My Blind Duke Bonus Epilogue

Bonus Epilogue

Ten Years Later

“I wish I could see her.”

Prudence gave her husband’s hand a gentle squeeze, smiling up at him.

“Do you trust me?” she asked softly, leaning closer and using her free hand to brush a stray strand of hair back into place.

“With my life,” William said without hesitation.

“Then believe me when I say she looks wonderful. She is, in every sense of the word, the belle of the ball.”

The grand ballroom of Pemberly glittered under the warm glow of a thousand candles, reflecting in the polished surfaces and the shimmering silks of the assembled guests. 

Tonight was Melanie’s debut, a momentous occasion that had filled the household with a mixture of excitement and a particular brand of paternal anxiety that seemed to cling to William like a second skin.

Prudence stood slightly apart from the throng, her gaze fixed on their daughter. Melanie, now a young woman of eighteen, moved through the ballroom with an effortless grace that stole Prudence’s breath away. Their son, Maximus, had thrown quite the tantrum when he was informed that the event would be taking place during his bed time. 

“But I wanted to walk around with Melanie,” he had complained, clinging to his sister.

“Perhaps at some other event,” Prudence had tried to soothe him gently.

It had taken Melanie’s sweet reassurance to convince her brother all would be well.

“Do not worry, Max. I am sure it will be very dull and I will tell you all about it in the morning. We can walk around at any other event,” she held her pinkie up between them. “I promise.”

It did not surprise Prudence at all to see that had worked, as Maximus had always loved his sister, adoring her since he was a baby. Prudence and William had been so thrilled by his birth.

Their boy had her soft brown hair that shone like honey in the sun, and he had gotten his bright blue eyes from his father. Seeing her children grow so close, so healthily had filled her with no small relief after all that had happened in the past.

But that was the past. Clementina and Henrietta were still serving their prison sentences, far away from Prudence and her family, who had been left to enjoy the rest of their days in blissful happiness.

Prudence felt a swell of pride in her chest, a quiet awe at the exceptional young lady Melanie had become – intelligent, kind-hearted, and possessing a spirit that shone as brightly as the diamonds adorning her neck.

Beside her, William stood ramrod straight, his hand now resting protectively on the small of Prudence’s back. But while Prudence was lost in admiration, William was a portrait of barely concealed distress. His brow was furrowed, his jaw tight, and his ears seemed to twitch with every approaching footstep. Though his sight remained lost to him, his other senses were heightened, and he seemed acutely aware of every admiring glance, every hushed compliment directed toward his daughter.

“She looks so incredibly radiant,” Prudence murmured additionally, turning to William with a loving smile.

William sighed heavily, his hand tightening on her back. “Radiant and utterly vulnerable,” he muttered under his breath. “Every callow man with their eyes on her… it is enough to make a man barricade the doors. I wish Montclair had not been too busy to attend tonight. I know he would have aided me in fending off these louts.”

Prudence chuckled softly. “William, she is a debutante. Young men will approach her. It is the nature of these events.”

“Intentions less than pure, Prudence,” William grumbled, his voice laced with paternal protectiveness. “That is what they have. They see my precious flower, and all they think of is… is…” He trailed off, unable to articulate his fatherly anxieties.

Throughout the evening, William’s overprotective instincts were on full display. He hovered near Melanie, his presence a subtle but effective deterrent to any suitor who lingered too long. He managed to interject himself into numerous conversations, steering Melanie away from particularly persistent young men with a series of invented urgent errands or by claiming her for the next dance before anyone else could.

Melanie, though loving and understanding of her father’s anxieties, eventually reached her limit. After William had rather abruptly pulled her away from a charming young marquess who had been regaling her with tales of his travels, she sought out Prudence, a hint of exasperation in her beautiful eyes.

“Mama,” she said, her voice soft so as not to be overheard, “I love Papa dearly, but he is treating me as if I am still eight years old. Every time a gentleman tries to speak with me, Papa appears as if summoned by magic and whisks me away. I shall never find a suitor if he continues like this!”

Prudence listened with a sympathetic smile. She understood William’s protective nature, born from his deep love for Melanie, but she also knew their daughter needed the space to navigate this new chapter of her life.

Taking Melanie’s hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze, Prudence promised.

“Leave him to me, I will sort it out.”

Melanie beamed and pressed a kiss on Prudence’s cheek.

“Thank you, Mama. You are so incredibly wonderful.”

“As are you,” Prudence giggled before shooing her away with a wave of her hand.

She then turned her attention to her husband, who was currently engaged in a rather intense conversation with a bewildered-looking Viscount. With a mischievous glint in her eyes, Prudence approached William, slipping her arm through his.

“William, darling,” she said, her voice deliberately seductive, “Would you spare me a moment of your time? There is something I desperately need to discuss with you. It simply cannot wait.”

William turned, his furrowed brow softening slightly at the sound of her voice. “Of course, my love. What is it?”

Without waiting for a reply, Prudence gently but firmly steered him away from the ballroom and toward a quieter corridor. As they walked, she leaned in close, her lips brushing against his ear. 

“It seems our daughter is feeling a tad… overwhelmed by your attention,” she whispered, her tone playful but firm. “Perhaps we could find a more private location to… redirect some of that protective energy?”

A slow smile spread across William’s face, the tension in his shoulders easing. He chuckled softly, understanding dawning in his blue eyes. “Ah, I see what you intend, my clever wife.”

He allowed Prudence to lead him into a secluded drawing room, closing the door firmly behind them. The sounds of the bustling ballroom faded away, replaced by a sudden, intimate silence. Prudence turned to face him, her eyes sparkling with affection and a hint of playful challenge.

“Melanie is a young woman now, William,” she said softly, her hands reaching up to cup his face. “She needs to explore these new experiences, even if it fills a father’s heart with dread. But perhaps… perhaps we could find a way to ease that dread – if only to distract you for a moment?”

William’s hands found her waist, pulling her close. “And how would you propose we do that, my irresistible wife?” he murmured, his voice dropping to a husky whisper.

Prudence’s smile widened. “I have a few ideas,” she purred, leaning in to capture his lips in a lingering, passionate kiss that quickly chased away any lingering thoughts of anxious fatherhood. The debutante ball could wait. For now, there were more pressing matters that required their undivided attention, matters of the heart and the enduring flame of their love.

The End.