The Secrets of a Lady

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.”

“What?” The brush hit the ground with a clatter, pulling several strands of Audrey’s hair out with it.

She rubbed her scalp as Hannah stooped to pick up the brush and stared at her in disbelief.

“Well, he did attack me.”

Hannah grasped Audrey’s shoulders and turned her around. “Ellison attacked you? Are you injured?”

“No.” She gave Hannah’s arm a gentle touch of reassurance. When the look of alarm had faded from her companion’s face, she continued. “He only frightened me nearly to death. And made me feel distinctly greasy.”

“I’ll have the maids prepare a bath for you right away.” Hannah pursed her lips as she went to the door to ring the bell.

“That would be heavenly,” Audrey said. “Though you may have to burn this dress. I doubt I’ll ever feel a desire to wear it again.”

Hannah nodded her agreement as she opened the door. The maid outside listened to her directions then disappeared.

“Now then.” In a few short steps, Hannah was back at her side and had returned to her brushstrokes. “Tell me all about it.”

“I was so close, Hannah!” With a sigh of exasperation, Audrey hugged herself. “I know he was about to tell me a name or two. And then he had to get himself all… all… aroused…” She blushed at the thought, then shook her head. “And he ruined it all. Everything happened so quickly. One moment we were exchanging confidences and the next he was on top of me in an abandoned gazebo.”

“And the next Griffin Berenger was pulling him off and pummeling him within an inch of his life,” Hannah finished for her with a soft smile.

She took a quick glance at Hannah’s face in the mirror. “Something like that. Griffin showed remarkable restraint, considering. He could have easily killed Douglas and with just cause.”

“I’m surprised he didn’t, after what’s gone on between you these last few days.” Hannah brought the back of the brush down on the crown of Audrey’s head with a gentle tap.

With a glare at her friend, Audrey said, “That’s over now.”

“You keep saying that.”

Audrey shook her head. “This time it’s true.”

With a tilt of her head, Hannah set the brush down. “You look sad.”

“I am a little sad,” she admitted, too tired emotionally and physically to pretend she wasn’t hurt. “I suppose I’m realizing all I’m giving up by turning down Griffin’s proposal of marriage.”

“He proposed to you?” Hannah screeched and Audrey’s brush bounced off the floor a second time.

Lifting her hands to cover her ears, Audrey turned to her friend with a scowl. “You needn’t bring the whole house down. He did, a few days ago.”

“And you turned him down, even though you’ve been in love with the man for more than five years?” Hannah dropped down on a chair by the window with thump. Her mouth was partly open as she stared at Audrey. Her green eyes demanded an explanation, but it wasn’t one Audrey was sure she could give.

“It would be a marriage for the wrong reasons. ‘Companionship’, as Griffin put it, and desire aren’t love.”

Her friend’s eyes grew even wider with disbelief. “They’re certainly the seeds of such an emotion. And it’s better than most marriages. You care for him and he for you. That much is obvious from the way the man charges like a bull every time Douglas Ellison comes near you.”

“But it isn’t love,” Audrey repeated, stubborn in her refusal to hear anything else. The last thing she needed were more regrets about Griffin. “If I wanted to marry for quiet companionship I’d have married Squire Teetle when my parents asked me to.”

Hannah began to laugh, a rich throaty sound. But Audrey saw no humor in her current situation and sat staring evenly at her friend.

“And what is so funny?”

Wiping her eyes, Hannah said, “I don’t think you’d ever have quiet companionship with Griffin. You should know that much by now.”

With her ire rising, Audrey straightened in her chair and put on her best haughty frown. “Just what do you mean by that?”

“Well, I know you’ve spent at least one evening in his bed since you gave him your virtue in the carriage,” Hannah replied with an arched eyebrow and a pointed look.

An embarrassed blush replaced Audrey’s haughtiness. Tearing her eyes away from her friend’s face, she said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

An unladylike snort of laughter escaped Hannah’s throat. “I’ve known you a good many years, Audrey Jordan, don’t you forget that. You and Griffin have made love more than once and you can’t stop thinking about it. The reality is, it troubles you to be so out of control of your feelings and actions.”

The blood that had made her face so hot now drained away from her cheeks as Audrey lifted her face to Hannah’s again. There was no use denying the facts to her hawk-eyed friend.

“Does Noah know?”

“No. But it’s affecting his friendship with Griffin nonetheless.”

Audrey sighed as she closed her eyes with a nod. That much was obvious. In all the years the two men had known each other, Audrey had never seen them exchange more than a few playful jabs. Until this case. Until her. Since she’d come into the picture, they’d had several heated arguments and nearly come to blows.

She covered her eyes with one hand. “They’re strained when they’re together now. It’s all my fault. Noah is angry that Griffin continues to interfere with our case. Griffin is angry that Noah doesn’t keep me out of this or protect me like some china figurine. What a mess.”

Hannah was silent for a while, neither denying nor verifying that the tension between Noah and Griffin was Audrey’s fault. “What will you do then, Audrey?”

Shrugging one shoulder, she uncovered her face and rose to her feet. She paced across the room, stopping at the fireplace to take the poker from its position beside the mantel. Stoking the fire with its tip, she said, “I need to get away from here as soon as possible. I need to end this case.”

“Why?”

“Because if I stay,” Audrey’s voice faltered. “If I stay I may forget all the good reasons I have to turn down Griffin’s proposal. I may find it harder than I already do to resist him.”

“And why is that such a bad thing?”

Audrey sighed, her eyes returning to the burning embers. “Because I’ve loved him for so long, I couldn’t bear it if he didn’t love me in return. It would be too hard to look at him with all the love in my heart and see him looking back at me with only friendship in his eyes.”

Hannah rose and crossed the room to place an arm over her friend’s shoulders. “Oh, lovey.”

They were interrupted by the knock of the chambermaids, who came in with a tub and gallons of steaming water for Audrey’s bath. Once they’d gone, she undressed and sank beneath the waves behind a screen. On the other side she heard Hannah bustling around the room, picking up her clothing and tidying up.

“Hannah?” She squeezed the sponge in her hand and lathered it with soap.

“Yes?”

“I think it’s time I pay a visit to Douglas Ellison’s house,” she called out, her mind spinning on the possibilities.

From the other side of the screen, she was sure she heard Hannah utter a quiet curse, then she poked her head around the edge of the barrier.

“You cannot be serious.” She shook her dark head. “You told me the man attacked you. Surely you don’t mean to continue pursuing him.”

“What choice do I have? It’s the only way we’ll get the information we need. I’ll have the perfect excuse. My host tried to kill Ellison tonight, I’ll tell him I don’t want him to be in danger by visiting Griffin’s house.”

“Whatever do you think you have to gain by walking into this man’s den?”

With a frown of disapproval, her friend disappeared back into the main room.

Audrey hesitated a fraction. “Perhaps I’ll have better luck than Jean did in finding the list of associates.”

Silence was her only answer. Audrey could practically hear Hannah contemplating the notion. Finally, sure steps guided her friend back to Audrey’s side of the screen. Hannah’s face was stern as she looked her friend in the eye.

“Do you really think you could discover his secrets?”

“After tonight?” Audrey nodded. “Absolutely.”

“And you feel it’s worth the risk you’ll be taking?”

She contemplated that question for a long moment. “Griffin is completely out of control. The longer we play this game with Ellison, the worse it’s going to get. He could get himself killed if he continues on as he was tonight. Or at least destroy our cover. I’m afraid if I don’t go to Ellison’s and find out the truth in the next few days, I won’t get another chance. After everything I’ve gone through with the man, I couldn’t bear to have him slip through our fingers.”

Hannah pursed her lips. Finally she gave a resigned sigh. “Very well, missy. But if you’re going to Ellison’s tomorrow, I’m going with you.”

***

Griffin sat in Douglas Ellison’s sitting room rubbing his knuckles. They were still bruised from his well-placed punch the night before, but hitting the man had been worth any pain that followed. Griffin’s only regret was that his fears for Audrey’s cover had kept him from doing more damage to the traitor.

Still, he didn’t understand why he’d been summoned to the house next door to his own. The footman had brought the request that morning, just about the time Griffin was having his early cup of tea and Noah was stumbling home from a night of work and play. After much deliberation and argument, Griffin had convinced Noah he should take the invitation.

Now he sat in the drawing room of a man he despised, surrounded by an Oriental theme that almost made him laugh. After all of Ellison’s hatred for Prinny, he had something in common with him. Both men favored the rich fabrics and designs influenced by what the spice traders brought back from the Orient.

Tapping his foot impatiently, Griffin checked his pocket watch. He’d now been waiting for over a quarter of an hour. Though this was just a tactic to irritate him, Griffin couldn’t help but feel it had succeeded. He wasn’t a man accustomed to delay.

Just as he was about to get up and leave, the double doors to the sitting room opened and Douglas Ellison stepped inside. Griffin was pleased to see the man’s nose was bruised and painful looking. He kept himself from grinning with pride. Barely.

With a yawn, he stood.

“Ellison,” he said, using the practiced cold and distant voice of a displeased aristocrat.

“Berenger.” The other man shut the door behind him with a smug smile. He, too, would have sounded cold if his voice hadn’t been so nasal due to the injury to his face. “Thank you for coming. May I offer you a drink?”

Griffin returned to his seat. “No. It’s a bit early for me. Though I’d understand why you’d need one, you look a fright.”

“Yes.” Ellison’s eyes narrowed before he turned to the bar behind him. “Some animal attacked me last night.”

Griffin watched as Douglas poured his drink with trembling shoulders and took a long sip. Finally, he sat down across from Griffin with a hard stare. For a moment the room was silent as the two men sized each other up. Finally, Griffin broke the silence with another yawn.

“Not that I don’t enjoy spending time with a neighbor,” he said, leaning his elbows forward on his knees. “But I wonder why you’ve invited me here today of all days.”

The smug smile returned to Ellison’s cold lips. “I think you know.”

Griffin shook his head. “I’ve no idea, I assure you. It isn’t as if we’re friends, and we’ve seen far more than enough of each other lately for both our tastes.”

“Yes.” Ellison’s eyes lit up as he set his drink on the table beside him. “But never in private. What I have to say to you cannot be said in public.”

Griffin’s body lurched to attention, but he forced himself to maintain a bored exterior. “You’ve piqued my curiosity now. Whatever could you have to say to me that cannot be said in polite society?”

Ellison’s smile widened, though he winced with pain at the motion. Leaning back, he curled his hands around the arms of the chair, clutching them with enough force to whiten his knuckles.

“I brought you here to tell you that Audrey Jordan belongs to me.”

Griffin’s blood turned to ice in his veins. His initial reaction was to get up and finish the job he’d begun the night before, but then he calmed himself. Remembering that self-control wasn’t only noble, but intelligent, he took a deep breath.

“I beg your pardon?”

“You heard me.” Ellison’s voice was little more than a growl. “She’s mine.”

“Well, I would wager she’d have something to say about that, considering how hard she was fighting against you last night.”

Ellison waved a dismissive hand. “An innocent will always resist advances the first time. It’s in her nature and societal training to do so. Before I was finished with her, she would have been begging me for more.”

Griffin held back a howl of rage as every muscle in his body tensed. The thought of Ellison hovering over Audrey made him reel with fury.

Ellison ignored his guest’s reaction and continued, “For the past few weeks I have observed you watching her. You drag her off every time I get near. You’ve interfered with my plans more than once.”

Griffin blinked to clear his eyes, thanking his father silently for the calm he’d taught him. “Audrey is my best friend’s sister and is under my protection while she lives in my home.”

Ellison laughed, an unpleasant, grating sound. “Oh it’s much more than that. You want her.” Now he was leering, taunting Griffin. “You want to peel off all her layers and feel her writhe beneath you.”

“Enough,” Griffin breathed, surprised he hadn’t yet broken the chair with the force of his grip.

“No worries, friend,” Ellison chuckled. With a smug smile, he leaned back. “I understand completely. I feel the same way, but there is a difference. I need Audrey. And after all her troubles in the past, she needs me to need her.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Why the rumors surrounding her a few years ago,” Ellison explained with a smile. “They weren’t enough to truly ruin her reputation, but she’s past the flower of her youth so most men won’t look at her. I’m willing to overlook those flaws, to make her my wife. There’s much to be gained from a wife with a fortune and a mild reputation. Not so much as your Lucinda had, of course…”

“Why you…” Griffin flipped his chair over as he stood.

Before he could continue, the door opened and the butler stepped in. Though his eyebrows came up at the sight of Griffin’s overturned chair and Ellison’s raised fists, he made no mention of them.

“Excuse me, Mr. Ellison, Lady Audrey is here to see you. Shall I tell her you’re in?”

Ellison’s eyes widened with his smile as he laughed at Griffin. “You see, Berenger? She comes to me. Send her in, Kendrick.”

Griffin swallowed hard, thrown by this latest development. His rage was still just under the surface, fed by the fact that Audrey continued to put herself in danger. Even after last night’s near-tragic events she insisted on pressing forward.

“You look sick, Berenger.”

“Sick is a good word for one of us.” With a bang, he righted his chair just as the door opened again and Audrey and Hannah entered.

At first, her eyes were only for Ellison.

“Oh Douglas, it’s worse than I thought. Does it hurt very much?” she gushed, taking a step and holding out her hand, then drawing it back as if she’d thought better of it.

“Not much.” Douglas smiled as he motioned to Griffin. “And how pleased Lord Berenger and I are to see you.”

Audrey’s face fell as she turned to see Griffin standing beside his chair, clenching his fists at his sides. Her blue eyes widened, flashing a variety of emotions before she blocked them out with a false smile.

“L–Lord Berenger,” she stammered as she slanted a worried look over her shoulder at Hannah. “I didn’t realize you were here.”

“No,” he said, his voice cold as he began to understand her visit. Instead of playing it safe, keeping the hell away, she once again charged ahead. Damn her and damn this mission she seemed so bloody focused on finishing. At the risk of her body and her life. “I expect you didn’t.”