did the dinner go then?” The slight tremor in her voice made her wince.
Ducking his head, Griffin shrugged one shoulder, evidence that he was as uncomfortable with their current situation as she was. “It went well enough. Ellison was his usual preening self, but he didn’t reveal anything of use to your case.”
“And where is Noah?” she asked as she slowly edged away from the bed toward the door. When she’d been angry, going into Griffin’s room hadn’t seemed like an outrageous thing to do. Once he started touching her, she hadn’t cared where they were as long as he was holding her. But now, rejected and embarrassed, she realized just how compromised she was.
Still, she couldn’t help but peer around the room, curious about Griffin’s private life. The chamber was strangely sparse, the only ornate piece of furniture was the large four-poster bed facing the fire. The rest of the pieces were plain and small, almost as if they didn’t fit in the enormous room. A door led off to her right and another to her left. One probably led to Griffin’s sitting room or study and the other to Luci’s bedroom.
With a shiver, Audrey turned her face down to stare at the wood flooring. The last thing she wanted to do was think of Luci’s bed, Luci’s room, Luci’s life in this house.
“Noah went off to put a bit of pressure on a lovely widow who he thought might have some information,” Griffin answered with a flash of a grin that brought her back to reality.
“Oh, good Lord,” Audrey laughed as the tension eased out of her body at her brother’s latest, predictable antics. “He never misses an opportunity, does he?”
Griffin frowned. “Did your brother often leave you alone on missions?”
She smiled sadly. “I suppose he did it often enough over the years. I expected it, for there were places only he could go. I always had Hannah to protect me and keep me company.”
“Yes, but you must have been lonely just the same.”
Griffin finally took her silent cues and opened the bedroom door to motion for her to step out. She followed his lead, leaving the masculine place where she’d nearly begged him to take her innocence and entering the bland hallway where they could both pretend nothing had happened between them. Though she should have felt relief, Audrey couldn’t help but take a backwards glance at Griffin’s room before allowing him to take her to the library down the hall.
“I suppose I was lonely from time to time. But I knew my role,” she answered as she settled into a leather chair by the fire and watched Griffin pour himself a snifter of port.
When he offered her a glass, she nodded.
“What do you mean, you knew your role?” Griffin took the chair beside her as he handed her the glass.
Slowly she sipped the wine, letting its rich, heady flavor fill her senses as she contemplated the question.
“Everyone has a role to play in life,” she began. “Right now you’re playing Lord of the keep, are you not? The great Viscount Berenger, future Earl of Ashton? Once upon a time you dreamed of other roles. I remember privateer and war hero were two of your favorites.”
Griffin gave her a half grin. “I’m surprised you remember those children’s games.”
“I remember everything.”
He didn’t answer, though his face tightened at her honest answer. For a moment she wished she could take the words back, but realized it would be pointless. Griffin obviously knew what a ninny she’d once been and what a silly girl she still was.
She struggled to continue her explanation. “A-at any rate, what Noah and I do is only an exaggerated playing of those roles. Noah plays the rake. He has enough power and money to influence those around him, but is allowed into the seedy underbelly of society if he chooses to play out his vices there.” She grinned. “And I’m sorry to say he relishes the role.”
Griffin laughed as the tension around his eyes bled away. “I imagine he
Ducking his head, Griffin shrugged one shoulder, evidence that he was as uncomfortable with their current situation as she was. “It went well enough. Ellison was his usual preening self, but he didn’t reveal anything of use to your case.”
“And where is Noah?” she asked as she slowly edged away from the bed toward the door. When she’d been angry, going into Griffin’s room hadn’t seemed like an outrageous thing to do. Once he started touching her, she hadn’t cared where they were as long as he was holding her. But now, rejected and embarrassed, she realized just how compromised she was.
Still, she couldn’t help but peer around the room, curious about Griffin’s private life. The chamber was strangely sparse, the only ornate piece of furniture was the large four-poster bed facing the fire. The rest of the pieces were plain and small, almost as if they didn’t fit in the enormous room. A door led off to her right and another to her left. One probably led to Griffin’s sitting room or study and the other to Luci’s bedroom.
With a shiver, Audrey turned her face down to stare at the wood flooring. The last thing she wanted to do was think of Luci’s bed, Luci’s room, Luci’s life in this house.
“Noah went off to put a bit of pressure on a lovely widow who he thought might have some information,” Griffin answered with a flash of a grin that brought her back to reality.
“Oh, good Lord,” Audrey laughed as the tension eased out of her body at her brother’s latest, predictable antics. “He never misses an opportunity, does he?”
Griffin frowned. “Did your brother often leave you alone on missions?”
She smiled sadly. “I suppose he did it often enough over the years. I expected it, for there were places only he could go. I always had Hannah to protect me and keep me company.”
“Yes, but you must have been lonely just the same.”
Griffin finally took her silent cues and opened the bedroom door to motion for her to step out. She followed his lead, leaving the masculine place where she’d nearly begged him to take her innocence and entering the bland hallway where they could both pretend nothing had happened between them. Though she should have felt relief, Audrey couldn’t help but take a backwards glance at Griffin’s room before allowing him to take her to the library down the hall.
“I suppose I was lonely from time to time. But I knew my role,” she answered as she settled into a leather chair by the fire and watched Griffin pour himself a snifter of port.
When he offered her a glass, she nodded.
“What do you mean, you knew your role?” Griffin took the chair beside her as he handed her the glass.
Slowly she sipped the wine, letting its rich, heady flavor fill her senses as she contemplated the question.
“Everyone has a role to play in life,” she began. “Right now you’re playing Lord of the keep, are you not? The great Viscount Berenger, future Earl of Ashton? Once upon a time you dreamed of other roles. I remember privateer and war hero were two of your favorites.”
Griffin gave her a half grin. “I’m surprised you remember those children’s games.”
“I remember everything.”
He didn’t answer, though his face tightened at her honest answer. For a moment she wished she could take the words back, but realized it would be pointless. Griffin obviously knew what a ninny she’d once been and what a silly girl she still was.
She struggled to continue her explanation. “A-at any rate, what Noah and I do is only an exaggerated playing of those roles. Noah plays the rake. He has enough power and money to influence those around him, but is allowed into the seedy underbelly of society if he chooses to play out his vices there.” She grinned. “And I’m sorry to say he relishes the role.”
Griffin laughed as the tension around his eyes bled away. “I imagine he
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