‘Have a care, Griff,’ Christian warned ruefully as he obviously saw the light of rebellion in her eyes. ‘It has been my experience, in my many dealings with my younger sister, Julianna, that it is a mistake for any man to forbid a strong-minded woman to do anything—unless he expects her to do the opposite. For myself, in regard to Julianna, I am more than gratified to have passed that particular responsibility over to Worthing!’ He grinned ruefully.
Griffin drew in a harsh, controlling breath, well aware of the contrariness of a woman’s actions; he had been a married man for a year, after all.
‘This is all my fault,’ Maystone rallied apologetically. ‘For having suggested such a plan in the first place.’ His expression gentled as he looked up at Bea. ‘Perhaps Griffin is in the right of it, my dear, and we should not proceed with this.’
‘Griffin is most certainly not in the right of it!’ Bea stood up, her expression one of indignation, eyes glittering rebelliously as she glared at Griffin. ‘Lord Maystone’s suggestion is a sound one. And I shall do just as I please,’ she added challengingly as Griffin would have spoken. ‘I have no doubt I shall be perfectly safe under the protection of the Duke of Sutherland.’
That was one of Griffin’s main objections to the plan!
Besides the obvious one of Bea deliberately placing herself in the path of danger.
Whether either of the Lathams were involved in her abduction or not, Bea’s reappearance at their home would still leave her vulnerable to the people who had been responsible. To Jacob Harker, at the very least.
Besides which, if anyone was to act as Bea’s protector then it should be him. In this particular situation that was an impossibility, when the Lathams lived but a mile away from Stonehurst Park, and he was supposed to be unacquainted with the Lathams’ niece. And if Griffin could not be at her side, once she was returned to the uncertainty as to the innocence of the inhabitants of Latham Manor, then he could not, in all conscience, approve of Bea going there either.
Or bear the thought of her spending so much time alone with Christian.
Griffin knew his own nature well enough to realise he could be taciturn and brusque, and that his looks were not, and never would be, as appealing as Christian’s. Just as he knew Bea could not help but be charmed by the man, as so many other women in society had been and still were, if the two of them were to be so much together at Latham Manor.
If Christian, charming and gentlemanly, were perforce to become Bea’s rescuer in Griffin’s stead.
What made the situation worse was that Griffin knew how ridiculous it was for him to feel this way.
Even petty and childish.
Griffin knew he would be lying if he claimed to not already feel jealous at having to share Bea, first with Christian, and now with Maystone too.
This current conversation was a prime example of just how frustrating he found having this situation taken out of his control! ‘I believe I should like to go to the library and discuss this alone with Bea, if you two gentlemen have no objection?’ He eyed the other two men stonily.
‘And if I should object?’ In point of fact, Bea did not have any objections to going anywhere with Griffin, but she did resent his high-handed attitude in not so much as consulting with her on the subject.
He turned that stony gaze on her. ‘Do you?’
She drew her breath in slowly, sensing, despite his chilling and controlled appearance, that Griffin was teetering on the edge of another explosion of temper. ‘I merely wish you to have the courtesy of consulting me,’ she finally replied softly.
‘Very well.’ His jaw had tightened. ‘If you would care to accompany me to the library, Bea, so that we might discuss this matter further and in private?’
It was impossible, facing the three gentlemen as she was, for Bea to miss the knowing look that passed between Seaton and Lord Maystone, even if she did not quite understand it.
‘By all means I will accompany you to the library, Griffin. Gentlemen.’ She nodded politely to Sutherland and Maystone. ‘But be aware, Griffin,’ she added as he moved to politely open the door for her so that she might precede him out of the bedchamber, ‘I have no intention of allowing myself to be bullied. By you or anyone else,’ she warned as she swept past him and out into the hallway.
Was it even sane of him, Griffin wondered as he had to hold back a smile as he accompanied Bea down the curved stairs to the library, to feel both admiration and frustration for her at one and the same time?
Admiration for the way in which she had conducted herself just now.
And frustration with the light of determination he had seen so clearly in her eyes as she gave him that set-down.
‘I am aware our conversation was interrupted earlier, Bea,’ he remarked as he closed the library door firmly behind them. ‘But nevertheless, I cannot have left you in any doubt as to my disapproval of this scheme.’
Bea faced him as she stood in the middle of the room. ‘Even if it were to save the life of a small child?’
Griffin’s hands were clenched together behind his back. ‘I do not believe it sensible to save one life by putting the life of another at risk, no.’
She eyed him reprovingly. ‘I am sure, during your own work for the Crown all these years, that you must have done so many times in the past?’
‘I...’ Griffin hesitated in order to draw in a deeply controlling breath.
He knew Bea too well now, realised that the remark he had intended to make—that he was a man, and so the situation was different—would only result in Bea becoming even more intransigent.