“Did he ever repair his relationship with his brother or parents?”
Caleb shook his head. “No, and now I’m the marquess, inheriting it from the uncle who wouldn’t find me worthy if he were alive.”
Celeste placed a hand on his. “He was a fool.”
A sigh escaped the rugged man standing before her. “Enough melancholy. Tell me more about how we can be friends.”
She laughed. “Friends and only friends.”
“Go for a walk with me tomorrow afternoon. I will protect you from the birds.”
“Caleb—”
He shook his head. “You already agreed that we could be friends. If anything else requires more time, I’m fine with that.”
Celeste rolled her eyes. “Fine. We need to get back inside.”
Nodding, he held the door open for her. The moment they entered, the ladies swarmed the new marquess. He would be the talk of London this Season. She was happy he shared his story about his family with her. A frown marred her face. Unfortunately, her parents’ story didn’t have the ending Caleb’s did.
She shuddered, her mind flashing back to her mother’s last year alive, living in squalor in Devil’s Acre. Pain sliced her heart as she thought about the difficult choices her mother made to make sure they had something to eat and a roof over their heads. She closed her eyes as if to shut away the memories. Why was she thinking about all of this? Celeste did her best not to think about her past. She needed to return to London. No, she wasn’t running from Caleb.Liar, her mind mocked.
Chapter 4
The next day, Caleb entered the breakfast room. Derry and Devons were the only two there. Last night’s ball had gone very late. He imagined most of the guests were still asleep.
“I tried to get her to stay, but she was adamant she had to see to something at the club,” Devons muttered to Derry.
“She works too much,” Derry said, frowning.
Disappointment flared in Caleb, suspecting they were speaking about Celeste Hathaway.
He went to the sideboard and selected something to eat before joining them.
Devons grinned at him. “Are you enjoying your new life as a titled gentleman? Your brother told us last night that you spend most of your time out west in America.”
Caleb sat and laughed. “Yes, my brother is quite amused that I ended up with this title out of all of us. He certainly would have been more suited. Our other brother, Cory, and I visit New York City only once a year. While there, most consider us barely civilized, especially compared to Cordell.”
Derry chuckled. “This Season shall be quite interesting.”
He frowned. “Honestly, if I could skip all the festivities, I would. The countryside suits me more. But I promised my mother I would try to integrate into London society.”
A snort escaped his host. “Mothers can be pushy. I’m sure she also hopes you will find a bride.”
A bark of laughter escaped him. “I suppose all mothers are the same.”
“They aren’t happy until we are wed,” Devons agreed.
Caleb’s mind flashed to Celeste. Was she truly gone? “Were you speaking of Miss Hathaway when I entered?”
The men glanced at each other, frowning, and then turned back to him. Devons said, “Yes, Celeste is a close family friend. She is our partner in our gentlemen’s club, the Den. She returned to London to deal with an issue there.”
“Why do you ask?” Derry asked.
Their friendliness seemed to disappear. Caleb could change the subject, but decided against it. He wanted to see Celeste again. “I enjoyed speaking with her. I want to call on her.”
Derry’s frown deepened. “Outside of hosting at our club, she doesn’t bother with peers.”
Annoyance flared in him that this man was brushing him off. He didn’t give a damn what Derry said. He would spend time with her again. An amused expression filled Devons’ face. “Don’t mind, Derry. We are just protective of our partner. She, unfortunately, won’t be returning for the rest of the week.”
