AllFreeNovel
Share Us
His eyes poured down into hers, reaching to her heart.
‘I would have begged you, implored you,’ he said softly, ‘to love me as I love you, as I always will love you, for your heart alone.’
He kissed her softly and cherishingly.
She looked up at him, not daring to believe. ‘I saw the revulsion in your eyes.’ Her voice was low, and shaken. ‘I saw it when you told me about Madeline. When I told you about myself.’
He looked down at her. ‘Do you see it now?’ he asked. ‘Do you see anything but love, Celeste?’ He shook his head. ‘You will never see it. Never see anything but love for all our days. What you did,’ he said, ‘took courage I doubt many could find, and I have for you, my most precious Celeste, only the deepest respect. I told you once, when I was condemning Madeline, that I would never condemn any woman who was driven into prostitution by desperation. Do you think you were different? Do you think you did it for any other reason than to give to your mother her dying wish?’ His gaze poured into hers. ‘What you did, you did as an act of love,’ he said.
He did not wait for her to answer. Waited only to see the darkness in her eyes finally start to clear. Letting back in the light of life. Of love.
Then, and only then, did he sweep her into his arms and hold her close, so very close, against his heart. Where he would keep her for ever.
She was weeping now, he could tell. Her thin body shuddered as he wrapped her against him. He let her weep, holding her safe in his arms. And when she was done and she lifted her head, her cheeks stained with tears, her eyes clinging to his just as her body clung to his, he looked down at her.
‘Shall we go now?’ he said, his voice still soft, still cherishing. ‘Shall we go together, as we shall be from now on—where we belong, with each other?’
He smoothed her hair, kissed her again, then loosed his arms and simply took her hand. He bent to pick up her handbag and gave it to her. Then he walked with her to the door and picked up her suitcase.
She looked at him, her heart beating...soaring... Soaring like a bird towards the heavens... Leaving the past behind—for ever, this time...
‘Where?’ she breathed.
Her eyes were wide—wide with hoping, with finally daring to believe. To believe everything he was telling her.
‘Into our future,’ he told her.
