“Of course you will be. And you well deserve it. You should have thought of that, Nicholas, before you chose to act as you did,” Celeste said with a frown. “Sometimes you have to be the one to take on responsibility for your actions. It is not always someone else’s fault.”
“I shall try to be more like you, Saint Celeste,” he said, and she colored at their bickering in front of Oliver.
“I never said that, Nich—”
But before she could finish, he was climbing the stairs to the carriage that had just pulled up.
“I’m going to my clubs, Celeste. I am sure your lover will be happy to escort you home.”
“Nicholas!” she cried out, in anger, embarrassment, and a bit of distress at the fact that he was leaving her alone with Oliver, when she had no idea how he was going to react to the situation or what she should say to him.
“He’s right,” came a low voice in her ear, and she turned to Oliver, who was still holding her arm.
“Nicholas is right?”
“Well, in one regard,” Oliver said with a chuckle. “I will provide you with a ride home. Hopefully no one will be overly scandalized.”
She nodded stiffly.
“Thank you. I do appreciate it.”
“We have one stop to make first.”
She looked at him quizzically, but couldn’t read anything from the ghost of a smile on his lips.
He helped her up into his phaeton, sitting down next to her with the top open.
“Is this not… a bit brazen, perhaps?” she asked, looking out around her, wondering about all of the people who might see them together.
“I’m not worried,” was all he said as he flicked the reins and began to steer the horses himself.
“Oliver, I am so sorry about all that happened with my brother,” she began, unsure of how to put into words all she was feeling but thinking perhaps this was the best starting point. “I never meant for any of this to happen, never had any idea that he would go to such lengths. I feel a fool for allowing him to use me like that, to steal from you and go as far as to present your idea as his. I think you should claim the discovery of the planet without me. I was working for you, so it makes sense anyway.”
He stole a look away from the road and directed his attention at her, but she couldn’t catch anything in his gaze.
“You were as much a part of the discovery as I was, Celeste,” he said. “We will share in it. I’ve been working on the presentation of our findings, and there is only one thing left to do — to name it.”
Warmth began to bloom through her chest at his insistence that she share in the discovery. If he was willing to do such a thing for her, did it mean that maybe — just maybe — he would forgive her?
“Well,” she finally managed. “As long as we don’t name it anything as ridiculous as George’s Star.”
He laughed. “At least there is no new sovereign. The truth is, whatever we decide, it will probably be renamed for some political purpose, but we should try, anyway.”
“Agreed,” she said, before looking up shyly. “I always liked the idea of naming the planets after Greek gods. I wish they hadn’t gone away from it.”
“Who knows,” he said with a shrug. “Maybe one day they’ll rename George’s Star as well.”
“Maybe,” she said, though she somewhat doubted it. “Where are we going?” she asked when they turned into Cheapside.
“The market,” he said, and she peered at him, waiting for him to expand on his answer, but he only grinned at her mischievously.
He pulled his phaeton to a stop, helping her down amidst the bustle of the marketplace. It had been some time since Celeste had been to Cheapside, but she always found it fascinating — all of the people and their wares. She didn’t think there was much that could not be found in Cheapside. It was where her father had worked, long ago, before he had moved his operations to Bond Street.
Oliver took her hand, not her arm, sending waves of heat coursing through her when he intertwined their fingers.
“The good news,” he called to her over the cacophony of noise around them, “is that no one here should be scandalized by the two of us being alone together.”
She tilted her head, smiling at him, though in question at where this energy had come from. He seemed excited, and she yearned to find out just why.
“Come,” he said, “this way,” and led her over to a corner of the market. The first thing she saw was the basket of puppies at front of the vendor’s stall. Then she heard a bark behind her, and turned to find Perseus running toward her. She stooped and picked him up before looking around in bemusement at where he had come from as he licked her face.
Then she saw Sophia — with Woodward — peering at her from a few stalls away, wearing smiles on their faces.
“Oliver?” she turned to him, her eyes wide.
“Come,” he said, nodding toward the stall. “You and Perseus must choose one.”
“Another puppy?”
“Yes,” he said, his face serious now. “Perseus needs his Andromeda.”
Tears sprung into her eyes at the thought.
“He has seemed rather lonely,” she said, and Oliver nodded.
“He has probably come to realize that sometimes one needs a partner… and what better partner than the love of his life?”
Celeste swallowed hard as she drowned in the depths of Oliver’s eyes, which were now as full of love as her own heart. How did he always know the right words to say, to put into words everything that she felt deep within her?
She would have gone to him, so much did she desire his arms around her, but Perseus was squirming in her arms, and jumped right out of them in his haste to get to the basket.
He ran up to it, placing his nose nearly through it in his bid to get inside.
One of the puppies, a little black and white thing, eagerly sniffed him from the other side of the wicker.
“I think he’s found her,” Celeste said, her words nearly a whisper, as she picked up the puppy and placed the two of them together.
In but moments, they were rolling around excitedly with one another, and Celeste looked up at Oliver with a smile.
“I think he’s found her.”
“They do seem to belong together, don’t they?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said, nodding sagely. “They truly do.”
“Then who are we to keep them apart?”
25
Oliver stared down at Celeste, her green eyes shining like emeralds up at him as the two puppies rolled around at their feet.
He took a moment to pay the man for the pup, and he then nodded over at Woodward, pointing to the puppies to ensure that someone was looking after them, for he didn’t think he could focus on anything at the moment but Celeste.
He took her hands in his, noting the moisture leaking from her eyes as she looked up at him.
“You have apologized to me time and again,” he began, unsure of exactly what he wanted to say, only knowing that he needed to say it. “But the truth is, Celeste, you never had anything to apologize for. You were trying to be there for your brother, and your worst offense was that you wanted to look through my telescope.”
He laughed inwardly at his words — he was beginning to sound like her — but continued. “Anyway, I should have believed you from the start. I knew, deep in my heart, that you could never have done such a thing to me, and yet I allowed my anger to overcome everything else. I was angry, yes, but I was also ashamed at all that occurred with Venetia and the secrets I kept from you — and from her. She may not have been particularly loyal herself, but that doesn’t mean it was right to be planning my future with you while still tied to her.”
He looked down at their intertwined hands.
“The truth is, Celeste, I don’t see any future for me except one with you. It has taken some time for me to admit it, but my life is not whole without you. I need you to send me off orbit once in a while, to shake things up and make me smile an
d know that there is more to life than just my work.”
He took a step closer to her, feeling many eyes upon them, but no longer did he care.
“So, Celeste, will you have me? Will you be my own Andromeda, and spend our many journeys around the sun together?”
Celeste’s lips were parted, trembling, which he could only take to be a good thing.
“I-I would love nothing more,” she finally managed, wiping away a tear, and at that, he picked her up, swinging her around in the middle of the Cheapside market, before crushing his lips upon hers, sealing their promise to one another of all that was to come.
He could hear hooting and hollering taking place around them, but he didn’t particularly care. All that mattered was that he had the woman he loved in his arms, and he didn’t plan on releasing her anytime soon.
“What do you say we go elsewhere?” he asked, breaking from the kiss for a moment and murmuring against her lips.
“I think that is a wonderful idea,” she said, smiling.
Oliver began to rethink his decision to drive his phaeton today, for not only did he have to concentrate on driving himself, but all the world could see the two of them, which was not exactly conducive to romance. Nor were two puppies who were trying to wrestle while sitting upon Celeste’s lap.
“They certainly are happy little things,” she said with a laugh, managing to keep a hold of Andromeda, despite the fact the puppy was trying to jump out of the carriage.
“That they are,” he agreed, checking that she had the dogs under control. “What do you say I go have a conversation with your father?”
“I would say the sooner we can be married, the better,” she said with a smile, turning to look at him but then quickly letting out a yelp as one of the dogs nearly evaded her grasp. Oliver had to reach out and catch her hand to keep her from toppling over the side as she caught the puppy.
“Thank goodness you don’t live far,” he managed, and she laughed as he shook his head, though inwardly he knew he wouldn’t want it any other way.
The dogs jumped out of the carriage before Oliver could even hold out his hand for Celeste, and they chased after them into the house. The butler jumped back as he opened the door to them, and they could hear shouts from within as they entered.
“Celeste!” Oliver could hear Mrs. Keswick shout from the back of the house. “You did get another! You know, I wasn’t completely serious when I suggested it. I was merely pointing out—oh,” she said as she appeared in the corridor and saw that Celeste wasn’t alone. “Lord Essex. This is a surprise.”
“Lovely to see you again, Mrs. Keswick,” he said, taking her hand and bowing low over it, placing a kiss upon her knuckles. “I must ask, is your husband within?”
“Why, yes,” she said, stealing a meaningful look over at Celeste before returning her attention to Oliver. “He is in his study.”
“Very good,” he said, before the butler led him in. Oliver winked at Celeste as he walked by her, causing her cheeks to turn the perfect shade of pink.
The conversation with Mr. Keswick was relatively simple — once he explained the fact that he was no longer betrothed. The man was a bit perturbed by his request for a wedding as soon as possible, but was in agreement — as long as it was fine with Celeste.
Which it was.
Now came the most difficult part of it all — the wait.
The wedding was everything Celeste could have asked for and more. Her best friends stood up for her as bridesmaids, and she had never felt more graceful than in the beautiful satin gown that had been hastily created for her within the three short weeks.
Between attempting to finish their work in order to submit it to the Astronomical Society, preparing for the wedding, and keeping track of two unruly pups, the weeks had gone by in what seemed to be no time at all and the day arrived before she even knew it.
Fortunately, her mother and Oliver’s had seen to most of the preparations, while she and Oliver had finished their work with a few days to spare. Celeste had never been prouder of anything in her entire life, and she could only hope that they would prove to be the first to have made the discovery.
“It’s interesting,” John Herschel had mused upon their submission. “Many have come close to finding this. From my own research over the past few weeks, I now even wonder if perhaps Galileo himself didn’t see this planet two hundred years ago. He had notes that suggest he did, but he didn’t know what he was looking at. Sometimes, I suppose, it takes two brilliant minds coming together to determine what couldn’t be seen alone.”
He was right. Together, they could accomplish much more than they ever could on their own.
There had been one incident which nearly ruined the day, but at the end of it, Celeste realized it couldn’t have been more perfect.
Just as they had been leaving the church, she had seen a dark, glossy head turn her way, and she had nearly missed a step.
Venetia — what was she doing here? At her wedding to Oliver? They locked eyes for a moment, and Venetia gave her a slight nod, as though to say all was forgiven, and yet still Celeste wondered — until her brother caught up to her just outside the church.
“Celeste… Oliver — I can call you Oliver now, can’t I?”
Oliver had shot him a look but then finally relented, holding out a hand, which her brother took in a firm handshake, sending relief coursing through Celeste. Nicholas had been an ass of the very worst sort, yet he was still her brother, and they couldn’t spend the rest of their lives with such animosity between them.
“Listen…” Nicholas scratched his head. “I should have told you earlier, but I brought someone to the wedding. You see, Lady Venetia and I… well… I’ve been courting her.”
His breath came out in a whoosh as he looked back and forth between the two of them.
“Oh!” Celeste exclaimed. “I… see. Well…” She looked over at Oliver, who had raised his eyebrows, but shrugged as though it didn’t much matter. “Congratulations, I suppose.”
“Thank you, Celeste,” he said with relief. “I wasn’t sure how to tell you.”
“Well, before the wedding would have been better,” she said with a small shrug, “but it’s too late for that now.”
Thankfully, Nicholas had enough sense not to bring Venetia to the wedding breakfast, although Celeste wondered what it would be like in the days to come if Venetia ever did become part of their family. Perhaps if Venetia and Nicholas focused their attentions on each other instead of elsewhere, all would be fine.
Besides, from the look on Oliver’s face, she didn’t have much to worry about in terms of where his attention lay. His expression remained all through the wedding breakfast. He seemed somewhat… unsatisfied, she thought, though she couldn’t understand why that would be.
“Oliver,” she whispered in his ear as she leaned in next to him, “is everything all right?”
“What do you mean?”
“The look you’ve been wearing all day. It seems almost as though you are… in pain.”
“I am,” he said, his face tightening.
“Why?” she asked, worried now. “What’s wrong?”
“The anticipation of what is to come is nearly too much to bear,” he murmured, for her ears alone.
“What is to come? I’m not sure what you mean—oh…” She suddenly understood his meaning as a flush flooded through her. “I see.”
After that, she had a difficult time speaking to anyone, for all she could see was Oliver. He continued to stare at her, in what she now realized was a hungry look. Hungry for her. She swallowed hard. She was nervous, that was for certain, but a thrill of excitement also coursed through her.
Still, Oliver was ever the gentlemen, hosting their guests amiably until they could politely take their leave.
“Thank goodness your parents were our hosts,” he said as he hauled her into the carriage.
“Why do you say that?”
“So that we could leave as soon as we were r
eady.”
No sooner had the carriage door shut behind them, then Oliver had scooped her up in his arms, placing her on his lap as he took her lips with his. He had stolen more than a few kisses since he had asked for her hand, but never like this. Now his lips practically possessed her, his tongue tangling with her in a promise of more.
“Oliver,” she said, leaning back as her breath came in quick pants. “We aren’t going to do … this… here, are we?”
“No,” he said, running his hands over her hair, down her back, to grasp her hips. “We don’t have enough time, and there are far too many layers to this dress.”
Despite his practical reasoning, however, he didn’t stop his search for places where he could dip her dress low enough, or work his hands through the satin fabric to touch her in ways that made her nearly leap off his lap. By the time they reached his home — their home — she almost couldn’t think straight.
“Fortunately, Alice and my mother remained at your parents’ residence to help put everything back to rights,” he said with a wicked grin. “Which means we have the house to ourselves.”
“Oh,” she said. “That is… good?”
“That is very good.”
He wasn’t completely correct on that point, for Woodward greeted them at the door with a hearty hello.
“Congratulations, my lord, my lady,” he said with a nod, and Oliver shook his hand.
“Your turn next week, Woodward,” he said, winking at him, which apparently surprised the butler.
“I am looking forward to it with much anticipation, my lord,” he said, causing Celeste to smile. She had been thrilled when Sophia and Woodward had, themselves, decided to marry. She knew the two of them would be happy together of course, and it also meant that her maid was eager to follow her to her new home.
“Sophia is awaiting you upstairs in your bedchamber, my lady,” he said, as though addressing her thoughts, but just as Celeste was about to thank him, Oliver shook his head.
“She won’t be needed today, Woodward,” he said, just as the puppies came racing down the stairs, barking excitedly in greeting. “But thank you all the same.”
Discovering the Baron (The Bluestocking Scandals Book 3) Page 17