Scandals and Secrets

Celeste laughed. 'We're a right pair, aren't we?'

'Yes,' Byron said with sudden seriousness. 'We are a right pair. Right for each other. Right in every way. Maybe it's taken me over twenty years to realize it but now that I have I'm never going to let you go, my darling. You're going to be mine, "for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health ... till death us do part".'

Celeste's eyes swam, her heart swelling with love. 'Ditto, my sweet,' she choked out.

'Ditto.'

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

'YOU'RE right about the sequence of events being quite incredible,' Byron remarked on their way to Belleview later that afternoon. 'Really, if it hadn't been for your stealing the Heart of Fire from me in the first place, that opal would never have got into Bergman's hands, which means it wouldn't have come into Gemma's possession at his death. Without it, she might never have come to us in Sydney at all. She would not have married Nathan and subsequently put the search for you into action. As I said ... amazing!'

Celeste darted him a wary look. 'So, am I forgiven for being the original thief?'

'Of course. In your position, I probably would have done the same thing. God, Celeste, it should have been you I married that day. My marriage to Irene was a disaster from day one.'

'I often wondered how you stood it,' Celeste said truthfully. 'Though I could see Irene was a different person with you than she was with anyone else.'

'I put my head in the sand a lot where she was concerned. It was easier than admitting what a horrendous mistake I'd made. That's always been a great failing of mine, Celeste, not admitting my mistakes or going back on what I've always believed. But not any more, I hope. That boating accident where Irene was killed and I was badly hurt gave me a lot of time to reevaluate my life and my beliefs. Then, something else happened to bring a different perspective into my life, and a lot of other people's lives around Belleview, I think.'

'What was that, Byron?'

He sent such a warm loving look her way, Celeste melted. 'A lovely young woman came to live with us,' he said softly, 'bringing with her so much simple joy and caring that we all began to wake up to ourselves. The more I think about it, the more I realise how much like you Gemma is, when you were her age. There is a strength and vitality about her that is so endearing. And a sensuality that can be very disturbing. It's almost a relief to find out she's my daughter. Now I can stop having wicked thoughts about her.'

'Byron!'

He laughed. 'Only teasing, darling. But it is a relief to know that that sinful brother of yours has been relegated to the role of her uncle.'

'Yes, I thought of that myself. But I think he'll be thrilled. I'm sure he genuinely likes Gemma as a person, not just as a female.'

'Well, I'll have to take your word for that,' came his dry comment. 'You wouldn't be able to talk him into going and seeing Nathan, would you? If he could convince him that there was nothing between him and Gemma, then everything would be perfect. Gemma and Nathan would get back together again.'

Celeste stiffened. 'I'm not sure that would be so perfect for Gemma. If Nathan didn't believe her when she swore she'd been faithful, do you honestly think he'd believe anything Damian said?'

Byron's sigh was resigned. 'No, I guess not. I'll have a talk to Nathan myself once he's calmed down a bit.'

'I don't like your chances, either. The man has no trust in him. Gemma tells me he's always treated her like a child, or a possession, that he never confides in her or talks to her about things that matter. She still loves the man but she was terribly hurt by his keeping my identity from her. I'm not sure she'll ever forgive him for that.'

'Time has a way of lessening such hurts, Celeste,' Byron said with the wisdom of age. 'I'm sure there were times when you thought you would never forgive me. Yet here you are, sitting in my car, going home to have dinner at Belleview.'

Celeste slowly nodded her head up and down. 'Yes, you're absolutely right. I shouldn't make harsh judgement of other people and their relationships. We're about to make history, I would say, when we announce our intention to marry. I'm sure a few people are going to faint dead away, my own mother included. I'm just thankful she's overseas at the moment. My God, the things I said to her about you. Still, it was my love turned to hate that