“Ophelia?” Emma echoed, incredulity clear in her tone.
He nodded. “Hear me out. Jonathan could marry Ophelia, giving her the protection of his name. In turn, it would grant Opheliathe freedom to be with Massimo discreetly, just as Jonathan could remain tied to Brigitte in his heart, if not in name.”
Her jaw dropped slightly as realization dawned. “You… you arranged all of this?”
“Not without consultation,” Evan clarified. “I spoke to both Jonathan and Ophelia about the prospect, and neither dismissed the idea. Jonathan, I believe, is keen on the idea. He truly cares for Brigitte. And as for Ophelia, she sees this as the most reasonable path for her to find happiness with Massimo without her reputation—or the family’s—falling into disrepair. Of course, we will have to create a little scandal – after all Ophelia is meant to marry the Duke of Stearns. We will have to spread rumors about her and Jonathan first, so it is believable.”
Emma regarded him, her expression unreadable. Then, slowly, her features softened. “You did this,” she said, her voice tinged with wonder, “for them? For their happiness?”
“Of course I did,” he replied without hesitation. “I have seen too much suffering in this life—people forced apart by circumstance, denied their chance at joy because of the rules of society.” He smiled ruefully. “Perhaps it is not much. Perhaps it is but a small rebellion against the injustices we all endure. But if I can help those dear to me find happiness… I will.”
Emma’s throat tightened, her heart swelling. She leaned closer to him, and for the first time in what felt like an eternity, she smiled. A real, unguarded smile that warmed him to his core.
“You are a remarkable man, Evan,” she murmured. “And I… I am glad that circumstances brought us together, though they were not always kind.”
He laughed lightly, the sound soft but sincere. “You make it sound as though I were swept up in fortune’s winds rather than my own flaws.”
Emma shook her head. “No. It is clear to me now that everything that happened—all of it—was leading us here. To this moment.”
His breath hitched, and he took her hands again, clasping them firmly. “And I shall treasure this moment until my dying breath.”
Emma stood on her toes, her lips brushing his in a kiss sweet yet charged with all the emotion neither could put into words. It was a promise, a beginning.
When they finally broke apart, Emma regarded him, her cheeks flushed, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “So,” she said teasingly, “when does this great scheme of yours come to fruition?”
Evan chuckled, relief and contentment blooming in his chest. “Soon,” he said simply. “But first, we need to get you back on your feet. For you, my dear, are an integral part not just of my plan but of my life. If you wish it.”
“I do, Evan. I do. I love you and I cannot wait to spend my life with you out in the open, and without secrets.”
And for the first time, they stood as equals—not divided by secrets or misunderstandings, but united by the love that had grown, fragile at first, then steadfast. Their story was just beginning, but they both knew, without a doubt, that it would be extraordinary.
EPILOGUE
Three months had passed, and Emma sat comfortably in the orphanage’s small library, surrounded by a dozen eager young faces. The children, seated in a semicircle around her, looked at her with wide, expectant eyes. The room was warm, and Emma could not help but smile at the sight before her.
“Are you ready for the rest of the story?” she asked, her voice as gentle as a breeze.
“Yes, Your Grace!” the children chorused eagerly, their excitement palpable.
Emma opened the little leather-bound book into which she’d carefully transcribed her story and began the tale she had shared with them over several weeks. Today, they would hear the end of The Silent Duke, and she could feel the children’s anticipation thick in the air.
She cleared her throat and read aloud:
“The Silent Duke opened his mouth for the first time in years. 'Mary,' he said, his voice low and hoarse, 'I have waited for you. But I cannot ask you to wait for me any longer. Come with me.'
Her heart swelled with hope, and she stepped forward, her hand outstretched to him. 'I have always waited for you,' she whispered. 'But I did not know that you would ever ask.'
In that moment, the Duke knew that his silence, his isolation, had come to an end. He had found the one person who could truly understand him, the one person who could see through the walls he had built around himself. They were no longer two separate beings living in the shadows; they were one. And from that day forward, they walked side by side, through the village and beyond, with hearts full of hope and love.
And so, the Silent Duke found his voice—and in doing so, he found the woman who would love him, not for his title, but for who he truly was. Together, they built a life of happiness, free from the constraints of the world, with nothing but each other to hold onto. They lived, as they always should have, in silence no more.”
Emma closed the book slowly, the children's clapping filling the room. Their joy was contagious, and she smiled at the gleaming faces that surrounded her.
“Thank you, Your Grace!” Clara, a young girl of no more than ten, said as she bounced up from her seat and rushed to Emma’s side. “I love the Silent Duke!”
“I’m glad you liked it, Clara,” Emma said with a gentle laugh, ruffling the girl’s hair. “It’s a reminder, isn’t it? That sometimes, it takes someone special to help us find our true selves.”
“Yes!” Jamie, a boy near the back, called out eagerly. “And sometimes it takes a long time to find them!”
