Page 35 of Celestes Forever Marquess
Laughter escaped her, and he began to chuckle too. Celeste wrapped her arms around him. “You are. No more fighting or running. I promise.”
“Just talk to me. You and I together can get through anything.”
Celeste nodded. “I should have told you about my family sooner.”
Sadness flickered across his face, and she frowned. “What is wrong?”
Caleb took her hand and led her to a sofa. Her heart pounded. “You’re scaring me.”
“I confronted Burrows.”
Her eyes widened in alarm. “Why?”
“I couldn’t let him treat you that way.”
She was so grateful this man was hers. “Thank you, but it doesn’t matter. I want to move past it all.”
“Celeste, he thought you and your mother died in childbirth. He never knew you existed. The Dowager Lady Burrows, it seems, was the one who received all your letters. Burrows never saw them.”
Celeste shook her head, shocked. Her mother had said it all along; Burrows loved her. She stood and placed her hand on her waist, taking deep breaths. “He didn’t know about Devil’s Acre or the brothel?”
Caleb shook his head. “He didn’t know you existed. He thought you both passed away.”
She shook her head, and Caleb rose to comfort her, but she held her hand up. Her eyes were watery. “He didn’t turn his back on us?”
He took a step closer to her. “No. He wanted me to tell you that when you are ready, he would like to meet with you. Lady Burrows said you were always welcome.”
A sob escaped her and then another. Celeste couldn’t control them, and Caleb wrapped his arms around her before pulling them both down on the sofa. She sobbed and sobbed for so many things—her mother, the time lost with her father, and all she’d endured.
Caleb held her, whispering in her ear that he was there for her always. He didn’t try to calm her down or tell her thatit would be fine, but let her emotions flow. Finally, her tears subsided, and he stroked her hair.
She shook her head. “All this time, I thought he didn’t care at all. I can’t believe his mother did that.”
“Burrows is banishing her to the dowager house in the countryside. He also assured me that whatever she threatened you with wouldn’t happen.”
Celeste snuggled in closer to him. “The last year of my mother’s life in Devil’s Acre was difficult. She threatened to expose it to the papers.”
“Well, that threat is gone.”
She kissed him and then said, “Thank you for not giving up on us. For helping me understand what love is.”
“I will do that every day.”
He lifted her to her feet and stood. “Derry, Devons, and Diana are here. They wanted to give us time to talk, but I’m sure that they are going crazy.”
She smiled. “For the longest time, I thought I didn’t have a family, but I think I was wrong.”
He held out his hand. “You have this one, and you will have mine.”
Celeste smiled and took it.
Chapter 15
Caleb quietly opened the door to Celeste’s guest chamber. He, Celeste, the Devons, and the Derrys had enjoyed a festive dinner and drinks late into the night. He was tired, but there was no way; he could not go to her.
“I needed to see you,” he whispered.
She rose only in her nightgown. “Good.”
