The Secrets of a Lady (36 page)

Griffin nodded to the woman then turned his attention back to Noah as the door closed. “I suppose everything will go back to normal then.”

“I suppose so.” Noah looked at him evenly. There was an awkward pause before he spoke again. “How long do you plan to be such an ass?”

“Yes. Mother found out about the whole bloody business and wrote Audrey a long letter. The first in a long time. Audrey went home to patch things up, but she left a message for you.”

“For me?” Griffin asked, hoping he sounded uncaring even though his whole body came to attention. “What is it?”

Noah frowned. “She said it was better for her to leave things as they were, without a big scene where you pretended to love her. I tried to make her wait, but she was bent on going. But then, I can’t tell her what she needs to hear, so nothing I said would have made a difference.”

Griffin covered his eyes with his forearm. “And what does she need to hear?”

“You know what she needs to hear.” Noah stood up with a screech of his chair. Wincing, Griffin lowered his arm to look at his best friend. “If you don’t care for my sister, then leave her be. Let her move on with her life now that she’s rebuilding with our family. But if you love her, Griffin…” he trailed off, clenching his teeth.

“I know what I need to do.”

His tone sounded angry even though he didn’t feel anger. He felt anticipation as he threw the covers off his legs and staggered to his feet. Pain shot through his lower body when he put weight on his injury, but he ignored it as he hobbled to his armoire. Where the hell was his damned valet when he needed him?

Griffin rolled his eyes. “Let me guess. It has something do with telling me to stop being a coward. To go to her and make up for everything?”

With his heart feeling lighter than it had in ages, Griffin laughed. “First, we need a plan. Aren’t half-assed plans your department?”

***

Audrey threw open the shutters on her windows and breathed in the scent of the country air. Fall was beginning to make the breeze a bit cooler, but the soft warmth still hung beneath it. It had been two weeks since she left London. Though she had received letters from Hannah and from Noah, Griffin had sent no word. She heard he was improving, but there was nothing else to give her a hint about his feelings for her.

What did she expect? It wasn’t as if she’d asked Griffin to write to her. And she’d specifically told Noah not to force the man to come to her unless he wanted to.

Which he obviously didn’t.

Turning from the visions of changing leaves and warm sun outside, she folded her arms in disgust. She thought she’d been a ninny the last time she’d broken ties with Griffin Berenger, but this time was much worse. Though she didn’t feel the pangs of youthful grief, she did feel a solid ache inside her. This time she’d experienced first hand what Griffin could offer her, and had been forced to turn it down.

What would have happened if she had accepted his proposal?

No, she couldn’t think of that now, it was only torture to her already broken heart.

After the excitement of the past few months, her home seemed calm and subdued. Because her father had been ill, he liked quiet evenings at home. While she enjoyed being reunited with her parents, she sometimes longed for the thrill of a case.

Her time with her mother had been especially good. Though Tabitha had been disapproving of the life she’d lead at first, nearly losing her first-born daughter seemed to put things into perspective for her. She’d even apologized for nearly forcing Audrey into a marriage she didn’t want.

With a sigh, Audrey sat down on one of the chairs in her chamber’s salon. Her mother had gone calling and her father was taking his daily afternoon nap. Even the servants had seemingly disappeared after several strange looks for her all morning. Audrey had the odd feeling she was being left out of some kind of joke. People had stopped talking when she entered rooms all day.

She was finally putting thoughts of Griffin out of her mind and becoming engrossed in the story she read when a soft cough at her door made her look up. Instead of a servant, as she’d expected, Griffin himself stood there, leaning against the doorjamb with his arms folded across his broad chest.

“What…” she stammered, blinking twice to make sure her imagination hadn’t taken her completely away. Before she could say anything more, he hobbled across the room to take her hands. His touch was so warm and gentle that she knew she wasn’t dreaming.

With one pull, she was on her feet, then in his arms. His mouth swept down and molded against hers. Damp heat rushed through her body with the touch she’d dreamed about but hadn’t experienced for what seemed like a lifetime. Surrendering completely, Audrey returned his kiss, tasting every hollow of his mouth and pulling him closer and closer to her.

With two surprised blinks, Audrey looked down. Sure enough, she’d unfastened half of his buttons and pulled his shirt partly off his broad shoulders. Letting go of him, she pushed out of his arms.

“The reasons we can’t be together remain the same,” she managed to say shakily, praying he’d put his shirt back on before she looked at him. The sight of his half naked body was just too distracting.

“No they aren’t. The reasons are gone. I love you, Audrey.”

His words rushed through her, striking her heart like an arrow. As much as she wanted to give in to what he offered her, she wasn’t certain it was real.

She sighed. “This is why I left London, Griffin. I didn’t want a scene like this where you tell me you love me just because you think you
should
marry me. It’s just too cruel.”

“I’m not cruel.” He limped around to stand in front of her. Reaching out, he took her trembling hand in his and raised it to his lips. The caress was butterfly gentle, but made her knees go weak. “I’m truthful. These past two weeks away from you have been hell, but I came as soon as I could.”

“I’m sorry you wasted your time then.” She turned away so he wouldn’t feel her tremble.

“I love you,” he repeated, seemingly undaunted by her refusals and rebukes.

She could hear her breath rasping in and out of her lungs in the long silence that followed his second profession of love. But she didn’t answer, and he didn’t speak. At least, not at first.

“Audrey?” he finally said when the silence had filled the room for many moments.

“Don’t…” She cursed herself for the tears that had collected in her eyes. “Don’t say you love me unless you really mean it.”

He grasped her shoulders to turn her toward him. His hand cupped her chin, lifting her face to look into his. “I mean it. I think I’ve loved you for years. Probably even before that day you kissed me. I love to watch your mind spin on a problem. I love the way you offer me comfort. I love the way you touch me. I love everything about you, even the things I haven’t learned yet. I was a fool not to see it before, but if you’ll allow me I’ll spend the rest of my life making up for it. I love you.”

Her tears were flowing freely now, running down her cheeks to drip off her chin, but she did nothing to ebb their flow as she stared in utter joy at Griffin’s face. Finally she saw there what she’d searched for so long.

Audrey pulled away as Griffin hurriedly buttoned his shirt. Both Griffin’s family and her own were gathered in the doorway. Her brother was there and Hannah, too in the back of the crowd, with a huge “I told you so” grin on her face.

Audrey motioned them in as she wiped away tears.

“Oh,” Griffin’s mother said with a sniffle. “She said yes this time.”

Blood rushed to her cheeks and she didn’t care. “Yes.” It was the only word she could think to say and she wanted to shout it from the rooftops.

Take a Sneak Peek at the second book in the Jordans series,
The Temptation of a Gentleman
(October 2011):

“
Get your mind out of the game and into the parlor, Woodbury,” Noah Jordan admonished himself as he paced the sitting room of the Ives family.

He groaned. Impossible. He had been trying to focus on the impending arrival of the woman he was courting, but his errant thoughts kept drifting to the letter in his pocket.

He fingered the parchment restlessly before he took a seat near the fire, but he didn’t need to withdraw the envelope to know each and every word that was written inside. They were imprinted on his brain. His former employer, Lord Golding wanted him back in the field. To play the spy just one last time.

It was an opportunity Noah had immediately grasped. After being removed from active duty one year before, he’d been increasingly consumed by ennui. Duty required he participate in the boring practices of the
ton
. One of which was finding a proper wife. Just the thought made him grimace. Courting was boring as hell. He shuttered to think what marriage would be like. Night after night with the same woman, only escaping to play a hand of cards or discreetly visit a mistress.

He groaned inwardly.

He forced his frown into an awkward smile when the door opened and Lady Charlotte Ives entered. As always, she was the epitome of grace and classic beauty. Every golden lock was in place and her gown matched the blue of her eyes to perfection.

Despite all that, she did very little to make his blood burn.

He rose to place a perfunctory kiss on her perfumed hand. “Good afternoon, Lady Charlotte.”

“
Good afternoon, Lord Woodbury,” she replied as she took her place on the settee.

He flinched at the sound of his father’s title coming from her lips. Despite the old man’s death six months before, Woodbury still seemed to belong to him. Noah had always been more comfortable with the title Lockhart. But those carefree days were over. Now
he
was the Marquis of Woodbury and he had to behave, and marry, accordingly.

“
I do hope there is nothing amiss with you.” Charlotte’s smooth voice jerked him from his musings. “When you asked to meet with me you seemed quite urgent. Is everything well with your family?”

“
Yes.” He took the tea she offered him with a nod. “My family is quite well, thank you for asking. Audrey and her husband are here in London for the summer. My mother is still adjusting to life alone, but she has her charitable work in Woodbury. And Ginny and her husband are on their estate in Northern York.”

Charlotte smiled at the quick recounting of Noah’s ever changing family, though it seemed to him that her expression was a little less than interested.

“
I’m glad to hear they are all so well. But I still wonder about your need to meet with me today.” She folded her hands in her lap.

“
I wanted to inform you that I shall be leaving London for a short time. I have business to attend to in my shire.”

She tilted her head but he couldn’t read her expression. “How long will you be gone, my lord?”

“
Not very long. Perhaps a month.” He leaned forward to stare into her eyes and hoped, not for the first time, that he would see something within their depths that captured him.