The Secrets of a Lady

by Jenna Petersen

  They’d reached the gazebo now and he helped her up the stairs. It truly was abandoned, unpainted and left to rot probably since the newer, larger building had been built closer to the house.

  “I don’t know that I’m enamored with adventure,” she said. In fact she felt a strong dislike for it coming on, despite her years of spying. “I simply thought it was interesting, that’s all.”

  “Don’t.” Ellison motioned to a bench where they both sat. Audrey tried to put a decent amount of distance between them, but Ellison had put her near the edge of the bench, giving her little room to maneuver unless she wanted to fall off the seat.

  “Don’t?” she repeated, actually willing her teeth not to chatter with nervousness.

  “Don’t back away from what you said earlier.” As he spoke, he reached out for her hand. Even though she wore gloves, Audrey imagined she could feel the damp coldness of his fingertips seeping through the fabric. “You said you were thrilled by the prospect of underhanded dealing and trading with the enemy.”

  “I-it must be a fascinating world.”

  Fascinating? No. Over the years she had seen the underbelly of society in England and on the continent. Though many of the crooks put on a pretty face, their lives were lived in fear. Fear of being captured, fear of being killed. Their families were in constant danger. Danger they often didn’t recognize until it was too late. Those were desperate men, just as the man beside her was desperate. His eyes had the wild look to them she’d seen too often before.

  “It is a fascinating world,” he murmured, his face moving ever closer to hers.

  She inched away just as subtly. “How do you know?”

  His smile was slow and sardonic. “Never mind. It’s best for the women and children to be kept out of the details of one’s business. But if you want danger, or a hint of it at least, I can give you that.”

  Audrey blinked. What she wanted was for her brother to come save her. She wanted Griffin’s arms around her, holding her tight and reassuring her he’d never let her come to harm, not under his roof. She wanted this evening and this case to be over.

  “I’m sure you can.” She laughed as if all that was transpiring between them was no more than a jest. “But aren’t there others?”

  “Of course,” he said, but his tone was suddenly impatient.

  In response, she rose to her feet to pace closer to the stairway of the gazebo. She wondered if anyone would hear her cry out so far away from the house.

  “Who?” Finger by finger, she clenched and unclenched her hands behind her back. “I’m so interested to see which of my acquaintances are behind some kind of ploy.”

  One of his thin eyebrows arched up. “And why is that? Why are you so interested in my associates?”

  She froze as her heart lodged in her throat to prevent her answer. The world felt as if it had slowed to half time, spinning around her in distant motion. Like she was under water. Her cover was about to be blown if she didn’t find the right words. Right now.

  “I…”

  His eyes lit up as he stood to come closer to her. Closer. Closer.

  “I believe I just realized why. You’ve asked about my associates…” he paused, reaching out to cup her cheek. For a brief moment, she wondered if he was going to strangle her and leave her body in the gazebo to be found by servants the next day.

  Then he leaned closer. “Because you’re afraid of how you feel for me.”

  The air left her lungs in a whoosh as Douglas Ellison’s hand locked on her waist, while the one on her face pulled her closer for a kiss. He was rough, forceful in the way he ground his lips against hers.

  “No!” With all her might, she pushed against his unyielding chest. For such a thin man, he was stronger than he looked. “Stop!”

  Damn her cover. She didn’t care if he found out she was a spy. She wanted to get away, away from his breath in her mouth and his hands gripping her arms, bruising her.

  “Don’t fight this Audrey,” he murmured. She squirmed in disgust when he dipped his tongue into her ear. “I promise to make you my wife, so what happens here makes no difference.”

  “Stop,” she insisted, but this time her voice felt much weaker.

  Despite her training and the strength she’d acquired over the years, her body seemed to be shutting down. Refusing to fight against a man who was much too strong.

  Her mind went back to the night long ago when another man had pinned her arms the way they were pinned now, had kissed her the way Douglas kissed her now. That night they’d been interrupted by her mother’s shrill voice. She had been saved, ironically, by Luci’s blackmail.

  Tonight, no salvation would come. She could scream all she wanted, but no one would hear. Noah hadn’t seen her leave, so he wouldn’t know where to look for her even if the did notice she was gone too long. And Griffin, who seemed to sense any time she was in trouble, wasn’t there to save her.

  In the past, she’d been able to fight Douglas because he would never go too far. There were too many chances to be caught. Now there were none and all the fighting in the world wouldn’t stop him.

  And with that realization, she went limp.

  ***

  “Why the hell are we stopping?”

  Griffin wrenched the carriage window open and immediately saw the reason. A wagon carrying barrels of ale had flipped over on one the narrow streets and the gutters were now filled with the sweet alcohol. Several men from the local pubs had come out and were taking their spirits directly from the drains.

  Griffin pulled his head back in with a shiver as he tried not to contemplate what else rolled in those gutters. He snapped the curtains shut.

  “No wonder disease is rampant in this city.”

  The carriage was quiet except for the calls of his driver to the driver of the cart. Occasionally he heard the whoops of the drunken men. But it was quiet enough that his mind could wander away from his current location.

  Where it took him was dangerous. It wandered, as always, to Audrey.

  Audrey curled up in his arms, her red hair spread over his chest and her warmth filling him. Audrey dancing with him, smiling up at him with eyes shining as she laughed.

  Or worse, Audrey in Douglas Ellison’s arms, dancing with him, her eyes shining even though it was a ruse. But Ellison was dangerous and bold. Whether or not Noah and Audrey would admit it, she was in danger each time she got near the man.

  Growling in his throat, Griffin attempted to think of something else. Anything else.

  And failed.

  For whatever reason, the image of Audrey in Ellison’s arms remained in his mind, torturing and tormenting him to the point of frustration. She was alone with the man at this very moment.

  “Ridiculous,” he muttered to himself. “Noah wouldn’t let her go anywhere with Ellison without an escort.”

  And yet… Noah had lost track of his sister more than once, allowing his faith in her ability to do her job overshadow his instincts about her safety. The incident in the park a week before had been proof of that. Audrey also had a troubling tendency to put her assignment over her security. Even if Noah was able to keep an eye on her, she would undoubtedly give him the slip if she thought his watchful stare interfered with her plans.

  A nagging dread troubled Griffin and the restlessness in his heart grew. He looked out the window again. The wagon was nearly cleared away from the road.

  “Henson!” he called out to the driver.

  The burly man appeared at his window in moments, shaking his head apologetically. “I’m sorry, m’lord. I’m tryin’ me best to move this crowd, but they was half drunk to begin with. I promise you…”

  He raised his hand to interrupt the man. “It isn’t that. I want you to take me back to Burlington House.”

  “Back, sir?” the other man repeated in confusion.

  “Yes,” Griffin said. “I left behind something of great value there.”

  ***

  Griffin elbowed his way through the c
rowd at Burlington House, ignoring the outraged gasps of the women and glares of the men. All that mattered now was Audrey. He had to find her.

  The place was so crowded he’d been unsuccessful so far. Hell, he couldn’t even find Noah, and at half a head above the rest of the throng, usually he was simple to find.

  “Damn it.” He moved past the musicians in one corner, hidden behind an exotic screen. He peeked behind, but didn’t see Audrey or her brother.

  “Griffin?”

  He turned to see Noah coming toward him and relief flooded him. “Thank God. Where’s Audrey?”

  “What are you doing here?” Noah asked with a worried frown. “I thought you went home.”

  “Where is she?” he repeated, not in the mood for his friend’s laissez-faire attitude. The feeling of dread about Audrey was growing in his stomach.

  “I haven’t seen her for a bit, but this place is crowded. Besides, I’ve been catching up on some work. Why?” Noah set his champagne flute on a tray as a servant passed by.

  “I have a bad feeling. We need to find her. Now!” Griffin straightened up to scan the room again.

  Noah wrinkled his brow. “A feeling?”

  Griffin turned back to his friend to grasp the lapels on his jacket. “Don’t argue with me, help me find her.”

  “Hey, hey!” Noah said as he pulled away and glanced around them. “I’ll help you. Let’s split up. I’ll take the party since I already know where I haven’t seen her. You take the grounds. Agreed?”

  “Agreed,” Griffin called over his shoulder as he moved back into the crowd.

  His head spun as he slammed the veranda doors open and the cool air hit him with a shock. There were couples swarming all around the terrace, escaping the tight, uncomfortable pressure of the ballroom with its many guests. He hurried from group to group, scanning each face, but didn’t see Audrey among any of them. At first he walked to keep from drawing attention to himself, but eventually he abandoned that completely and broke into a full bore run as he hurried down the steps. The people around him stared at his utter lack of propriety.

  “Audrey?” he called out, looking around him in gazebos and beside hedgerows. “Audrey, where are you?”

  There was no answer. By now his heart was throbbing, aching with fear. Why the hell hadn’t he stayed?

  Further and further down the path he went, moving from bright lights into deeper and deeper darkness. Up ahead he saw a little, closed-in gazebo and raced toward it.

  “Please Audrey,” he whispered to himself. “Please…”

  “Please!”

  He heard a weak cry that mirrored his own and raced forward. It was Audrey’s voice, begging for mercy.

  Rounding to the front of the building, he bounded up the stairs three at a time, then skidded to a halt. Douglas Ellison had her pinned against the back wall of the gazebo. Her arms were flat against the wall, held by one of the stronger man’s hands. His other hand cupped her breast while he nuzzled her neck. The moonlight sparkled off the tears on her face, though her eyes were squeezed shut.

  “Stop,” she whispered.

  “Hush,” Ellison said against her neck. “You’ll like it well enough once you cease your struggles.”

  With a roar so primal it startled even him, Griffin leapt forward and wrenched Douglas off her.

  Ellison flew backwards, hitting one of the benches with a thud. Griffin didn’t allow him to regain his breath, but lifted him with one arm and slammed a fist into his nose. Blood spurted onto Ellison’s cheek and Griffin’s knuckles as the injured man howled.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” Ellison asked, yanking himself from Griffin’s grip as he stumbled away. He put his fists up like a pugilist, but Griffin saw the fear sparkle in his gray eyes.

  Griffin repositioned himself so that he blocked Audrey from Ellison’s view. “I came back for something. And I’m glad I did. Now get out!”

  “You have no right…” Ellison began, his voice wavering.

  “And neither do you. How dare you compromise her?” he interrupted with a roar. “Get out!”

  The other man hesitated a fraction, then bowed to Audrey. “I’m sorry, my dear. I will call on you later to make amends for my overzealous behavior.”

  She didn’t answer and Ellison left, clutching his bleeding nose as he hobbled up the pathway.

  Griffin spun around to look at Audrey for the first time since he’d come in. Her blue eyes were wide and her face pale, making her look very innocent in the moonlight streaming through the gazebo.

  “Audrey?” Griffin reached out his hand.

  She stared at him, her chin lifted in defiance and her jaw set. But then the tears began to slide down her cheeks and her bottom lip trembled wildy.

  He caught her in his arms.

  “Shhh,” he whispered. “It’s over now. He’s gone. I’ll never let him near you again.”

  She pushed away from his chest to look up into his face. “Don’t you see? It isn’t over at all. I still have a job to finish. Even you realize that or you would have simply pummeled him to a pulp right here.”

  Griffin wrinkled his brow, but had to admit she was right. His instinct had told him to beat Ellison into unconsciousness for what he’d done. But another, more rational part of him had held back, knowing that destroying the man would only prove more difficult for Audrey and Noah.

  “You don’t mean to tell me you’ll finish this case?” He wiped away her tears. “After what he just did?”

  A little shiver wracked her, but Audrey nodded. “I must. If we bring in another agent it will look suspicious. She’ll never get enough information before it’s too late.”

  Smoothing her skirt, Audrey began to fix her hair. “Douglas will come to me tomorrow. He’ll apologize, say his emotions got the best of him. I’ll accept. I’ll even imply that I…”

  Her hands faltered and her voice broke.

  “I’ll even imply that I approved of his advances.”

  Griffin made a sound of disgust in his throat, but said nothing.

  “We’ll continue on as we did before, and I’ll find the information we’re looking for.” She sighed. “He was so close to giving me a name tonight. So close and then he…”

  “He tried to rape you,” Griffin snapped, speaking plainly to shock her with the truth.

  “But he didn’t.” Her retort held just as much heat. Then her face and voice softened. “You came.”

  The fear he’d tamped down earlier in the evening erupted. It returned two fold as he realized what he had barely averted. The image of Audrey broken and defiled was too much for him.

  “Audrey, I was… I was…”

  “I know.” She lifted two trembling fingers to his lips. “When I saw you, I knew everything would be all right. You wouldn’t let anyone hurt me.”

  Griffin shut his eyes as he pondered how much Audrey had already been hurt because of him. First it had been Luci and her cruelty. Then he had hurt her, himself, making love to her with no promises he would take care of her. Even his proposal of marriage had hurt her. She wanted love, an emotion he was sure no longer lived in his heart.

  His thoughts were shattered when he felt the gentle sweep of Audrey’s lips against his. His eyes flew open and he looked down at her. Her face was upturned, her eyes locked with his. Slowly, her hands wrapped around his forearms, steadying herself as she leaned up again.

  This time he took her kiss with no hesitation, driving his tongue between her lips and tasting her like a man deprived of drink and food for far too long. Her sigh was followed by the total relaxation of her body in his arms. Her surrender was as sweet as her giving mouth.

  After a long moment, he pulled away. “Anyone could see us here, then where will you be?”

  For a moment she didn’t seem to understand him, just blinked at him with a satisfied smile on her face. Finally, she shook her head.

  “Yes, of course. I don’t know what I was thinking,” she murmured. “Do I… look all right? No
t like I was…”

  “Nearly ravished… er, twice?” he supplied, eliciting a weak smile from her swollen lips. “No. In fact, no one will even notice as long as we’re careful how we re-enter the throng.”

  With a forced smile, he held out his arm for her and she took it after a moment’s hesitation. The electricity crackled between them even at this slight touch. As they exited the gazebo and made their way back up the pathway to the main garden, Griffin stole a glance her way. Though her eyes were clouded with remnants of her earlier fear, she was more beautiful than ever. And Griffin was reminded, more than ever, how much he didn’t want to lose her.

  Except the only thing that would make her stay, was the one thing he couldn’t give her.

  Chapter Twenty

  Even before she closed her chamber door, Audrey dug her fingers into her hair and began wrenching out the pins. She felt dirty, as if Ellison’s cold fingers were still on her skin. Even Griffin hadn’t been able to completely erase the ugly feeling that seemed to exist all the way down to her bones.

  “Hannah?” she called out into the dimly lit room, raising the lamp light on her dressing table as she sat down to remove the last of the pins from her hair.

  “Home already, are you?” Hannah bustled into the room as she closed the book in her hand with a smile. “I didn’t expect you back for hours yet.”

  “ Douglas had to leave the party early,” Audrey explained with a grim frown. “So there wasn’t any use in staying past a decent hour. Noah is still there.”

  As she came around behind Audrey, Hannah grabbed the brush from her dressing table. “Ellison left the party early? Why on earth did he do that?”

  Audrey closed her eyes, enjoying the smooth motion of the brush moving through her hair. “That’s divine, Hannah,” she sighed, before opening her eyes. “Ellison left early on account that I believe Griffin may have broken his nose.”