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.
Chapter Five
Audrey peered out the carriage window to watch the sparkling lights of townhouses and small city estates pass by. Despite the late hour, many of the occupants of the stylish homes were still awake. Some were hosting balls, others arriving home from the opera she and her party had attended. Still others were plotting the assassination of the Prince Regent.
With a shiver, she glanced at Ellison. How she loathed being alone with him, pretending to care for him. But there was little choice. This was her duty, no matter how she… or Griffin… felt about it.
Ellison leaned closer to peek over her shoulder. The slight gesture was an invasion of her already compromised personal space.
“What do you find outside that intrigues you so much, my dear?”
“I was just thinking about the opera tonight,” she lied with a practiced smile. “What a treat to see both the Prince and Princess there.”
Ellison pulled away, and she took the opportunity to breathe again.
“Yes, His Royal Highness looked high and mighty as ever.” Ellison shook his head.
Batting her eyes as if she didn’t hear the venom dripping from his voice, she said, “Well, he is the next King of England.”
“Perhaps,” he answered with a thin smile. After a pause, he continued, “Did you see the expression on his face when he realized the crowd was applauding for her and not for him?”
Audrey took in a shallow breath as she glanced at Hannah. The other woman pretended to be staring out her window in disinterest, but Audrey could tell by the sparkle in her green eyes that she was digesting every word of the conversation for analysis later. Once more Audrey counted herself lucky that Hannah was her protector and partner.
“They both certainly looked nice in their finery,” she said, returning to her game of silly miss.
He shook his head as if to clear his thoughts. “No one was as beautiful as you were tonight, Audrey.”
With a sly look in Hannah’s direction, he moved closer. His body heat was stifling in the close confines of the carriage. Audrey swallowed hard.
Ellison continued, “I must admit I missed your company in the weeks we were apart. I’m very glad you decided to come to London. Though I do wish you had agreed to stay in my home… with your brother as escort, of course.”
Her breath hitched in her throat, but Audrey managed to answer, “Viscount Berenger is an old friend of Noah’s. With all his recent tragedy, my
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.
Chapter Five
Audrey peered out the carriage window to watch the sparkling lights of townhouses and small city estates pass by. Despite the late hour, many of the occupants of the stylish homes were still awake. Some were hosting balls, others arriving home from the opera she and her party had attended. Still others were plotting the assassination of the Prince Regent.
With a shiver, she glanced at Ellison. How she loathed being alone with him, pretending to care for him. But there was little choice. This was her duty, no matter how she… or Griffin… felt about it.
Ellison leaned closer to peek over her shoulder. The slight gesture was an invasion of her already compromised personal space.
“What do you find outside that intrigues you so much, my dear?”
“I was just thinking about the opera tonight,” she lied with a practiced smile. “What a treat to see both the Prince and Princess there.”
Ellison pulled away, and she took the opportunity to breathe again.
“Yes, His Royal Highness looked high and mighty as ever.” Ellison shook his head.
Batting her eyes as if she didn’t hear the venom dripping from his voice, she said, “Well, he is the next King of England.”
“Perhaps,” he answered with a thin smile. After a pause, he continued, “Did you see the expression on his face when he realized the crowd was applauding for her and not for him?”
Audrey took in a shallow breath as she glanced at Hannah. The other woman pretended to be staring out her window in disinterest, but Audrey could tell by the sparkle in her green eyes that she was digesting every word of the conversation for analysis later. Once more Audrey counted herself lucky that Hannah was her protector and partner.
“They both certainly looked nice in their finery,” she said, returning to her game of silly miss.
He shook his head as if to clear his thoughts. “No one was as beautiful as you were tonight, Audrey.”
With a sly look in Hannah’s direction, he moved closer. His body heat was stifling in the close confines of the carriage. Audrey swallowed hard.
Ellison continued, “I must admit I missed your company in the weeks we were apart. I’m very glad you decided to come to London. Though I do wish you had agreed to stay in my home… with your brother as escort, of course.”
Her breath hitched in her throat, but Audrey managed to answer, “Viscount Berenger is an old friend of Noah’s. With all his recent tragedy, my
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