Page 102 of The Good Girl's Guide to Rakes
“It’s ours to explore, you know.” She snuggled closer, the fit of her body to his perfect in every way. “That world belongs to us, the day and the night. We never have to adhere to anyone’s definitions of who we are, or who we ought to be. We’re simplyus. In all our imperfect, searching, wonderful beauty. So long as we see each other as we truly are, we need nothing more.”
“I don’t know how I existed before you,” he said, voice thick, “but now that you’re mine, and I’m yours, all I want is to take the next step.”
She smiled up at him, infinite love in her eyes. Love, and acceptance.
“And the step after that,” she said, rising up for another kiss, “and the one after that. Our road is endless, my love. We’ll travel it together.”
Epilogue
Two months later
“Do you think we’ll have enough?” Celeste asked Susan, surveying the books piled on every available surface. She leased an empty room in the Ratcliff tenement strictly for the storage of teaching materials, and the chamber was stuffed full of hornbooks, chalk, paper, quills, and an abundance of books.
“Believe so, miss,” Susan answered. She handed a child’s primer to her grandson, who toddled it over to a stack of similar texts. “Between Her Grace, your father, Lady Ashford, and the other patrons you’ve gathered, we aren’t wanting for more books. Besides,” Susan added wryly, “there ain’t room to accommodate more.”
“My fatherdoesown several warehouses nearby,” Celeste pointed out as she piled up more books in anticipation of the first lessons. Nervous anticipation gathered in a ball in her stomach. Tutors hadbeen hired, and in two days free schooling for whoever in Ratcliff desired it would begin.
“Let’s start with what we’ve got,” Susan advised warmly. “You’ve already done so much, miss.”
“Do you think anyone will come?” Celeste asked anxiously.
“I know they will. Half the families in Ratcliff have pledged to bring their children, and there’s more than a few adults who mean to learn their letters, too. Including me,” Susan said with shy pride.
Celeste wove around the books to give the other woman’s arm a squeeze. “You’ll do splendidly. And I’ll be here, cheering you on.”
“Be sure to bring that handsome fiancé of yours, too,” Susan suggested with a wink. Then she added thoughtfully, “Though, he might prove a distraction. Lord knows he turnsyourhead whenever he’s around.”
“Untrue.” Kieran stood in the doorway, and his smile flashed—which never failed to make Celeste’s heart race. “I’ve been standing here a full minute and my bride-to-be hasn’t noticed. I shall be forced to retreat into manly brooding.”
“Yet you look so gorgeous and Romantic when you do.” Celeste crossed the room and went straight into Kieran’s waiting arms. He clasped her to him as though he’d been waiting a lifetime to hold her, even though he’d seen her hours earlier. “I’d hate to deny all of us the pleasure.”
“Minx,” he chided her affectionately. He tipped up her chin and pressed his lips to hers. Though they were in public, the kiss was deep enough to steal her breath.
“Once you’re done ravishing Miss Kilburn before my very eyes,” Susan said with humor, “I hope you’re taking her home for some supper. She’s been working all day and needs a rest.”
“Is this true?” Kieran asked, his assessing gaze moving over Celeste’s face. “Youdolook tired.”
“Nothing a bit of time with my intended cannot alleviate,” she answered honestly. Every moment with Kieran invigorated her, including now, when she was indeed weary from hours sorting teaching materials.
“Then I shall take you home posthaste,” Kieran said with a grin, “and let you bask in the revivifying remedy that is me.”
“Go on, the pair of you,” Susan said and laughed. “I’ll see you in two days, Miss Kilburn.”
Hand in hand, Celeste and Kieran made their way to the ground floor, and then out onto the street. She was met with salutations and many people expressed their eagerness for the tutoring to begin. Kieran was greeted with familiarity, too, since he’d been providing tireless assistance with the literacy program and was now well-known in Ratcliff.
Her pride in him couldn’t be surpassed.
As they made their way down the narrow street, he asked her, “Are youveryweary? There’s something I’d like to do before we go back to Hans Town.”
“I’m never too tired for you,” she said with a smile.
“This way, then.” His own smile was warm and intimate as he led her southward, until they reached the river. The water was thick and dark, and gave off a dank smell, especially in the heat of high summer, but she knew this view and this place too wellto be disappointed that it wasn’t particularly picturesque. With Kieran beside her, every view was beautiful.
“It’s not my intention to steal glory from your project,” Kieran said once they stood on the wharf. “But... I thought you might like to see this.” With a shy smile, he pulled something from his coat pocket and handed it to her.
“Your book,” she exhaled in wonderment. She opened the slim, leather-bound volume to its title page, and there in elegant copperplate print it readVerse, Songs, and Dreams: Poems by Kieran Nicholas Ransome.
“Oh, this is wonderful,” she exclaimed, touching her gloved hand to the paper. Seeing his name printed there, for all the world to see, was a marvel. “How you amaze me.”
