Page 30 of His Wicked Secret
“I was only teasing you. You were staring at them for an awfully long time.”
He’d been watching her? For how long? And why?
“Humph!” She wasn’t going to let his playful smile have any effect on her. No doubt it was just more of his game playing.
“Well.” His smile faded, and he stared down at her. “I thought it was time for your first lesson. Lucien has a room that’s perfectly suited for training.”
She blinked up at him. “You mean…the fighting lessons? Here?”
“Yes. My ribs are mostly healed, and I think I canhandlea tiny thing like you.”
Her body flushed at the way he saidhandle, as though he had things on his mind other than fighting. But when they’d shared his bed, he’d been a perfect gentleman, just as he said he would be. Other than curling his arm around her waist, no doubt an unconscious habit born from the many others he’d taken to bed with him, he’d done nothing to display his interest. She didn’t like to admit it, but she’d hoped he would have taken advantage of the situation and made love to her. But he hadn’t.
There was such a thing as beingtoohonorable.
“I changed my mind. I don’t think I need lessons after all.” She started to push past, but he caught her wrist. She jerked to a halt and whirled to face him.
“Lesson one.” His grip on her hand was tight enough that she couldn’t get free. “A bad man won’t give you the chance to walk away with your adorable chin held high. They will be bastards. They won’t just want to harm you. They will want to make you feel weak and ineffectual. For example, they will grab your hair.”
He did just that, albeit gently. Her knees weakened as her body flushed with a wave of heat.
“They will drag you close so that you can’t escape. They will try to have their way with you. And they will take more than a kiss from your soft lips.” His head lowered to within an inch of hers, their lips close enough that his warm breath mixed with hers. It made her tremble violently.
“Jonathan…” She was not at all sure what he wanted her to do as she clutched at his shoulder with her other hand. Was this a lesson? Was she supposed to defend herself? All she could think of was that moment at the Midnight Garden a week before. He’d used his hand to stroke and tease her until she’d come apart in his arms. Did he intend to do that again? Let her glimpse heaven?
“You must learn to protect yourself if you want to keep playing the spy. I can’t stay by your side every minute.” His gaze lowered to her mouth. “Meet me in the leisure room in half an hour. If you do not show, I will track you down, and we will train wherever it is I find you.”
He let go of her and walked away. Audrey took one step, her knees buckling together as she fought to regain control of herself. She finally understood why he wanted her in his bed. Being so close to him, even when he was attempting to show her the danger she faced, she’d been far too fixated on the pleasures he could give her instead.
I should look at this in a more positive light. Evangeline says that seduction is part of my job as a spy, but that means I will need to be able to control my feelings. Learning not to let Jonathan affect me will be a valuable lesson.
But that also meant she would indeed have to sleep in his bed—the sooner the better. Her heart gave an excited flutter.
“God’s teeth!” she cursed, leaving the succession house and heading back to the main house. There was no sign of Gillian or James. She hoped they were out somewhere enjoying the day, but for the moment their happiness would have to be entirely in their own hands. She returned to her chambers and called for Sarah, who helped her strip out of her dress and put on the clothes she had tailored secretly a few months ago.
The dark brown trousers she’d made were nice and loose enough that she could move freely. The white lawn shirt was surprisingly comfortable. She had her maid bind her breasts with a cloth rather than stay in her corset, and then she put on a rich burgundy waistcoat. Though she was dressing like a man, it didn’t mean she couldn’t still look splendid. She pulled back her hair to the nape of her neck and secured it with a matching ribbon. She then looked over her accomplishment in the full-length mirror, grinning. Next to her, the maid blushed.
“Heavens, miss!”
“It’s scandalous, yes, but I’m not going to have success at learning to fight by wearing a dress.”
The maid paled. “Learning tofight, miss?”
“Yes.” Audrey grinned. “I’m taking lessons.” She left room with the maid still gaping and headed for the leisure room. It was in the opposite wing of the house, and she prayed she would not run into any guests on the way there. She wasn’t ashamed of what she was doing, but what she waswearingwas another matter. If Horatia got word of this, she would ask questions Audrey did not wish to answer. And given how soon she was to become a mother, Audrey did not want anything upsetting her sister.
Thankfully, she passed by no one, and when she reached the leisure room Jonathan was already inside, facing away from her. He removed his coat and dropped to a crouch to remove his boots. She stared at him, wanting to ask what he was doing. He straightened and then turned, still seemingly unaware of her.
She was about to announce her presence, eager to know what he thought about how she was dressed, when he suddenly spoke.
“Now that you’re here, let’s get started—” He turned to face her and then froze. He blinked once, his face reddening. “What…are you wearing?”
Audrey happily pranced into the room. That was the reaction she’d been hoping for.
“These are my fighting clothes. Quite splendid, don’t you think? I made them myself.” She turned and glanced at him over her shoulder so he could see the outfit from all sides.
“Splendid? What…where…” He stuttered and waved a hand to her chest. “Where are your breasts?”
Audrey’s face heated at the inappropriate remark, but she refused to let him render her speechless. “They are bound up tight so as not to interfere.”
