THE JOURNEY HOME
by Clio

Epilogue

In October of 1799 Acting Lieutenant Archibald Kennedy sat for his
lieutenant's examination and passed with flying colors. He served an
additional two years aboard the Indefatigable before accepting a posting
aboard HMS Victory.

That same month Edward Kennedy died in the private sanitarium of
complications from pneumonia.

On the last day of that year Major Lord Henry Edrington and Lady Sarah
Elliot were married in a quiet ceremony in the village church in
Eddingstone. Among the guests were Archie and Annie Kennedy, and Robert
and Emma Chamberlain. The best man was Lieutenant The Honorable William
Edrington, who had obtained leave and arrived home from his posting in
Flanders in time to witness his brother's wedding.

Seven months later that same church hosted a double wedding as Archie
Kennedy and Emma Chamberlain and Annie Kennedy and William Edrington were
wed. Lord Edrington served as best man for both Archie and his brother,
as well as giving away both brides. The wedding feast was held at
Edrington Manor, and is still the most talked about event in the
district.

Archie and Emma Kennedy had a long and eminently happy life together.
They had a total of eight children, five of whom survived infancy.
Lieutenant Kennedy fought at Trafalgar and was wounded in that
engagement. He resigned his commission shortly afterward and retired to
Rosefield to manage the estate. In 1812 he was elected to Parliament
where he served with distinction. In 1814 he was knighted for his
service to the crown, and a year later raised to the nobility as a
baronet.

Annie and William Edrington were happy for the time they had together,
which wasn't long. In 1803 Annie died giving birth to twin daughters.
The girls, named Sarah and Emma after their aunts, grew up at Edrington
Manor in the care of their Aunt Sarah. William Edrington continued to
serve in the army, and rose to the rank of major. He was killed at the
Battle of Quatre Bras in June of 1815.

Lord Edrington was promoted to Lt. Colonel early in 1800 and posted with
his younger brother to Flanders. He would eventually become a Brigadier
General and fight across Portugal and Spain and to Waterloo under the
command of Sir Arthur Wellesley, later Duke of Wellington. Along the way
he would meet a maverick officer from the 95th Rifles named Richard
Sharpe, but that is a whole other story. Lady Sarah Edrington traveled
on campaigns with her husband when she was able, but she mostly stayed in
England and managed the vast estates of the earldom. She raised four
children of her own in addition to her twin nieces.

As for Lieutenant Horatio Hornblower, Edrington's predictions about him
came true. When he married for the first time it was out of a misplaced
sense of duty and obligation, but he did eventually fall in love so
completely and passionately that he hardly knew what hit him. Even so,
he always loved the navy more than any woman. But those stories are well
known to all the readers.