Epilogue: Daphne's Story Comes Full Circle
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
Six months after the events of the wedding, the epilogue follows four characters as they build new lives.
Daphne now works for Princess Louise at Versailles as Director of Media Relations, though her role has grown into something far larger: she manages a sweeping public-relations campaign to win French and Russian approval for Louise's marriage to Alexei. She video-chats with Ethan, who is taking summer premed classes at King's College in London, and they tentatively plan a visit to Paris. Daphne reflects on her past—her canceled wedding to Jefferson, her mother's ambition, and the manipulative persona she once wore. She is saving her salary for tuition at the Sorbonne and lives in rooms that once belonged to Madame de Pompadour, a detail Louise chose with a sense of humor. Daphne also learns that Gabriella's family plane was seized by the FBI; Gabriella has since taken up with Prince Juan Carlos of Spain and gained millions of social-media followers. Daphne tells Ethan she is proud of her work and that she no longer has to hide her intelligence.
Nina is at Oxford, working as a research assistant for Dr. Lytton, her tutorial professor. She is building a scholarly argument comparing Les liaisons dangereuses to Jane Austen's Lady Susan. She and Daphne have become unlikely friends, meeting in London and texting regularly; they plan a weekend trip to Provence. Jeff arrives unannounced in Oxford, apologizes for how he treated her, declares that he has loved her since childhood, and asks to start over. Nina admits she is still seeing Jamie, though they are taking things slowly. She agrees to get coffee with Jeff, noting that in Oxford, for once, they are on equal footing.
Samantha attends Beatrice's coronation with Marshall. She has been accepted to Stanford, is taking prelaw classes, and has been volunteering for a district judge. Her public image has shifted from being mocked as