Chapter 21
“We’ve already got the marriage certificate.”
Celeste replied as she carefully placed each piece of porcelain back in its proper place.
Herbert really was a father who knew how to make the most of his daughter.
So eager to sell her off.
Still, she didn’t want to waste time, either, and Alfred had always treated her with
respect.
For a marriage like theirs–a transaction, really–getting the paperwork done as soon as possible was the most practical choice.
She hadn’t expected things to move this quickly, though.
Herbert’s laughter rumbled over the phone.
Now that he’d gotten the answer he wanted, his urgency faded.
“That’s my girl–when you say you’ll do something, you get it done, and fast! I have to hand it to you, Celeste.”
“And that Alfred–only a few hours after meeting you, and he’s already signed the papers. Clearly, you matter to him.”
“But, regardless of what kind of man he is, men are men. Cece, you just need to turn on the charm, coax him a little, and make sure he lands that deal with Duncan Holdings for us.”
In just a few words, he’d steered the conversation right back to business.
So much for fatherly affection.
Celeste tossed out a few noncommittal responses.
Then Beverly’s voice cut in on the other end.
“I’ll bet all she cared about was the certificate–she probably didn’t even bring up deal! She’s been running from Asterwynn for so long, when has she ever acted like
a true Duncan?”
the
Herbert’s tone turned cold at that.
“Did you bring it up?”
“I did.”
Celeste paused, then added, “But I think I brought it up too soon. He seemed a bit put off. I’ll have to be more subtle about it next time if I want him to sit down and really talk business.”
Half–true, half–false, but Herbert seemed to accept it.
“Fair enough. Word is Alfred’s moods can be unpredictable. If you need to proceed step by step, then so be it.”
“I’ve already mentioned the Duncan Holdings project. Now, can my mother’s name finally be added to the Hopkins family memorial chapel?”
Her mother had worked herself to the bone all her life, all for Herbert and the Duncan family’s comeback.
Duncan Holdings shouldn’t be the only thing they owed her–they owed her and her mother far more.
Her mother’s name deserved a place in that chapel.
The recognition she’d never received in life–Celeste was determined to win it back for her now.
“That’s not something we can just rush,” Herbert hedged. “Adding a name to the family chapel is a delicate matter for the entire Duncan clan.“.
Celeste refused to back down.
“Is it really so difficult to add one name, Father? Don’t forget–when the Duncan family was at its lowest, if it hadn’t been for my mother and her craft bringing in business and money, there wouldn’t even be a family chapel standing today!”
Herbert fell silent.
On the other end, Beverly’s voice suddenly sharpened.
“We’re all family here. Why do you always have to dredge up the past, Celeste?”
“You married into the Hopkins family, became Mrs. Alfred Hopkins, and now you don’t even know your own surname! All you think about is how to use the Hopkins fortune to prop up your mother’s side. Instead of fighting us at every turn, you should be careful–if you ever lose your man, see how you manage without the Duncan family to fall back on!”
Everyone knew about Celeste and Philip.
Chapter 21
Her sudden return to Asterwynn and quick agreement to the marriage was almost certainly because things had fallen apart between them.
Beverly’s words were a direct hit–she knew exactly where to aim.
But while Celeste could admit she’d chosen the wrong man, she’d long since stopped making love the center of her world.
Now, business came first. Her mother’s place in the family chapel mattered more than any romance.
Celeste shot back, her tone icy.
“Beverly, maybe you should save that speech for yourself.”
“My mother rebuilt Duncan Holdings from scratch with nothing but her pottery skills. I helped Philip get his inheritance. Even without you all, I’d still find a way to survive. But if Duncan Holdings loses the Hopkins project, the gap in your finances is so big–Beverly, can you cover it on your own?”
Silence fell–so complete you could hear a pin drop.
Duncan Holdings might have made a comeback, but in recent years, the family had been burning through cash, and Herbert’s old–fashioned management style only made things worse. The losses kept piling up.
Beverly, despite being groomed as the heir, was far from capable of restoring the family’s former glory.
Which was exactly why this marriage deal with Alfred had come to be.
Chapter 22
