away.

Alice Everard turned to walk up the doors. "Your sisters are still in the park. I'm afraid you will have to fetch them, dear. And oh, I want that woman's seat be far from mine during the wedding."

Margaret gaped after her mother, lost for words.

***

It was the day of the wedding and Lady Alice clutched her chest with a smile in front of Margaret.

"You look very stunning, my dear."

"Thank you," Margaret said, rushing toward her mother's embrace. "You know I love you, yes? For everything you have done for us all," She moved away a few inches to look into her mother's eyes. "For forgiving Cole."

Alice Everard's eyes welled with tears. "No, my dear, there was nothing to forgive him for. Yes, he hurt you and Benedict, but he had been hurting too. A mother should understand not only her child's pain but that of those of others as well." Pulling her closer, her mother planted a kiss on her forehead. "I would not take you away from him after years of waiting."

"I will miss you dearly," Margaret sobbed. "I will miss our quiet tea afternoons and—"

"Margaret Everard," her mother sternly said, "You are only marrying the man of your dreams today, not packing off to some faraway land. You will be living merely a few minutes away from the Everard House. We can have as many tea afternoons as we both wish. But do not make it too often. I can be busy most days."

Margaret tearfully laughed. "I wish Papa is here."

The tears finally escaped Alice Everard. "I would give anything to have your father walk you down the aisle, Margaret."

The pain clenched at her heart, and she knew she shared it with her mother. "Me, too. And if he was here, he would say we are both ruining the day by crying."

"He would definitely say so," Alice said, wiping her tears. "But fret not. He made certain your brothers will know their tasks."

Margaret groaned. "I'm honestly afraid."

Alice laughed and looked at her with longing and love in her eyes. "Never let him hurt you again, my dear. And never allow anything to come between you two. Love him like you have always did for years. Make him never regret the sacrifices he made. Heal each other's wounds. Make a great future together so the past will never once again become a part of your present."

She nodded, more tears streaming down her face. "I love you. Always."

"Always and forever, my dear. I love you forever and always." Her mother gently reached for her hand. "Are you ready?"

"For ten bloody long years."

"Oh, Lord, I'm starting to think he doesn't deserve you," Alice said with a laugh. "Never let him hear you say that. Nor your brothers."

***

Cole could say that there were very little people in the guests whom he could consider his friends. And there were certainly none that he considered family.

His mother did not show up with his aunt, which he expected after what Margaret told him last night during dinner. He received a missive from his aunt that morning, saying his mother was not quite feeling well and fit to attend the wedding. He knew that to be untrue. His mother had been healthy for years save for moments when she deemed it necessary to summon a faint.

"No one seems to be present to stand as the groomsman," Benedict's voice from behind.

"I was told by your mother I don't need one."

Benedict looked around the crowd with assessing eyes. "But the crowd will wonder."

"They can wonder all they want," Cole said, fixing his cuff.

"Nick," Benedict called over his shoulder.

"Oh, no, I'm not going to be his groomsman," Nicholas indignantly said.

"Call Levi, Max, and Ralph. The four of you will be the ushers," Benedict ordered, walking past Cole. "I will be the groomsman."

Startled, Cole started to protest. "You don't have—"

"This is my sister's wedding, Devitt," Benedict said. "She deserves a complete one."

Cole felt something inside his chest swell as he nodded and watched Benedict walk to the entrance of the church. He stopped beside Tori who was the first bridesmaid. Behind them the twins who were the second and third bridesmaids. Cole stood frozen but Maxwell pushed him to wryly say, "Go. She's here."

His feet hesitated but the mention of the bride reminded him why he was here—why he chose to be here.

He walked toward Benedict and the rest. He shared a quick look with the man, a gesture of gratitude, before he turned to face the altar at the end of the aisle.

The rest of the Everard brothers did their tasks and settled the guests with charming smiles. The vicar positioned himself behind the altar and motioned for everyone to stand. For a second, Cole was blank. He did not know how to proceed.

"Go," Benedict's voice said behind him. "Start walking."

And he walked. He knew every eye was staring at him. For a moment he wished Fiona was here to witness this. The child would have been enthusiastic. Her safety was important. He would tell her every detail of the wedding, he thought.

When he finally reached the end of the aisle, he watched the rest of the entourage split into two. Benedict gave him a nod, Tori a meaningful smile, the twins their cheeky grins, and then there she was walking with her mother, dressed in white and in all her splendor.

His nose flared at the sudden onslaught of emotions. His heart—for it definitely was his heart—swelled inside his chest as the woman he had sworn to marry many years ago marched down the aisle with a smile.

Memories of her talking to herself in the garden flashed in his mind. He would never regret that night he chose the flimsy excuse of offering her a dance lesson. Everything that proceeded that night came back to him with each take she took.

Margaret laughing at his jokes; the fear in her eyes when Benedict caught them in a tryst; her nervous laughter when they first came to his bedchamber; the many nights they spent in the woods; her tears when he proposed; her devotion to his every word. Everything returned in a rush of emotions—the wonderful, the tragic, and the second chance.

Cole blinked away the tears as Margaret walked closer, her steps light that she was almost floating like an angel coming down from the heavens to rescue his tattered soul.

Yes, he may not have a single family among the crowd, but the woman coming toward him was enough. In a few more steps she would be his. And he would be hers.

The woman who rode her horse in a nightgown ten years ago was now coming toward him in a beautiful white wedding dress adorned with jewels whose value could never match that of their owner. She was not here to stop a duel. She was here to claim the promise that had been deprived of them.

Lady Alice gave him a teary smile as she and her daughter stopped before him. She gave Margaret a kiss on the cheek before handing her daughter's hand to him. But Margaret froze, stopping before her hand touched his.

Cole's heart froze for a moment, a feeling of dread washing over him, seeing the hesitation in her face. She turned and looked behind her where her brothers were and walked away.

Cole watched as she came to Benedict to give him a hug and whispered something in his ear. Her brother smiled and nodded. She turned to Levi next, kissed him and the man cupped her face in a caress. Maxwell was next and he grumbled something under his breath before he kissed the top of Margaret's head. Nicholas gave a dramatic sigh as he planted a loud kiss on her cheek. Finally, Margaret turned to her youngest brother and gave the young man's head a quick ruffle. She chuckled with tears as she kissed him on the cheek and finally walked away to return to Cole.

She blew the twins a kiss and received a pair from them as she faced him.

"Now, I'm quite ready," she whispered to him, giving him her hand, eyes filled with unshed tears.

Cole felt a lump in his throat. With his free hand, he wiped her eyes dry. "It's finally time, my lady," was all he could whisper.