"Have you thought of an ending?"
"Yes, several, and all are dark and unpleasant."
"Oh, that won't do! Books ought to have good endings. How would this do: and they all settled down and lived together happily ever after?"
"It will do well, if it ever came to that."
"Ah! And where will they live? That's what I often wonder." J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

----

Epilogue

November 1817

"Can I open my eyes yet?" Cressie asked impatiently.

"No," Jem said emphatically, and for the sixteenth time that minute.

"What if I ask you really nicely, and conclude my request by calling you my sweet husband?" Cressie begged, her hands still obliging him by covering her eyes.

Jem chuckled. Though, he did not think he would ever tire of being called Cressie's husband. "Not even then."

Cressie huffed. "Annoying husband."

"Husband all the same." Jem grinned, and despite Cressie's eyes being covered, he could see a tug at the corner of her rosy lips.

It wouldn't be much longer that he would be torturing Cressie with the suspense of their honeymoon location. They had been travelling for several days to the West Country, only Cressie didn't know that. Their honeymoon journey was a wedding gift from Adam and Grace, brought upon by Jem's idea for a perfect surprise for Cressie.

The wedding, itself, was a small affair. It would have happened sooner had Cecily not arranged for Belle to design and make Cressie's wedding gown ... for the second time. Belle had worked as quickly as her nimble fingers would allow, and once the banns were read and the dress was finished, Jem and Cressie were married by the Ashwood Parish vicar. By that time, Cressie's figure appeared a little fuller to those who were not the wiser.

Once they were returned to Ashwood, Cressie and Jem were separated, which neither one of them particularly enjoyed. But all was worth it by the time the wedding finally arrived and Jem got to see his bride finally floating down the aisle towards him.

It was hard in that moment of pure joy not to briefly recall the last time he had seen Cressie in a wedding gown. The ache of his shattered heart could still be recalled keenly when he pictured Cressie walking out of the London church five years earlier on the arm of another. Every trial had brought them here, finally. And while Jem would have wished that their road to their marriage had been easier, he knew that both he and Cressie were stronger, more compassionate people for it.

"I've lost count of the number of days we have been travelling." Cressie slumped beside him, the fabric of her dress settling atop her rounded stomach. He was glad that her eyes were closed. He couldn't help but stare at it with a giddy look on his face. "I wonder if Zara has reached Suffolk yet."

Zara had left for her grandparents' home in Suffolk shortly after the wedding, the same as she had been summoned back there shortly after arriving in Ashwood. The Delaneys' solicitor had been running about the country in the aftermath of Everett Delaney's death. The shock of their son's demise had brought on a heart episode, and the elder Mr Delaney had died a short time later. The elder Mrs Delaney had become quite indisposed, and rather neglected Zara despite wanting her home. The heir to the Delaney estate had been located in the last several weeks as a very distant cousin by the name of George Delaney. The young man was educated and free thinking, by all reports, and gave Zara permission to attend Jem and Cressie's wedding despite the observed mourning period. Upon speaking with Zara, Cressie determined that Zara was quite sweet on him.

"I'm certain you'll have a letter waiting for you when we return home telling you all about her new sweetheart."

"I could have given her the address here, or wherever we are going, if only you weren't so secretive, annoying husband," Cressie snapped comically. "Do you know what, I think that carriages ought to be pulled by stallions so that we may get places faster."

Jem laughed. He could not wait to see Cressie's face when he finally allowed her to open her eyes. "I don't know how horses like Dabney would do pulling carriages. There are such things as carriage horses for a reason. Dabney is not a carriage horse."

"Dabney would certainly get us there more quickly."

"Dabney's content in getting Alex around his farm quickly. Be patient. Maybe Dabney will take a shine to Alex's mare, Argent. There could be foals in his future." Jem pressed a kiss onto the top of Cressie's head, just as he felt her shiver.

"I can't thank you enough for that, you know," she said then in a more serious tone. "You weren't going to leave anyone behind, were you?"

"No," murmured Jem. And that's all there was to say.

Jem looked out the window at the beautiful landscape. He was marvelled himself at the beauty of the West Country, as he had never seen this before. They weren't quite at their destination yet, but Jem couldn't deny Cressie this view. Oh, he hoped this wouldn't spoil the surprise. Jem banged on the roof of the carriage to get the driver to stop, and Cressie jumped with fright.

"What's happening?" she cried. "Can I look?"

"No! Not yet. In a moment."

Jem could hear the driver settling the horses as the carriage came to a stop, and a footman jumped down to open the carriage for him.

"Is everything alright, Mr Denham?" he asked.

"Yes, yes," Jem assured him. "Mrs Denham," he would never tire of hearing that either, "would like to stretch her legs."

"Very good, sir." The door was opened for them properly, and Jem immediately climbed out.

He could not wipe the smile off of his face as he took in the breathtaking view. Cressie had to see this. He turned back to the carriage and guided Cressie with his voice, taking one of her hands while she used the other to cover her eyes. Jem didn't risk having her descend down the steps blindly. The minute she was at the door of the carriage, he took her by the waist and lifted her down onto the ground.

"That smell ... what is it?" Cressie gasped. "And I can hear ..."

Jem beamed as he went behind Cressie and wrapped his arms around her waist, settling his hands on her stomach as he guided her forwards towards the grassy path. "What can you hear?" he whispered in her ear. "Have you heard it before?" Perhaps in a dream ... or in a conch shell.

"It isn't, is it?" Cressie's excitement was bubbling within her.

"Open your eyes."

Cressie's eyes fluttered open, and they immediately widened with amazement as she took in the vast blue landscape before them. Nestled in a cove, thickly dotted with mature trees, was an ocean so perfect it might have been painted. The cove protected the beach from the world, and it was completely clean and untouched, save for the small waves breaking on the pebbled shore.

"Oh!" Cressie cried, covering her mouth with her hands in shock. "It's ... it's ... the sea!"

Jem had never been happier than in that exact moment, and it was hard to believe that his previous happiest moment had happened only days earlier at their wedding. But this, this look on Cressie's face was everything. Jem was watching her dream come true, and he'd had the power to grant it.

"You're giving me the ocean!" Cressie's voice became suddenly very thick. She looked up at him with large, glassy brown eyes.

"You've given me everything. It was the least I could do." He leaned down to softly kiss her trembling lips.

Cressie pulled on Jem's collar so that she might kiss him again, and she did swiftly, before she seized his hand. "We are swimming right this minute!" she exclaimed.

Jem chuckled. "It's November!" he retorted. "It's freezing."

"I don't care!" Cressie declared. "I have waited me entire life to do this." She looked past Jem to their driver and footman, and called out, "Turn around, please!"

As they did, Cressie began to pull at her buttons, rather than unfastening them, with wicked determination. Within the space of a minute, Cressie was dressed only in her silk chemise, and did not seem to feel the chill of the wind off the ocean at all.

"Are you coming?" she challenged, her brows raising. She turned her back on him as she took off towards the water, but Jem wasn't going to let her get far without him.

Jem ran after her, leaving pieces of his clothing in a trail behind him as he followed Cressie to the edge of the sea. He joined her at her side just as a small wave broke and cascaded over the pebbles. The freezing foam then washed over their toes and Cressie shrieked with delight. She then seized Jem's hand, and before he knew it, he was dragged into the icy water.

They both simultaneously lost their footing on the slippery stones of the seabed and cried with shock and excitement as they were suddenly soaked up to their necks with the cold sea water. But Jem did not care at all. The water was liberating, and the look on Cressie's face was worth every bit of discomfort. They found their footing moments later and stood up, their undergarments having been rendered completely transparent.

Cressie's chemise was plastered to her swollen belly, and Jem couldn't help but marvel at her. Would he ever again see a sight so beautiful? He would endeavour to. Happy Cressie was stunning, and he was determined to make her happy for the rest of his life.

----

The End!!!

We're finally here, at the end. Oh, I am so happy I FINALLY got to write this for Cressie and Jem, after everything their evil writer put them through ... hehehe

This was the ending I'd always planned for them, I wanted to final scene to be of Cressie pregnant in the water, happy, and with Jem after everything that had happened to them. Ugh, I'm so glad we're finally here. This scene is what pushed me through the drama, cause you know I feel the sadness too :P But I had this so perfectly visualised in my head, I'm like, "I've got to get them to the beach, Cressie has to see the ocean!"

I'm so cheesy I can't help it hahahaha

But anyway, I hope you enjoyed this roller coaster of a journey. I'll allow you to temporarily unbuckle, stretch your legs, maybe get a snack, before you jump right back on for Perrie and - oop, nearly said his name hehehe

The first chapter of "A Fiery Dalliance" will be posted tomorrow as my Christmas gift to you xx

But thank you for all your amazing support on this book. It'll never cease to amaze me that so many of you come here to my little corner of the internet to read something written by me, ME!?! It's wild. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Vote and comment xxx

Please see below an updated family tree as at November 1817 (remembering that five years passed in this book and a couple more kids have been born that haven't been featured heavily in this story, but wait for the future ones!).

Peregrine John Clarence Edmund Beresford (1751 - December 26, 1806)
Cecily Margaret Beresford (nee Simpson) (1761 - )
Adam Peregrine John Beresford (1781 - )
John Anthony Edward "Jack"  Beresford (1783 - )
Susanna Augusta Theodosia Euphemia  Beresford (1787 - )

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Edward John Denham (1760 - 1801)
Ellen Grace Denham (nee Pearce) (1760 - )
Grace Elizabeth Denham (1783 - )
Catherine Ellen "Kate" Denham (1785 - )
Claire Frances Denham (1789 - )
Peter Edward Denham (1791 - )
Jeremy Charles "Jem" Denham (1794 - )

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Adam Peregrine John Beresford (1781 - )
Grace Elizabeth Beresford (nee Denham) (1783 - )
Peregrine Edwardia "Perrie" Beresford (1807 - )
Cecily Ellen "Lily" Beresford (1810 - )
Charles Adam "Charlie" Beresford (1812 - )
Alice Grace Beresford (1814 - )

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Jack Edward Anthony Beresford (1783 - )
Claire Frances Beresford (nee Denham) (1789 - )
Jacqueline Beatrice "Jackie" Beresford (1810 - )
Maria Frances Beresford (1811 - )

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Alexander Archambeau "Alex" Whitfield (1783 - )
Susanna Augusta Theodosia Euphemia Whitfield (nee Beresford) (1787 - )
Henry Alexander Whitfield (1812 - )
George Archambeau Whitfield (1813 - )
Amelie Susanna "Amy" Whitfield (1815 - )

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James Percival "Jim" Ellis (1780 - )
Catherine Ellen "Kate" Ellis (née Denham) (1785 - )
James Edward Ellis (1809 - )

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Peter Edward Denham (1791 - )
Belle Denham (née Desjardins) (1792-)
Eloise Armande Denham (1812 -)
William François Denham (1814 - )
Edward Pierre Denham (1816 - )

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Jeremy Charles "Jem" Denham (1794 - )
Cressida Anne "Cressie" Denham (née Martin) (1795 - )