Some Years Later

The sun rose over the red brick of the Ravenshire Academy for Young Women. It shone on the school’s motto: Facta, Non Verba (Deeds, not Words).

Serena had chosen words that were more universal, instead of focusing on the feminine strength of the school. Just like the name, she would rather have her school perform well and show what they could do than announce the performance. 

Inside, there was the usual orderly chaos of wooden chairs scraping against the floor, wool skirts rustling from corridors to rooms, and the breathless whispers of the thirty young women fortunate enough to be there. 

“Hurry. I do not want to miss Ancient History,” one girl murmured, hugging her textbooks to her chest. 

“I know. I am trying my best to rush, but Mother bought me this dress, and I think it is too long,” the other one complained. “I would like to be settled for Philosophy.”

“To argue?” the first girl asked. 

“Of course.”

Serena watched everything with amusement. She loved how these girls were there to pursue further knowledge, and not the art of pouring tea, or walking from one corner of the room to the next, or dancing with the tightest corsets on. But there were still things these girls could not contend with – their mothers.

Miss Beckett was there to share the fulfillment of their dream. Her former governess walked down the staircase, wearing a dark plum dress. She carried the quiet authority of a headmistress, and not the woman in the past who cowered in front of people she was smarter than. 

“Good day, Your Grace,” she said, with a gentle smile.

“Good day to you, Miss Beckett. The school is certainly flourishing! It gladdens my heart,” Serena said with a smile. 

The first few years were difficult for the academy. While they had the generous finances and support of reputable members of the ton, they still met some opposition and criticism. Mothers and fathers feared that their girls being part of the academy would make them lose opportunities to marry well. The first eight brave girls who finished at the academy had proven them wrong. 

And now, people wanted to see what the fuss was about. Intelligent girls from prominent families no longer felt displaced. They realized that their desire to learn was not unnatural, as some would lead them to believe. 

“I will see you later, Your Grace,” Miss Beckett said, as she was swept away by a few girls who wanted her help.

Serena sighed happily, seeing her dream unfold every day in the establishment. Then, she felt like someone was watching her. When Serena turned, she could not help but smile.

Julian stood there. He rarely visited the academy, but he provided the foundation on which it stood, through his title, funds, and protection. He had never once told her to rethink her plans and decisions. His unwavering trust had her continue even after the rough start. 

“Everything looks much better than you described, my darling,” he murmured, his eyes twinkling with pride.

“It was real when it was built. But now, it is thriving! It feels like it is now real.”

“It was always real,” he said gently, cradling her cheek with his palm. “You simply had to build it so that the rest of the world could see.”

From the lawn, Serena could hear the sound of familiar laughter. When she saw who Julian had brought along, she could not help but laugh. There was six-year-old Samuel, the very likeness of his father, and four-year-old Justine, a softer version of her mother, but no less fierce. Augusta and Hugh followed with their little ones, all close in age, so much so that Julian teasingly called them Hugh’s collection. Augusta’s dream had also come true. She had found a man who knew how to listen. 

By the long tables in a gazebo, where the girls could gather for discussions or to eat, the three younger Ravenshire brothers sat. All three of them were no longer the rowdy boys they used to be, but young men of honor and decency. Their mother sat near them, as her eyes watched the running children proudly.

Beside her were Lord and Lady Vale, who had become softer after the incident with Lord Harrow. They did not push Louisa to notice random gentlemen, for which both sisters were grateful. Louisa had managed a love match like her sister, and they came with their only child so far. 

Of course, the whole scene could not be complete without the frenzied Argus and Biscuit, both greying but still best friends. They dozed under the table near the children, who were, as always, their favorite people. 

In the midst of the lawn, Elias Warren stood alone, but not lonely. He nodded at the Duke and Duchess of Ravenshire, as he enjoyed his life as a free man. 

Serena and Julian approached all those who were celebrating the “true” opening of the academy, with thirty pupils instead of eight during their first attempt. As they grew closer, they heard Augusta say, “Someone in town asked me whatever had become of the Earl of Harrow?”

“When did the person ask you that?” Hugh asked, frowning.

“Last week,” his wife replied. 

“He was ruined and disgraced,” Julian answered. “Because his crimes were all laid bare, he ended his days abroad in poverty, locked forever out of the world he schemed so hard to enter, and unmourned.”

Everyone was somber for a moment. They had been hurt by Harrow, but they did not want him to suffer such a sad end. 

Later, the children called, and they knew what it meant. There would be a special assembly for all the new pupils of the academy. The girls had begun to gather by the archway where the motto was inscribed. They looked up at her, knowing that she had made everything possible. 

“Your pupils are waiting for you to say something, my love,” Julian whispered. 

Serena blinked back happy tears. She looked at everyone who had come to witness the special day. She had achieved the life she had never planned, and she would never trade it for anything in the world.

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