The Secrets of a Lady (15 page)

“I was under the impression you weren’t overly found of our esteemed monarch, Douglas,” she whispered. “I’m surprised you show so much interest in him and his party today.”

Ellison patted her hand as he let out a cold laugh. “You are observant, but how can one not be happy at an event such as this? It’s bound to be the best show this city has seen in years.”

Audrey’s heart leapt in her throat and she tossed a glance back at her brother. From his position a few steps behind them, Noah hadn’t overheard their conversation, but had followed their stares to the Prince’s box. Noah had a concerned frown on his face. Even Hannah held Audrey’s stare for a long moment before dropping her gaze to the ground as was appropriate for the role she played.

“I hate to be rude,” Noah said, stepping closer to the couple. “But I see an old friend, Lady Greene, across the lawn. I would be remiss if I didn’t say hello to her. Will you entertain my sister for a moment, Ellison?”

The other man’s eyes lit up at the chance he was being offered. “Of course, Lockhart.”

“Thank you, I won’t be long.”

Audrey stifled a smile as her brother disappeared into the crowd. Lady Greene was a code term between the two of them. It meant Noah was off to find Lord Golding and give him a report on their situation. The fact he had decided to do so immediately made Audrey wonder if her brother felt the danger had escalated.

“Alone at last,” Ellison said with a smile.

Audrey glanced in Hannah’s direction. “Almost alone.”

Though Ellison nodded as if he, too, were upset by the need for a chaperone, Audrey silently said a thank you for the societal norms that didn’t allow her to be unaccompanied with the man beside her. She shuttered to think what he might attempt in a private setting.

As they walked through the park, Hannah forever trailing behind them at a respectable distance, Audrey looked around her. The grounds were packed with people of all rank and political disposition. Any one of them could be operating under Ellison. She searched desperately for a sign of his partners. Just one exchanged glance, one word out of place, and she could go to Noah with the evidence. But there was nothing and her shoulders slumped in disappointment.

The miniatures of the ships involved in the Battle of Trafalgar were already arranged on the river, ready for the reenactment that would surely entertain the drunken crowd. Of course once the true gaiety had begun, Audrey’s job would be all the harder. As soon as the noisy festivities commenced, there would be confusion and Ellison or his men could easily make a move.

“Come my dear.” Ellison gripped her arm a bit tighter as his gray eyes darkened. “Let’s move closer, shall we?”

“Perhaps we should find a spot in the shade.”

She pulled back against his grip. Suddenly she felt less protected by the crowd around them. Douglas looked positively gleeful and it was terrifying.

His grip gentled though he didn’t release her. “We’ll want to be close when the reenactment begins. The Prince has the best view on the field.”

Though she searched for a reason to refuse, Audrey couldn’t find one. Finally, she smiled. “Of course. We’ll simply keep watch for my brother so he may join us later.”

As she allowed Ellison to lead her toward the Prince and his party, she prayed Noah would find them and that they could put a stop to whatever the traitor had planned.

***

“Where the hell have you been?”

Griffin turned from the barrel of ale he’d been standing beside to look at Noah. His friend gave a smile to soften the tone of his question.

“I could ask the same of you,” Griffin replied.

“I had to take care of some business with Lord Golding and then I was looking for you.” His friend’s smile faded. “Grif, I understand your anger and your fear for Audrey’s safety, but you must be more careful about how you behave around Ellison. Too many outbursts and the man might suspect something.”

“He already suspects something.” Griffin downed his ale with a grimace.

“What?” Noah asked. “I’ve heard nothing. What does he suspect?”

“Not what you think,” Griffin hastened to say as he realized his friend thought he meant Ellison had guessed something about Audrey. “He thinks I’m a rival for your sister’s affections. He doesn’t feel the way he would with just any other man, but sees me as a true challenge. I don’t know how he’s come to this conclusion, but it was clear by the way he looked at me that he considers me an opponent.”

Noah tilted his head to look at his friend in silence for a moment. “Are you?”

Griffin swallowed the remainder of his drink in one uncomfortable gulp. The brew stuck in his chest as he stared at his friend. “I beg your pardon?”

“
Are
you a rival for my sister’s affection?” Noah repeated. His face revealed none of his emotions.

Griffin shut his eyes briefly, letting his senses be filled by the sounds and smells of the crowded park. He thought of Audrey and his entire body clenched with pleasure and pain and longing all at once.

“I would never hurt Audrey,” he finally answered.

“That wasn’t the question.”

Griffin opened his eyes. He should have known Noah wouldn’t be distracted by evasion. Unfortunately, he wasn’t certain of his answer. He wanted Audrey. And wanted to protect her, but beyond that…

A great cheer from the crowd made both men look up. A group of soldiers passed through, their uniforms smart in the fading evening sun.

Noah looked at him again. “What I asked is if you’re in any way serious about my sister. And don’t tell me you’re only interested in her friendship. I’ve seen the way you look at her and I know you two have exchanged at least one kiss. Those aren’t the actions of a friend.”

Dipping his head, Griffin examined the dusty ground beneath his feet where the grass had been smashed beyond repair.

“Noah, I don’t know what to tell you about your sister and I. The fact is…”

Before he could finish his sentence, a loud bang came from behind the two. As both spun around, a large cheer went up from the gang of people around them.

Griffin spun on his heel to hurry through the crowd. People automatically cleared out of his way, some calling out his name. How he managed to wave and smile at his old friends, he didn’t know, but his hand came up naturally as he maneuvered through groups of people.

“I don’t see her,” Noah called out, straightening up so he could look over the crowd.

Another explosion rocked the park and several children screamed to his left. Griffin looked at them sharply. No one was hurt, in fact they seemed to be having a grand time.

“Damn it,” he said with a shake his head. “Why in God’s name did we leave her alone?”

Noah’s response was a warning. “Griffin.”

He ignored the warning. “Let’s split up. You go north toward the refreshment area, I’ll head toward the Prince’s box. We’ll meet back by that tree over there in ten minutes if neither of us has found her.”

Griffin motioned to a tall elm tree a few feet away. Its branches were heavy with lads who had scrambled into the bows for a better view of the festivities.

“Very well,” Noah said, “But watch yourself if you find them. Audrey is still doing a job, you know.”

As Noah vanished into the milling crowd, Griffin sighed. “I know. How could I not?”

With a deep breath, he hurried toward the spot in the distance that was the Prince’s box. Clamoring around people and half-empty crates of liquor in his pathway, Griffin scanned the crowd, looking for a glimpse of Audrey’s yellow gown, or that ridiculous bonnet she wore with all the ribbons, or the flash of her auburn hair as she strolled around the park. But there was nothing, only thousands of people milling in a disorganized wave.

Just as he was about to give up and head back to the elm where he’d promise to meet Noah, Griffin saw what he’d been looking for. The crowd peeled back and Audrey stood on a slight knoll, her hand shading her eyes as she peered around the park. Her bonnet was somewhat crocked, cocked too far over one eye. Ellison was nowhere in sight, neither was Hannah.

With a soft sound of relief, Griffin hurried toward her, knocking against uniformed men and tipsy women in his urgent need to reach her, to touch her and make sure she was real and unharmed.

“Audrey!” he called out, but the noise around him muffled his voice.

She didn’t seem to hear him as she continued to look around her with an expression of vexation on her face. With a scowl, she removed her bonnet and lowered her head to look at the messy knot in one of the ribbons, just as an errant arrow whizzed by her skull.

Chapter Eleven

Audrey felt the arrow pass by her head rather than saw it. A great gush of wind lifted the tufts of curls around her face as the steel shot past, though when she raised her gloved hand, there was no blood on her cheek.

“Damn and blast,” she muttered, surprised nearly being run through didn’t cause her much upset. In fact, she felt rather exhilarated. The rush of her blood, her heart lodged in her throat, pounding out a staccato beat against her neck… fantastic!

Audrey scanned the crowd for where the arrow could have come from. There were several possibilities. To her right a group of men huddled together, one of them looking in her direction from time to time. On her other side, a lone gentleman shoved something under his coat. Even a group of young boys who looked distinctly guilty about something could have been to blame. Before she could find the culprit, two strong hands grabbed her arms and yanked her down from her little perch on the hill.

“Audrey!” Griffin said close to her ear. His voice was full of the fear she herself hadn’t felt a moment before.

The sound of his voice and her sudden presence in his arms threw her off-guard. “Griffin?”

She turned toward him and was surprised at the look on his face. He still held one of her arms tightly, but he didn’t move at all for a long moment, merely staring at her face as if he was afraid she would vanish if he moved or spoke.

“Griffin?” she repeated, her voice much softer this time.

The sound of her voice snapped him from whatever spell he was under, but instead of answering he turned on his heel and began dragging her across the park. Her bonnet flew out of her hands as she stumbled after him, barely maintaining her balance as he yanked her through the crowd toward the carriages.

“What are you doing?” she demanded with a quick glance around her.

The two of them were receiving strange looks from the crowd. The men had a knowing gleam in their eyes, while some of the women seemed scandalized.

“Stop it!” She practically had to run to keep up with him in the hopes it would look less like he was dragging her away. “Griffin, please!”

He ignored her, hauling her ever closer to the carriages a few hundred yards away. Like a man possessed, he guided her through the groups of people until he reached his coach. The driver looked down from the box in surprise. Audrey couldn’t blame him. It should have been hours until their return.

“My lord?” The young man jumped down with a tilt of his head.

“Get us out of here,” Griffin said through clenched teeth. “Now.”

The man gave a smart bow. “Yes sir.” Reaching up, he nudged the footman at the back of the carriage none too gently. “Hey, you, open the door for his lordship.”

“Never mind.” Griffin yanked the door open himself and shoved Audrey inside. “Just take us home.”

“It may take a while to get us out of this bottleneck, sir.”

Griffin climbed in beside her and neatly blocked her attempt to escape with his body. Ignoring her glare, he snapped, “I don’t care if it takes an eternity!”

With that, he slammed the door and slid the curtains shut, enveloping the two of them into dark, warm silence. The carriage tilted as the driver climbed back up to the top and the vehicle rocked into slow motion.

“Are you planning on explaining yourself, Griffin Berenger, or just dragging me back to your home like the puffed up, pompous…” she trailed off, trying to find the right word. “
Brute
that you are?”

He didn’t answer, but turned his head away to stare at the curtain-darkened window.

“Griffin!” Her voice rose a notch as her frustration elevated. “You drag me away from my job, put my life, as well as my brother’s life in danger and now you refuse to even speak to me? Of all the…”

She stopped as she took in his expression in the dim carriage. His face was pale, ashen almost in the fading light and his hands trembled even though he’d clenched them into fists in his lap.

“You look like you’re going to be sick.” She moved closer to him and tilted her head to look at his face. “What is it?”

“I thought…” he began, then swallowed hard and took a deep breath. “You almost died and there was nothing I could do, Audrey. I watched that arrow pass within inches of your head and I couldn’t protect you.”

With a sigh of relief, she relaxed against the carriage seat. It was only fear for her life that made him look so torn.

“I’m fine,” she reassured him. “After the first explosion, Douglas went to investigate and Hannah saw an informant so she left to press him for more information. I believe the arrow was just a misfire, not aimed at me. My cover is fine, Griffin.”

“Your cover?” He turned to look directly at her. His voice grew dangerously low in the gloom. “Damn your cover!”

Suddenly his arms wrapped around her and pulled her against his chest. Her breasts flattened against the broad expanse of his body and her bated breaths reflected back from his throat.