The Secrets of a Lady

Chapter Four

Audrey shivered while she watched from Griffin’s big picture window as Douglas Ellison strode toward his own townhouse just a few steps away. He walked like a man who had staked his claim on life.

She let the curtain drop and grimaced. Ellison believed he owned the world and would soon own her. Both thoughts were disturbing.

Not that Ellison had behaved in any untoward fashion when it came to her. At least, not yet. In Avonblithe he’d courted her respectably, and even though he’d sat too close to her for her own comfort a moment before, he hadn’t touched her in a way that made it clear that he wished to ravish her. But by the desire that muddied his pale gray eyes to charcoal, she knew that was exactly what he wanted to do.

“Yuck,” she muttered as she scrubbed a hand over her face.

“My curtains bother you so much?”

She spun around to find Griffin leaning against the doorway with a half-smile.

“Because if you hate them, I’ll have them removed immediately.” He straightened up to take two long strides into the room.

“The curtains are fine,” she said, laughing though the sound was shrill. “Trust that nothing about you or your home would ever make me react that way.”

“Then what is it that bothers you so much?”

“I was actually looking out the window.” She turned away from the gaze that was far too intense for comfort. “Watching something unpleasant move away from me.”

“Ellison,” he said under his breath, his teasing tone suddenly deathly serious.

There was no use in lying. “Yes.”

Pivoting to face him, she found he’d stepped even closer and was now mere inches from her. Reaching out, he took her hand.

“Why are you doing this?” he asked.

Until that moment, he hadn’t touched her bare skin. Gloves had always been a thin barrier of protection between them. But now the heat of his hand warmed hers, his palm rough beneath hers, and his grip strong, but gentle.

Struggling to maintain her calm, she said, “Because so much has been lost already. One agent is dead because of Ellison and his accomplices. He had a family and was a good man. If I do my duty perhaps I can prevent more pain and injury.”

She slid away from him to put distance between them. She needed it.

“I know about pain and injury,” he said. “But I know about risk, as well. Whatever you’ll prevent… is it worth the price you’re paying right now?”

She grimaced. Griffin was thinking of the little baby son he’d never know and the wife he loved so much. His loss was much greater than anything she could fathom.

She blinked back sudden tears. “Oh, Griffin. How I wish I could have prevented your pain. How I wish I could restore what you’ve lost in your child and your wife.”

For a brief moment he looked away. When he turned back, Audrey was surprised to see no emotion in his dark eyes. He’d hardened his face just as expertly as any agent for the Crown would have done.

“You tried to prevent the pain I went through,” he said softly. “Once you tried to warn me…” He shook his head as if he hadn’t meant to voice those words. “But that doesn’t matter now.”

Audrey tilted her head. What he had planned to say before he censored himself?

“Griffin, you would have made a wonderful father,” she whispered, compelled to comfort him, even as he withdrew into some dark place in his soul. A place where he didn’t want her intrusion.

A strangled noise in his throat was Griffin’s only answer before he turned his back and took several steps away from her. She ached to wrap her arms around him and hold him. Instead she cautiously followed and placed her hand on his arm.

At her touch, Griffin turned to look down at her. They were too close, he just inches away, her hand gripping the muscles of his lower arm. She didn’t know what he would do, and it seemed neither did he. Finally, he reached out and placed his hand on top of hers.

“I suppose we’ll never know that now, will we?” he choked out before he slipped away from her to pause at the door. “Luci made sure of it.”

Audrey froze as she watched him stand there and battle with his emotions. What was going on? Something had apparently been amiss between Lucinda and Griffin before her death. Audrey wanted to ask about it, to have him take her into his confidence.

But that would be a mistake. She hadn’t come to London to chase away Griffin’s demons or even her own. She was there to catch a killer. It would be best to get back to that and forget her dreams.

“Griffin?”

“Yes?” Naked need darkened his face. It was almost as if he wanted her to ask about Luci. As if he wished to share his secrets.

“I… Don’t forget the Covent Garden Opera is tomorrow.” It was so hard to ignore the opportunity he’d given her to glimpse his soul. “Douglas Ellison will be accompanying us and sitting in your box.”

For a moment he didn’t move, just held her in a heated stare that made her feel like an animal in a cage. Then he sighed. “I remember, Audrey. I’ll be ready.”

He turned down the hallway and disappeared from sight. She heard his long, steady stride until he was far away and she was alone. It was only then she realized her hands trembled.

***

Griffin stifled a groan as the footman pulled back the curtain on his opulent box and allowed him into the seating area of Covent Garden Opera House. The room was packed, brimming with the cream of Europe for this first public event of the Jubilee. The heat was already unbearable and the noise was worse.

What was he doing here? The last thing he needed or wanted was to be surrounded by the tittering, posing masses of the ton, all of whom wanted him to get over Lucinda’s death and begin a search for a new wife. He had no desire to be reminded of their frivolity that was so much like Luci’s.

But when the footman pulled back the curtain a second time, Griffin was reminded of exactly why he’d come.

Audrey.

She wore a gown that was dark as midnight and clung to her in a scandalous manner. It was the latest and most revealing fashion of the day, silk held together by a few ribbons and flowers.

But she didn’t wear the gown for his pleasure. No, she wore it for Douglas Ellison, a blackguard and a traitor who didn’t deserve to be in the same room as Audrey Jordan, let alone touch her hand, which he was doing at present as he guided her to her seat.

“Ah, a lovely box, Lord Berenger,” Ellison said as he stepped forward to take in the view. Griffin didn’t fail to notice how he stared in the direction of the Prince’s box before he stepped back to face his host.

“Thank you, Ellison. I’ve always enjoyed the theatre,” he ground out, trying to find any words that didn’t cause a fistfight. What he wanted to do was pick the man up by his starched collars and deposit him over the box railing and into the crowd below.

“Well, we’re happy you allowed us to share in your passion tonight.”

Ellison interrupted Griffin’s wandering mind by placing a long-fingered hand on Audrey’s, effectively claiming her as his property. His use of the word ‘we’ gave Griffin a cold chill. Apparently he believed Audrey was his — permanently.

Ellison continued, “With all the excitement, it would have been impossible to get into the show otherwise. And this is one I wouldn’t want to miss.”

With a smile, he took his seat next to Audrey. Immediately she shifted her attention to the man, leaning over to have a more private conversation with him.

“You might try to smile a bit, old man,” Noah whispered. “You look like you’re attending a funeral, not a celebration.”

“It will be Ellison’s funeral if he doesn’t take his hands off your sister,” Griffin whispered back, wincing as Audrey let out a quiet laugh at something Ellison had said.

She shifted her focus back to him. For a moment he could do nothing but stare, taken aback once more by how lovely she was. Two bright blotches of color tinged her cheeks as she stammered a response to one of Ellison’s questions.

She looked away from him with another, deeper blush and he was overwhelmed by a desire to pull her away from the man at her side. Before he could do something so foolhardy, the curtain to the Prince Regent’s box was pulled back and His Royal Highness entered, followed by several of the visiting Crown Princes. All were dressed extravagantly, with the Prince’s clothing clinging to his huge belly in a most unattractive fashion.

The crowd rose when His Royal Highness lifted his hand and the curtain went up. As the strains of “God Save the King” came from the orchestra below and the crowd joined in the singing, Griffin took another look at Audrey and Ellison. She had her face turned toward the Prince and her lilting voice was just distinguishable over the other masculine ones in the box. He’d never heard her sing before and smiled. Her voice fit her, soft and gentle, with just the right tone and pitch.

But when Ellison leaned forward, giving Griffin a clear view of the other man’s face, his heart leapt to his throat and all pleasant thoughts fled his mind. Ellison glared as he clenched his fingers in a tight fist. He didn’t sing, instead he craned his neck to see the others in the Royal box.

For the first time, Griffin saw the treachery in the thin man and the danger Audrey was in. Then Ellison leaned back and his face was hidden from view again behind Audrey’s fan.

The crowd began to settle into their seats, their murmurings creating the din of background noise that would plague the remainder of the night, despite the actors on stage making a valiant effort to perform their trade.

As Griffin began to take his seat, he was distracted by the crowd noise increasing tenfold and several people rising again. With a great cheer, thunderous applause exploded in the theatre.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Audrey’s shocked expression as she rose to her feet. Griffin followed her gaze and found himself looking at Princess Caroline, the Prince’s very publicly estranged wife. Dressed all in black, the woman nodded to the crowd, then shot a pointed look toward her husband before she took her seat and settled in for the performance.

The prince waved to the crowd, bowing at the increased applause he apparently thought was for him. A loud hiss rose above the din. Griffin was sure Audrey jumped at the harsh sound before they all took their seats a second time and the opera began.

Though Griffin listened to the music, he couldn’t help but watch Audrey instead of the scene being played out below. In the dim light of the box, he could see her face was pale and she and Noah exchanged a look. He couldn’t blame them for being nervous. With the country so hostile toward His Royal Highness, their jobs were made all the harder… and more dangerous. Men like Ellison could easily take advantage of the unrest.

Griffin was surprised by how quickly the evening passed. Soon the final curtain had dropped and the crowd was on their feet, applauding the performance and preparing for the crush to reach their waiting carriages.

“It was a good show,” Audrey said as Ellison helped her put her wrap over her shoulders. His hands lingered a moment too long on her creamy skin.

Griffin took a few steps toward Audrey to hold out his arm. He’d had all he could take. Now it was time to end her job, at least for the night. Take her away from Ellison. From danger.

“Lady Audrey, as your host may I have the honor of escorting you to our carriage?” he asked.

“Berenger, that’s a generous offer,” Ellison interrupted with a thin-mouthed scowl. “But I wondered if Audrey might allow me to escort her back to your home. After all, it’s on my way.”

Griffin lowered his outstretched arm with a frown. Certainly Noah wouldn’t allow such a thing! Yet, his friend didn’t immediately decline Ellison’s offer. Some kind of unspoken communication seemed to be passing between the siblings.

Finally, his best friend cleared his throat. “I don’t know if that would be entirely appropriate, Ellison. My sister’s reputation is at stake and for her to be unescorted…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Audrey interrupted with a light laugh. “Oh, Noah, you worry so! Hannah will be with me, so I won’t be completely unescorted. It will only be a short ride, and you wouldn’t do anything improper, would you Mr. Ellison?”

She smiled and Griffin felt sick. How could she pretend to care for Ellison when Griffin knew she hated him in every way? She lied about her feelings as if they meant nothing. Again, he thought of Luci and her practiced duplicity.

“Of course not, my lady,” Ellison answered with a placating nod for Noah.

“Then I accept your offer.” She gave Noah a quick glance, but pointedly refused to acknowledge Griffin. “I’ll see you both at home, my lords.”

With that, the pair was gone, exiting the box before either man could voice another opinion on the matter. Griffin took two steps forward, readying to follow them, when Noah grabbed his arm and wrenched him back.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“Going after her!” Griffin pulled away. “What do you think you’re doing letting her go with that murderer?”

Noah’s mouth set in anger. “She’s doing her job and Hannah will be with her.”

“Hannah?” Griffin repeated. “Do you really expect a lady’s maid will be able to fight off that villain if he were to strike?”

To his surprise, Noah let out a long laugh. “You don’t know Hannah.” He lowered his voice to whisper, “She works with us. She’s more of a bodyguard than a lady’s maid, though she does do a fantastic job with Audrey’s hair, doesn’t she?”

Griffin blinked as he tried to picture Audrey’s maid. That tiny woman was a spy?

“Still,” he stammered, trying to regain his composure. “I cannot believe you’d send your own sister to the wolves like that. The man could easily kill her… or worse.” Raw fear gripped him at the thought.

The muscle in Noah’s jaw rippled. “Griffin, you’ve been my best friend my entire life, so I’m giving you latitude. However, if you ever suggest that I don’t value my sister’s life above all else again, I’ll call you out and we’ll settle this matter.”

For a moment the two men just stared at each other, the tension between them palpable. Griffin had never come close to exchanging blows with Noah in all the years they’d been friends. Now in the last month, they’d exchanged more than one set of heated words.

“I’m sorry, Noah,” he finally said as he reached out a hand to his friend. “I shouldn’t have implied anything of the sort.”

With a grunt, Noah shook his offered hand. “Now we should be off. I’d like to be home before Audrey. If we take a few back streets I know, we should make it.”

“Yes,” Griffin said, following his friend out. “It’s a good idea.”

Moving into the crowd, he stifled a growl of frustration. Chasing through back streets to reach his home before Audrey arrived didn’t begin to encompass the kind of protection he desired for her. Not when Douglas Ellison seemed intent on claiming her.