A Duke’s Blind Love – Extended Epilogue

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5 Years Later

“Papa, higher! Higher!”

Sebastian Wilmington, the Duke of Albany, chuckled as he lifted his three-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, into the air. Her golden curls bounced wildly as she squealed in delight, her little hands reaching for the sky.

“Any higher and you shall take flight, my little songbird,” he teased, spinning her once before settling her safely in his arms.

From a shaded bench beneath a grand oak tree, Clarissa laughed softly at the sight. The warmth of the late summer afternoon wrapped around them, golden sunlight filtering through the leaves and casting dappled patterns upon the lush green lawn of their country estate. She could hear Elizabeth’s laughter, as bright and musical as a melody, and the deep, rich timbre of Sebastian’s chuckles as he held their daughter close.

Nestled in Clarissa’s arms, their youngest, seven-month-old Thomas, gurgled contentedly, his tiny fingers grasping at the lace of his mother’s sleeve. She smiled down at him, running a gentle hand over his soft curls. He was a quieter child than his sister, but no less expressive—his big, curious eyes taking in everything around him.

“I daresay she is more fearless than I ever was,” Sebastian mused, sitting beside his wife and pressing a kiss to Thomas’s downy head. “Elizabeth will have me prematurely gray before she is five.”

Clarissa chuckled, leaning her head against his shoulder. “She takes after you, I think. Stubborn and full of adventure.”

Sebastian scoffed playfully. “Stubborn? Me?”

Elizabeth, still wriggling in her father’s hold, nodded sagely. “Yes, Papa. Mama is always right.”

Clarissa stifled a laugh, while Sebastian groaned in mock defeat. “I see I am outnumbered in my own household,” he lamented dramatically.

“Oh, you’ve always been outnumbered, my love,” Clarissa said, her fingers tracing gentle patterns over the back of his hand.

Their estate, once a place of solitude and brooding shadows, had become a sanctuary of warmth and light. Over the years, they had transformed it into a haven for musicians, scholars, and those with differences that society had once dismissed. It was not only a home but a refuge—where people could flourish, where they were not defined by their limitations but celebrated for their talents.

Today, a few visitors strolled across the grounds, engaged in lively discussions. The estate had become a destination of great renown, attracting the finest minds and kindest hearts. Where once Sebastian and Clarissa had been outsiders, they were now deeply woven into the fabric of the ton, their influence extending far beyond what they could have imagined.

Sebastian watched as one of their guests, a young blind violinist, conversed eagerly with a nobleman who had traveled from London to hear him play. These moments filled him with an immense sense of pride. What had once been a lonely, empty house was now brimming with life.

Clarissa seemed to read his thoughts, as she so often did. She turned her face toward him, her expression soft. “You have done so much, Sebastian. We both have. Look how far we have come.”

He squeezed her hand, his voice thick with emotion. “We have created something I never thought possible, Clarissa. A life I never dared to dream of. And it is all because of you.”

She smiled. “No, my love. It is because of us.”

Their children giggled, the summer breeze carried the gentle hum of conversation, and the world felt right.

For Sebastian and Clarissa, there was no more loneliness. Only love.

“Clarissa, you must save me.”

Clarissa turned at the sound of Patrick’s dramatic sigh, the Marquess of Pembroke flopping onto the nearby garden bench with an exaggerated air of exhaustion. Across from him, Arianne—now Lady Pembroke—rolled her eyes, her expression caught between amusement and exasperation.

“Save you from what, precisely?” Clarissa asked, smiling as she rocked Thomas gently in her arms.

Patrick let out another theatrical groan. “From your sister-in-law, of course. She has taken it upon herself to arrange every minute of our lives now that we are wed.”

Arianne scoffed. “Well, someone must keep you in line, husband. Left to your own devices, you would spend the entire day idling about or antagonizing poor Sebastian.”

At that, Sebastian, who had just approached with Elizabeth in tow, arched a brow. “Antagonizing? That is an interesting word choice. I would say ‘offering my invaluable company.’”

Patrick grinned. “Oh, Albany, admit it—you would be lost without me.”

Sebastian exhaled, shaking his head, but there was nothing but warmth in his expression. “I suppose congratulations are in order, though I am not sure if I ought to offer them to you, Patrick, or to my sister for finally managing to tame you.”

“I am quite un-tamable,” Patrick argued.

Arianne smirked. “We shall see.”

Clarissa laughed softly, delighted by the banter between them. It was remarkable to think how much had changed. Arianne, once hesitant to love again after her first husband’s passing, had found happiness once more with Patrick. George, now ten years old, had been overjoyed at gaining a stepfather, and from all accounts, Patrick had taken to the role with surprising dedication.

“I must say, Pembroke, you seem to be taking well to family life,” Sebastian observed.

Patrick leaned back on the bench, folding his arms behind his head. “It has its charms, I suppose. George keeps me on my toes, but I wouldn’t change a thing.”

Clarissa felt warmth spread through her chest. They had all found happiness in their own way. Even Isabella, who had just arrived alongside her father, Benjamin Weston, had a lightness about her that Clarissa had not seen before.

“Isabella!” Clarissa called, delighted. “What a surprise.”

Isabella hurried forward, beaming. “I had to come share the news in person.”

Sebastian, who had lifted Elizabeth onto his shoulders, eyed her curiously. “Good news, I hope?”

Isabella nodded. “Indeed. The shop has been such a success that my father has decided to open another in London. And… we have a new apprentice.”

Clarissa heard something in her tone, something unspoken but meaningful. She reached for Isabella’s hand. “An apprentice… or something more?”

A delicate blush crept onto Isabella’s cheeks. “His name is Theodore. He is… rather wonderful.”

Arianne gasped. “You are courting someone!”

Isabella laughed. “Not officially… yet. But soon, I hope.”

Patrick clapped his hands together. “Well, well, it seems romance is in the air. I wonder, Albany, how long before we must fend off suitors for Elizabeth?”

Sebastian shot him a glare. “Perish the thought.”

Clarissa chuckled, lacing her fingers with her husband’s. Life, it seemed, was full of joy and surprises. And she could not have asked for more.

The sun dipped lower on the horizon, casting a golden glow over the gardens of Albany Manor. The evening air was crisp but pleasant, carrying the scent of roses and lavender as Clarissa and Sebastian strolled hand in hand along the path that wound through the estate.

The laughter of their guests drifted from the terrace, where Arianne and Patrick were engaged in a lively debate with Lady Eleanor over the merits of modern pianoforte craftsmanship. Somewhere in the distance, George and Elizabeth were playing a game of tag with Isabella and Theodore, their joyful shouts ringing through the evening air.

Clarissa sighed contentedly, tilting her face toward the fading warmth of the sun. “It is a perfect evening,” she murmured.

Sebastian squeezed her hand, his voice full of quiet reverence. “It is perfect because you are here, my love.”

She smiled, turning toward him. Though she could not see him, she knew the expression on his face—the deep affection that softened his features, the gentle way his eyes crinkled at the corners when he looked at her.

“For so long,” he continued, his voice thoughtful, “I believed happiness was beyond my reach. That my place in the world was to remain apart, to be a man defined by my scars.” He exhaled, the weight of those memories passing with the breath. “But you changed everything, Clarissa. You saw beyond what I had become and reminded me of who I truly was.”

Clarissa’s heart swelled at his words. She reached up, tracing her fingers along the line of his jaw, feeling the roughness of his stubble beneath her touch. “I have never needed to see you to know your heart, Sebastian,” she whispered. “And it is the most beautiful thing I have ever known.”

He took her hand in his, pressing a tender kiss to her fingers. “I vow to love you every day of my life, Clarissa. No matter what comes.”

A playful breeze rustled the leaves above them, carrying the scent of earth and flowers. Clarissa smiled. “I do not need vows, my love. I know your heart as surely as I know my own.”

From the terrace, Elizabeth’s giggles rang out as she called, “Mama! Papa! Come play with us!”

Sebastian chuckled. “Duty calls.”

Clarissa laughed as he swept her up in his arms, carrying her toward the terrace where their family waited. She squealed in protest, but there was no real resistance—only love, only joy.

Their children, their friends, their home… everything they had built together was a testament to the strength of love, the resilience of hope.

Clarissa had once lived in a world of solitude, her music the only refuge from a society that had dismissed her. Sebastian had once hidden in the shadows, a man broken by loss.

Now, they stood in the light, together.

Theirs was a love that had defied expectation, that had overcome doubt and cruelty. And as they joined their family, their laughter mingling with the sounds of the evening, Clarissa knew with certainty:

They had found their forever.

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OFFER: A BRAND NEW SERIES AND 2 FREEBIES FOR YOU!

Grab my new series, "Whispers of Regency Love", and get 2 FREE novels as a gift! Have a look here!

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