Page 54 of The Good Girl's Guide to Rakes
Then the cab came to a stop on a familiar street.
“I know this place,” she exclaimed. She turned to Kieran, whose face was carefully neutral. “You’ve brought us to Ratcliff.”
His expression remained impassive, as if he was uncertain of her reaction. “So I have.”
“But... but why?” She peered out of the vehicle’s window to see the tenement where she and her family had once lived. It looked older, shabbier, smaller. Craning her neck, she could just make out the narrow windows that fronted the rooms in which she’d dwelled long ago. The flowerpots were gone, replaced by a line that held a row of minuscule shifts clearly meant for a child.
“You’ve been forbidden from coming here,” he said, and she swung back to look at him. He watchedher carefully. “From helping the people who live in this neighborhood. That’s what you want, isn’t it?” At her nod, he went on. “Now you can take the first steps.”
She stared at him, hardly able to believe what she heard. “I’m to set up a charitytoday?”
“Not precisely.” He looked at her levelly. “But you have a plan already, do you not? We can set it in motion now. You’re an exceptionally capable person,” he added, and she thought she detected a hint of pink in his cheeks.
Possibility and pleasure filled her, yet she had to say, “My father won’t be pleased.”
“We can leave right now, if that’s your wish. But,” he said, reaching across the cab to clasp her hands in his, “if this is something you truly want for yourself, and something you want for the people of Ratcliff, will you let him stand in your way? You’re doing everything else to please him, but this could be for you. We’ll make it happen.”
We, he’d said. Notyou, butwe.
She blinked back tears, her heart overflowing. “No one’s ever given me a gift such as this.”
“That’stheirfailing,” he said vehemently. “You deserve whatever you desire. Everything. Anything.”
Celeste was faintly aware of Dolly slipping out of the cab, yet her fullest attention was on Kieran. He continued to watch her carefully, as though he still wasn’t certain how she’d respond to what he’d done.
She flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and pulling him tightly to her as she pressed kisses to his face, his hair.
“I take it you’re pleased,” he laughed, his hands around her waist.
“It won’t be easy to manage,” she said between kisses. “There will have to be subterfuge where my father’s concerned.”
“Does that make you uneasy?”
“It does,” she admitted, “but, as you say, I’m already doing so much for Da. I cannot be expected to give up everything for the sake of his social climbing. He may be livid if he finds out, but I’m his daughter, and made of the same steel as he is. I was too afraid of what he thought to push back and fight for this. My time as Salome has shown me that I’m stronger than I’d ever believed.” Her mind had already begun to spin with plans and notions and all the necessary elements that would be required.
“Don’t forget,” he said, lips to hers, “I’m here, too. Wastrel scoundrel I may be, but I can make myself useful. Speaking of which,” he went on as he carefully set her back on her seat, “we ought to get out and get started.”
Once she and Kieran had reassembled themselves, he opened the vehicle door and helped her down. The cabman barely waited for them to reach the muddy pavement before driving on. She couldn’t quite blame a West End driver for hurrying away quickly from Ratcliff—he wouldn’t collect wealthy passengers here. But she barely spared the cab another thought as she stared at the building that had once been her home.
A woman with graying hair and a small child on her hip approached. “Celeste? Is that you?”
“It’s me, Susan,” she answered, smiling to see herformer neighbor. Waggling the child’s bare foot, she asked, “And who’s this?”
“Freddie, my grandson,” Susan said proudly. At the mention of his name, Freddie turned his face into his grandmother’s shoulder. Susan laughed, but then eyed Kieran cautiously.
“Delighted to meet you, Susan,” he said with a polite nod. “I’m Kieran, a friend of Celeste’s.”
“Sir,” Susan replied with her own nod. Looking at Celeste, she said, “Didn’t think you’d come back, not after that time years back.”
“I can’t stay away,” Celeste confessed. She could hear herself slipping back into her old accent. “Ratcliff’s always going to be a part of me.
“I have plans for Ratcliff,” she said to Susan, “on ways to make things better for the families here. Plans that involve learning to read.”
“Oh,” Susan said, brightening, “that would be wondrous. There’s many here who don’t know their letters. But how’s that going to happen?”
“I’ve got it worked out, but before I move forward, I want to talk to the people here and make certain it’s what they want for themselves. It’s much more important that the people these decisions affect have their own say in the matter.”
Susan brightened. “When it comes to opinions, I’ve more than my share. Come inside, and we can talk.” She climbed the steps leading into the tenement.
