“Oh, I know all about that particular kind of fear,” he answered with another dry chuckle. “But I am not going to give into it anymore. I pray you do not either.”
He shifted his head, just enough so that he could kiss her forehead, then lightly her lips.
“You have no idea how much joy it brings me to hear that you love us,” he rasped. “Because we love you so very much in return.”
Deborah sank deeper into his embrace, relieved to hear him say such words.
“I do love you,” Deborah whispered, then brushed a soft kiss over his lips once, twice. “I do so very much.”
Cedric let out a heavy sigh of relief, and the two of them melted into one another. For a long moment, they rode in silence, reveling in the feel of one another’s embrace. Then suddenly, like a bolt of lightning, excitement shot through Deborah’s veins, making her stiffen and sit up.
“What is it?” Cedric asked worriedly.
“My sister,” she breathed, her heart pounding heavily in her chest, “My sister is waiting for us?”
Cedric’s worried look shifted into a wide grin.
“She is, my Love,” he said with a nod. “It took a while, but Godric and I found her. And it was Adeline that convinced her to come with us.” He paused, chuckling. “I must say, the two are getting along quite well. I think it would be best that Hester stayed with us for a while, until she feels up to being on her own, I mean.”
Happiness shot through Deborah’s chest as she let out a burst of laughter. Not only had Cedric found her sister, but he was willing to let her stay with them?
“You are a wonderful man,” she sighed, leaning in to kiss his lips. He met her eagerly, his kiss sending those usual jolts of desire through her veins.
“And you are an incredible woman,” he murmured between kisses, his stroking fingers sending heat straight to her core.
Then, with a groan, he pulled back, pressed his forehead to the carriage window pane, and closed his eyes.
“What is wrong?” Deborah asked, touching his shoulder.
Cedric’s eyes snapped open, showing off that growing desire in his dark pools as a wicked smirk drew across his lips.
“You have no idea how much I missed you these last several days. Trust when I say that I plan to show you exactly just how much,” he said in a wickedly seductive tone as the carriage came to a stop outside their London home. Excitement burst through Deborah’s chest as she saw the familiar house and once more thought of who was waiting for her inside. She took Cedric’s hand as he offered it, and he helped her out of the carriage.
“First, though, there is another reunion that must take place,” he said as he walked with her toward the front door, “And I am certainly not going to make you wait another second for it.”
CHAPTER THIRTY
“Adeline will be incredibly excited to see you, so please excuse her if she does not understand the brevity of the moment,” Cedric murmured. “It was she who convinced Hester to give me a chance to speak, but I gave the child only the vaguest of details. I figured she did not need to know the depth of your situation.”
Deborah only nodded, holding Cedric’s hand as they walked through the hallway and toward the parlor, listening to the two soft voices that carried through the hallway.
“And do not forget. Breathe, my darling,” Cedric added as they approached the door.
As if needing the reminder, Deborah forced her lungs to pull in a deep breath; the first one she took since entering the vast house. She stopped just at the slightly ajar door of the parlor, her right eye lining up with the small beam of light that splashed through. Her nerves tingled as she caught sight of Hester sitting besideAdeline on one of the sofas; their bodies turned toward one another as they chatted like they had always known one another.
Relief, happiness, and a lingering tinge of guilt washed over Deborah as she took in her sister.
“She is so beautiful,” Deborah whispered, feeling new tears spring to her eyes.
She took in her sister’s shining red hair, her milky complexion sprinkled with freckles, and her green eyes. The shared features that once led people to mistake them for twins more than once in their childhood.
“She is a beauty,” Cedric agreed, “But no one outshines you, my love.”
Deborah turned to him, smiling warmly, and she reached up to caress his cheek. She reveled in the way he nuzzled into her palm and placed a soft kiss there.
“Go on. She has been waiting so very long to see you again,” he gently insisted.
Deborah nodded, and with a trembling hand, she pushed open the door. Adeline and Hester looked up together, and while Hester went utterly still in her seat as the sisters locked eyes, Adeline shot to her feet, letting out a yelp of glee as she raced to Deborah.