A Night of Secrets (40 page)

Hanna crossed her arms and tucked her chin to her chest, looking more than annoyed. “Sorry.”

Meg swept to the mirror to hide her grin and pretended to fix her hair. “A few town members have been invited. Grayson thought it best to invite the
crème de la crème
of our little society. He plans to show them they’re either with us, or against us.”

Although the words had sounded rather ominous to her, she couldn’t help but smile. He’d been so angry when he’d heard the way the town had been treating them. Her knight, come to her rescue. Her smile fell. A knight who had never told her he loved her. She certainly was no romantic fool. She didn’t need words of love. He’d done more for them than anyone and that was enough. Wasn’t it?

“Can I show you my secret room now?”

“Of course.” Meg followed the child down the hall. She could hear music below, the small orchestra preparing. Her nerves flared. Would they see through her confident ruse the moment she stepped foot in the ballroom?

“Here it is! Grayson showed it to me. He said it could be my secret.” She reached the bookshelf next to the fireplace and pulled. The case creaked open. There was a small room behind the bookcase, Hanna’s favorite doll and pillow had already claimed a spot in the corner.

“And you’re sharing your secret with me?”

“Of course I am.”

It certainly wasn’t the first secret they shared. Hanna pushed the door back into place. Meg studied the child’s innocent face, a face full of trust and excitement. Hanna had known wealth at one time, and now she would again. The child deserved this comfort after what she had been through.

“When are we leaving?” Hanna asked, interrupting her thoughts.

“What’s that, poppet?”

“When are we leaving for the ocean, as Grayson mentioned?”

Meg smiled and took Hanna’s hands, squeezing. “We will, I promise, very soon.”

“And will Grayson go with us?”

“Oh yes, he’s quite insistent that just the three of us travel. He’s already made plans. Two weeks from today.”

It was odd, now that she thought on it. No servants. Just them. Not that she needed servants, but she assumed Grayson would want them on hand. He certainly was trusting her cooking skills. But the thought of merely the three of them enjoying the week, made her smile.

It was amazing how quickly Grayson and Hanna had bonded, and Meg couldn’t be happier. Hanna needed a strong male influence. And tonight… yes, tonight, she would tell him the truth about Hanna. But if he had known Hanna’s mother and she had relatives about, could Meg lose the child? No, she wouldn’t think such horrible thoughts. Surely if Hanna had family, they would have come looking for her by now.

“I must go.” Meg moved to the door. “And put on a sweater, please.”

Hanna jumped from the bed and skipped toward the windows, most likely eager to peek outside and watch the guests arriving in all their finery. Finally, Meg was alone and forced to dwell on tonight’s events. She couldn’t waste any more time. She was already late. Taking in a deep breath, she made her way down the hall, her heart thudding harder with each step.

To have a ball now seemed preposterous. She’d been accused of murder, for God’s sake, and the entire town was well aware. But Grayson had insisted, telling her she would stand before them guiltless. She must calm her racing heart. Her nerves were getting the better of her, and nerves could be misinterpreted as guilt, couldn’t they?

At the end of the hall she stilled and rested her head against the cool plaster wall. Below, music played, a soft piece she didn’t recognize, but that calmed her nerves all the same. The only positive to his horrifying event was that soon she would dance in Grayson’s arms. She closed her eyes and thought of the past nights.

Nights when she could forget her worries, her anxiety. When he held her close and they lay in silence. Nights when she felt safe. But all too soon the mornings came and with them reality. Who was Grayson Bellamont really? A man who was stoic, who liked order, who was always on time, always prepared. But what did he
feel
? More importantly, what did he feel toward her? But tonight, she wouldn’t worry about words unspoken. No, tonight she’d dance and laugh.

Soft voices swept up from the foyer. Visitors had arrived while she hid, when she should be downstairs to welcome their guests. She knelt and peeked through the railings like a child on Christmas Eve. Below Grayson stood, his black jacket stretching across his broad shoulders. Memories flashed to mind… running her hands down his bare back, cupping his bottom and pulling him closer. She swallowed hard and focused on the couple to whom he talked. Friends of his, for she didn’t recognize them.

They’d opened the study and the connecting doors that led into the music room. Two of the few rooms in the estate that were ready for visitors. She’d come to love the music room and would often curl upon the settee and read. Or, at times, she and Hanna would play with the keys on the piano. And when they did, Grayson inevitably ended up hovering in the doorway. He wouldn’t play, he never played. Merely watched, waiting for the strength or courage, which she wasn’t sure. There was this part of her that wanted to help him, fix whatever it was holding him back. But she knew only he could truly mend himself. She’d learned that well enough with Papa.

The ball had started without her and she was the main attraction. She took in a deep breath and stood. A James did not shirk duty. She’d make her parents proud. Slowly, she moved down the steps, praying she wouldn’t trip and tumble head over heel, landing with her skirt over her head.

As if sensing her presence, Grayson turned. His gaze slipped down her body, his attention covering every inch and leaving behind a trail of heat that started in her core and swept outward. He didn’t need to say a word, for his thoughts were mirrored in his eyes.

Her mouth went dry. She wanted to rush into his arms, to press her lips to his, to take comfort in his touch. At the same time, she wanted to run and hide, to get away from him and her unsettling emotions as fast as possible.

Then he came for her, holding out his hand as if daring her to take it, daring her to believe in him. And she believed. She slipped her fingers into his, marveling over the strength in the simple touch. Suddenly she didn’t care anymore. She didn’t care who was watching her, who was whispering hurtful rumors. It was merely she and Grayson.

“You are lovely,” he said softly and his words brought a warm tingle through her body.

He slipped her arm through his, his side pressed strong and hot against her. She could barely feel the ground beneath her slippers as he led her into the ballroom. She was barely aware of Nelson calling out names. Barely aware that elegantly coifed heads swiveled toward them.

Candle light surrounded the perimeter of the room and highlighted the colorful shades of dresses that shimmered under the soft glow. Beautiful gemstones settled against the black backdrop of their male escorts in their perfectly tailored suits. Roses of every shade were placed on tables around the area, their heady scent mixing with women’s perfume. The room had been transformed into a place of warmth and welcome.

“Who are these people?” she whispered, stepping closer to Grayson.

“Friends, neighbors.”

“No neighbors I know.” She spotted a few familiar faces amongst the crowd, just enough of the locals to get word out. Meg James was important now. She couldn’t possibly be a murderer. So why did she still feel guilty?

“And are any of them… like you?”

He smiled as he led her to the middle of the floor. “Blood suckers?”

She nodded.

He looked around, studying the faces that lined the perimeter of the floor, watching them carefully. “A few, perhaps. But they know better than to drink from anyone here. Don’t worry.”

“I wasn’t worried.”

He frowned, pulling her closer. “You should be. Not all of us believe humans should be equal, you know.”

She pressed her hand to her neck, thinking of the prison and those two men. To them, she was a game, a meal. “I know.”

The orchestra started a waltz.

“Shall we?” Grayson asked.

Knowing she had no choice, as everyone was watching them, she stepped closer. “How?” she whispered, taking in the multitude of flowers, blooms of every variety, every color. “How could you possibly transform this area in only a few days?” She was babbling like a brook, too nervous to stop talking. She’d known there would be guests, but she hadn’t realized how many. And she certainly hadn’t realized how intensely they’d be watching her, whispering behind their fans.

“Lots of money and servants.” He wrapped his arm around her waist and drew her closer, impossibly close.

“Grayson, I….”

“Yes?” He paused in the middle of the dance floor, his arm wrapped around her waist as if they were the only two people in the room, as if they had all the time in the world.

“I can’t do this, not in front of everyone.” Lord, she’d only just learned to dance. She could feel them watching her, their eyes piercing her body, and her legs suddenly felt leaden. She felt alone, swimming in a sea of unfamiliar sharks, circling her, watching her, waiting for her to slip so they could rush in for an attack. Her fingers dug into Grayson’s hard bicep.

“Follow me, I’ll keep you safe.”

She looked up into his handsome face. So sure. So strong. And she did feel safe.

Before she could respond, Grayson spun her around the room. Meg clung to her husband, focusing only on him. The lights and faces were a blur of color as they twirled from corner to corner. He was her anchor, her boat of safety, all she had.

She pressed closer to him, her toes barely touching the ground as they moved to the music. Slowly, other groups entered the fray, but she was barely aware. She was only aware of Grayson’s muscular legs brushing against hers, leading her. Aware of his hand burning through the material of her dress. And his eyes, soft and emotional as he stared down at her, only her. The music tapered off and Grayson slowed. They paused in the middle of the room as the other couples around them clapped. Between the corset pressing into her lungs, the activity, and being in Grayson’s arms, she was left gasping for breath.

“Come, sit.” He led her to a chair against the wall and nodded toward a passing footman for refreshments.

Without argument she settled on the edge of the seat, as he loomed beside her, Guardian Angel. A smile pulled at her lips. She’d done it, danced her first real dance and she hadn’t made a fool of either of them. Only three hours to go. How her sisters would love to hear the story of tonight’s activities. How they’d sigh and demand to know every detail as if her life was suddenly a fairytale, and perhaps it was.

“Bellamont!”

Meg stiffened, smoothing down her dress. She knew that from now until the end of the night, they would be bombarded with greetings. How would she ever remember all of their names? Curious as to the identity of their first visitor, Meg peeked around Grayson. A brown haired Adonis swept their way, his strides confident; his suit fit his sinewy body to perfection. He was a handsome man, to say the least, with chocolate brown hair that gleamed in the candlelight; hair much too long for any decent gentleman. And his grin, Lord, his grin promised all sorts of charm and mischief.

Grayson lowered his head in acknowledgement. “Lord Brimley, so good of you to come.”

Brimley
. The name shot through Meg with a sickening thrum. The man Beth now worked for. Meg sucked in a sharp breath and her gaze swept the crowd as if expecting to see Beth being pulled across the ballroom in chains.

“Well, my friend,” he said, slapping Grayson on the back, “when I heard you’d married, I had to see for myself.” His blue eyes found her and his attention swept over her form, assessing, yet guileless. “What a fortunate man you are.”

Grayson frowned, looking more than annoyed. “Lord Brimley, my wife Meg Bellamont.”

The man actually winked. “You can call me Nate.”

“Thank you,” Meg murmured, sliding her attention toward Grayson. He didn’t look guilty, but surely it was no coincidence that the very man who Beth now worked for was here, this evening!

“Tis lovely to meet you, Mrs. Bellamont.” Brimley bent low and kissed the back of her gloved hand. She could merely nod and wait to see what would happen next. “How do we know each other?”

She almost choked. “Your cousin, my lord, Lady Frilley. We lived near each other at one time and still correspond.” Which is how she’d heard about his need for a nanny. Oh Lord, what a miserable mistake! Meg curled her hands in her skirt, hoping they wouldn’t notice the way she trembled.

“Of course, of course.” But he was watching her oddly, as if attempting to decipher something he couldn’t quite put his finger on, but would eventually uncover. And in that moment, there was something feral about the man. Something that sent a shiver of unease over her body.

“Later, Gray, I’d like to discuss the shipment from China, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course,” Grayson murmured.

Brimley smiled, the charming man returned. “Well, if you’ll excuse me, there is a lucky lady waiting for a dancing partner.” With a bow of farewell, he turned on his heel and swept across the ballroom, no doubt sending a multitude of female hearts fluttering.