Darkest Hour: Epilogue

Epilogue: Two years later1

The sun had long since set, but the sky still held its remains, salmon pink and orange mixing with the night.2

The carriage bounced and rumbled down the road and Catherine felt each bump despite the cushioned seat. She felt like she was one bump away from falling out the carriage.3

Nathan and Neil were in the carriage sitting across from her. Neil stared out the window While Nathan stared— where else?— at her.4

His yellow-eyed stare hadn’t deviated from hers for the whole trip. It was probably his way of telling her that he wasn’t happy that Neil was with them. He’d finally conceded and allowed Neil to stay with them only a few months earlier.5

She thought she had an inkling of what Nathan had felt during the first two years she was with him. She’d never been so aware of someone being so alive before. When it was just her and Nathan there was silence but Neil’s body was filled with so many gurgles and thumps and the whoosh of that all important air passing in and out of his lungs. It was fascinating and she wondered why she had never noticed it in herself.6

“ I don’t think this is a good idea.” Neil said, staring out of the carriage window. Nathan looked away from her for the first time since the trip. “You’re only saying that because you didn’t think of it.7

She sighed. Nathan hadn’t thought of it either. Not that it made much of a difference they always found something to bicker about. If one thought it was a bit warm the other would invariably remark on how chilly the weather was getting.8

The sigh lifted the veil before her face slightly before it settled back down, lightly touching her nose and cheeks. She was dressed in widows’ black which because of the war a lot of young women were beginning to wear. But hers was to hide her face more than to show er mourning.9

The carriage slowed to a halt.10

“Do you want me to go with you?” They both asked her at the same time. Catherine didn’t answer them, instead taking the driver’s hand as he helped her down. She accepted her carpetbag from him with a smile. “I’ll be fine.” She told them the smile still in place. “They won’t even know it’s me and I’ll be gone before dawn.”11

Nathan gave her a grave look. “A lot can happen between now and then.”12

She turned away determined to remain optimistic. The house— she no longer thought of it as hers— stood before her. It hardly looked any different from her memories. She wanted inside of it to be as she remembered also but she knew it wouldn’t be. She began walking up the path to the house.13

The carriage hadn’t driven off yet, they probably thought she was going to change her mind, which made her even more determined to go forward.14

She stopped at the front door. She could hear the murmur of voices behind it. She raised her fist.15

And knocked.16