Page 10 of His Wicked Secret
A footman rushed to meet them. “Sir? What happened? Should I send for a doctor?”
“Not yet, thank you, Cory. Just have a room prepared for Miss Sheridan.” He looked down at the cat. “And fetch some cream for this cat. It seems he will be our guest as well. Send some food to my chambers and some wine. We are famished.”
“Of course!” The lad knelt down by the cat and spoke gently. “Care for some cream, old boy?”
“His name is Archimedes,” Audrey informed him.
“Of course, madam.” The cat let him pick him up, and they walked off toward the kitchens.
Jonathan watched Audrey glance about his home, worry crinkling her brow. She twined her fingers out of nervous habit. They were all alone now, no more barriers between them except the clothes on their bodies. He banished the sudden desire to drag her into his arms for a kiss.
“Jonathan, I cannot stay,” Audrey said in a whisper. It wasn’t her reputation she was worried about. He could see the fear in her eyes. Fear of him. She’d accused him of being cold and unfeeling, and he was anything but that, but she wouldn’t understand why he couldn’t tell her how he felt. A man simply didn’t kneel at a woman’s feet and say,“The sun rises and sets in your eyes…”like some lovesick poet. She would laugh at him.
“You can and you will. It’s the safest course of action.” He paused, eyeing her disheveled appearance. “Your gown is in tatters, and you look as though you’ve been attacked, which you were, and those men from the club could still be out there looking for you. You know too much…Lady Society.”
Audrey reddened and looked away. “I am not… It is not what you think. And besides, it is not only myself I am concerned about. Gillian is still out there…”
“I trust that Gillian is safe with James. You and I both know he’s a gentleman. And they know who you are now, whereas I have managed to remain anonymous. Which means it’s up to me to protect you, which requires you staying here tonight.” Jonathan kept hold of her arm, not in a tight grip but a gentle one, wanting her to feel his support.
“Fine, for tonight then, but I leave in the morning.” The moment she agreed, he released his hold on her arm.
They started toward the stairs, and he clung to the hope that his plan would work. He needed to convince Audrey he was worthy of her.
She followed him up the stairs as he took her to his bedchamber. The townhouse had once belonged to Lord Chessley, Cedric’s father-in-law. Jonathan had used a portion of his inheritance to purchase the home at a reasonable price. It was well situated on Half Moon Street, and the furnishings were well kept. Most bachelors kept a simple set of furniture, but Jonathan knew a bachelor residence wouldn’t be good enough when he married. He had spent months trying to perfect this house and prepare it for a future wife.
For Audrey.
And now she’s here. A flutter of nerves stirred in his belly.
He’d given quite a bit of thought to marriage. He had grown up watching his older brother take mistress after mistress before he settled down, and for a time he had followed similar lustful habits. But meeting Audrey had changed him. He couldn’t forget the sight of her last September when they’d first met. She had been young, fresh-faced, with eyes like nutmeg and hair like cinnamon. There had been an animation in her features, an intelligence and liveliness that had captivated him.
But along with his desires, his fears arose in response.I’m not good enough for her.She’s a viscount’s daughter, a gentle-born lady. I was born under a shadow, the secret son of a duke.I’ve lived almost my entire life as a servant.
The fact he was a member of the League did not help matters.
The League of Rogues—as society had taken to calling them—was made up of those he now counted as his closest friends. They had been there when he discovered his true heritage, and they’d helped ease him into London society. But they had all gained a reputation in thetonfor their devilish ways with women and casual disregard for the more restrictive British norms. Only their noble titles protected them from public scorn, and that was a shield that Jonathan did not share.
The last thing he wanted was to put Audrey into a place of shame in society because of his background. But if she agreed to marry him, he would spend the rest of his life trying to be worthy of her.
“Have a seat.” He gestured to one of the comfortable armchairs and then set about lighting a fire. He supposed he could have asked one of the footmen to do it, but having once been a footman himself, he knew what a rotten task it was to do late at night. Most of the servants were already asleep. It was after midnight.
He lit the fire, and once assured the kindling would stay aflame, he turned to face her. She was studying him.
“You lit a fire.” She twirled her fingers against the red satin of her gown in a way he’d come to recognize as a sign that she was both confused and concerned.
“Being a former servant, that’s one of my many talents. I’m sure that shocks and horrifies you.”
Audrey’s nose wrinkled. “That’s not what—” She shook her head and started again. “What I mean is, I wish I knew how to do that. You made it look so simple just now. You know so much, how to take care of yourself, as you demonstrated by the way you fought tonight. I wish I had that strength.”
He chuckled, relaxing a little. She wasn’t upset that he was seeing to a servant’s duties; she was envious. That was unexpected, and yet he knew she was always going to surprise him. It was one of the things he liked about her. She was impossible to predict.
“You want to learn how to light a fire?” he asked.
“Well, yes. But what I really wish to learn is to fight.”
“To fight? Audrey, you were wielding a candlestick to great effect. And the poker? Lord, woman, you were a fierce creature with that.”
Her cheeks pinkened. “Yes, well, it wasn’t as if I had much choice. You were outnumbered and I needed to help, but I was a distraction at best. That is my point. I want to learn to defend myself properly.”
