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The door of Lord Burrows’ townhouse swung open, and Caleb stalked in. “Please let Lord Burrows know the Marquess of Haven is here to see him.”

Burrows stuck his head out of his drawing room, frowning. “I’m in here with my wife, Haven. Please join us.”

Part of him hesitated, wondering if they should have this conversation alone, but then he decided against it. Lady Burrows should know what he had done. Burrows frowned at him. “Is something amiss? Please sit.”

Lady Burrows stared at him. He suspected she sensed something was very wrong. Caleb remained standing, and his gaze went back to Burrows. “Do you know Miss Hathaway?”

The older lord frowned. “Only that she is part-owner in the gentlemen’s club, the Den, and what you mentioned in confidence to me while we were at the club.”

Fury flared in him that Burrows pretended that he didn’t know Celeste. “You don’t know her any other way? How about regarding your relationship with Anna Hartly?”

The color drained from both of the Burrows’ faces. Burrows quietly asked, “How do you know that name?”

Caleb glared at the man. “That is Celeste’s mother’s name.”

The man staggered backwards as if Caleb had struck him, but he hadn’t. Burrows, still dazed, said, “I can’t believe it.”

He turned to his wife. “I thought all this time she’d perished.”

Tears welled in his eyes. Lady Burrows went to him and squeezed his hands. “This is a good thing.”

Caleb looked at them in confusion. Lady Burrows asked, “Are you saying Celeste Hathaway is my husband’s daughter?”

He nodded, and Burrows shook his head. “She’s been right here all this time. I’ve been to her club.”

Annoyance surged in him. “She wrote you countless times.”

The Burrows shook their heads. Lady Burrows said, “We’ve never received any letters.”

How could that be? Caleb didn’t understand what was going on. Devons and Derry said Celeste had sent him multiple letters, but Burrows was acting as if he didn’t know she existed. “You are saying you weren’t aware that Celeste Hathaway was your daughter?”

Burrows continued to sit there in shock, but Lady Burrows said, “Excuse my husband’s silence, but he grieved Anna Hartly and their child’s death for many years. We thought she and the child had passed away during childbirth.”

“My mother sent me away to the Continent, hoping to snap me out of it, but it still took me years. Lady Burrows helped me move on.”

The couple entwined their fingers together, and Burrows shook his head, finally finding his voice. “I don’t understand. I was told she didn’t survive.”

“Who told you that?” Caleb asked.

Burrows flew to his feet and left the room. Lady Burrows said, “Did you say that she wrote to my husband?”

He nodded. “More than once. There was a point when they were in a dire situation, and he never responded.”

Lady Burrows placed her hand on her chest, outraged. “Lord Burrows would have helped.”

Burrows returned with his mother, who had her usual pinched expression on her face. “Lord Haven just informed me that Anna Hartly’s child survived.”

The Dowager Lady Burrows shrugged. “I must have been misinformed.”

“She is my child!” Burrows thundered; his face turning red with rage.

“Calm down, Thomas,” Lady Burrows said to her husband.

He took a deep breath and asked, “Did you know about the letters she sent?”

The woman's coldness didn’t fade. “I told the staff to give them to me. You didn’t need to deal with some by-blow begging for help.”

“His daughter was living in squalor in Devil’s Acre,” Caleb snapped. He didn’t share the rest of it. There was already so much guilt and regret etched on Burrows' face. There would be time for that later.

“She is your granddaughter,” Burrows snapped.

Anger flashed in her eyes. “She is most certainly not.”

“I loved Anna, and you made me believe that she died.”

“You were young and foolish. You found a proper wife eventually,” his mother said coldly.

Lady Burrows' eyes flashed. “Thomas was a mess when I met him. You almost destroyed your son.”

Burrows scowled at his mother. “You will go to the dowager house in the country and not return unless I say otherwise.”

His mother pressed her lips together, displeased, but didn’t say anything else. She spun on her heels and stiffly walked out of the room. Burrows sat and placed his head in his hands. “How did I not know?”

Lady Burrows wrapped her arm around him. “Thomas, you were so young and na?ve.”

“Devil’s Acre is a horrible place to be in.”

The pain on the man’s face convinced Caleb there was no deception on Burrows’ part. His mother had manipulated him. Burrows asked, “Where is she?”

“Let me speak with her first,” Caleb said. “We were on the cusp of becoming betrothed, and then your mother met with her.”

Lady Burrows gasped. “My mother-in-law was angry that your interest in Eloise seemed to wane. I remember her mentioning something about Miss Hathaway from your ball.”

Burrows wiped at tears. “Please tell Miss Hathaway that whatever threats my mother made will not happen.”

Caleb nodded. “Is there anything you would like me to tell her?”

Lady Burrows squeezed her husband’s hand. Burrows said, “Can you tell her I would like to get to know her? Please let her know I wouldn’t have ever abandoned her had I known.”

He nodded. “I can’t promise you anything, but I will tell her.”

Caleb rose, but Burrows remained seated, devastated. His wife walked with him to the foyer. “Please tell Miss Hathaway she is welcome here.”

He was surprised at how much Lady Burrows knew about Celeste’s mother and how much she seemed open to her being in Burrows’ life.

As if reading his mind, she smiled softly.

“When my husband and I met, he was still heartbroken over Anna Hartly. He didn’t hide that.

Our love grew over time. I can’t explain how much of a shock this is or how much I think he would want her to be part of our family. ”

“Thank you, Lady Burrows, and I’m sorry I barged in here so angry.”

She smiled softly. “You were protecting her. An apology isn’t necessary.”

He nodded and thanked her before departing.

If he took the train in the next hour, he could make it to Derry Hall today.

He was going to see the woman he loved. Caleb shook his head at all the heartache the Dowager Lady Burrows had caused.

He hated the judgment of the elite, and it infuriated him that hers had ruined so many lives.

He hoped knowing the truth would bring comfort to Celeste.

Regardless, he would be there to support her forever.

***

Celeste walked into the grand hall of the Derry Estate and stumbled to a stop. Caleb stood by the hearth, staring into the flames. A muffled cry escaped her, and his head jerked up. Their eyes connected.

“What are you doing here?”

He made his way to her, and her heart hammered. Caleb frowned at her. “Did you think I would let you go? I love you, Celeste. I don’t say those words lightly. In all honesty, I’ve never said them to anyone outside my family.”

She bit her lip, resisting the urge to throw her arms around him. Instead, she said, “Caleb, this is for the best.”

He grabbed her hand and kissed her palm. “How could giving up the woman I want as my wife be for the best?”

Celeste pressed her lips together, trying not to give in and beg him to stay. She wanted him so much and forever.

“Devons told me about Devil’s Acre. I don’t care.”

“Lord Burrows’ mother said she would make sure the newspapers were aware. Your family would be gossiped about because of my life.”

He grasped her chin. “A life you survived and then went on to make something of yourself. There is no shame in that.”

This American lord was so different and still didn’t understand the way of London society. “The gossipers will be awful and cruel.”

“I don’t care. My family has vowed to support us. I love you, that is all that matters.”

Celeste placed her hand on his chest and said softly, “Caleb, be reasonable.”

He smirked at her. “No.”

She stared at him, unsure of what to say or do. He brushed his lips over hers. “Here is the most important question. Do you love me, Celeste?”

She shouldn’t. Celeste should go back to her life at the Den and forget this man, but she couldn’t say the words. Instead, she said, “Yes.”

“I love you, too, and that is all that matters. I will court you this Season, and it is my goal to convince you to marry me soon. If the ton dislikes it, then we will find friends and associates who welcome us.”

“Why does it all seem so simple when you explain it?”

He smirked. “Because I’m brilliant.”

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 that it 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.