Confessions of a Royal Bridegroom(32)

“As I said, you needn’t concern yourself with it, Griffin,” he said in a hard voice. “In fact, I would strongly suggest that you not concern yourself with it.”

Steele slowly rose to his feet, a challenging smile playing around the corners of his cynical mouth. “Really, Dominic, is that intended to frighten me? If so, I must disappoint you.”

Dominic’s lips were drawn into a tight slash across his tanned face. He also came to his feet, anger and frustration coming off him in waves that seemed to crash loudly through the room. “You should be frightened, Griffin. I know I am.”

Then he turned and stalked out, slamming the door behind him. It was such an uncharacteristic response from a man Justine knew to be the epitome of discipline and control that all she could do was gape after him.

“That was certainly interesting,” Steele said, not looking bothered in the least. “It would appear that our little guest upstairs is not the only one harboring secrets.”





CHAPTER Six



Justine came reluctantly awake. When her eyes finally blinked open, the dark-shrouded silence in the house was so profound she instinctively knew it was the deepest hour of the night.

Something had awakened her, some sound penetrating the veil of fatigue that had settled over her at the end of another long day. Perhaps the master of the house had returned from his duties next door and his footfalls had jolted her from sleep. But Steele moved as quietly as a cat. When she’d heard him come home before, she’d already been awake, tending to the baby or helping Rose with her son.

Sighing, she rolled to her side, hugging the pillow against her chest and hoping she could drift off again. Despite her exhaustion, it had taken her forever to fall asleep. The scene this afternoon in the drawing room had consumed her, along with the revelations about Stephen’s possible heritage. That mystery should be what concerned her most greatly, because the sooner they discovered the child’s identity, the sooner Justine could get back to her life.

But again and again her thoughts returned to the disconcerting struggle between her host and her godparent. It wasn’t so much what they’d said to each other, but what they hadn’t said. The history between them was obviously of more import than Justine had assumed. Though she’d asked Dominic about it, of course, he’d simply said he’d known Griffin Steele for years and found him to be a useful source of information. She knew now there was more to it than that, although she was quite certain Dominic would refuse to elaborate even if she did probe further.

Nor did she expect her host to provide any additional information, either. After Dominic had stormed out of the room, Justine had turned to Steele with no attempt to hide her astonishment. But after his almost offhand comment about secrets, he’d excused himself and strolled from the room as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. She’d been tempted to follow and demand an explanation, but a moment’s reflection had told her how absurd that was. Steele would be just as closed-lipped as Dominic and, really, it was none of her business. Her only business was to take care of the baby and stay out of the way. Justine excelled at that sort of thing, which was why Dominic had asked her to perform this task in the first place. She’d always known when to ask questions and when to keep her mouth shut.

Clearly, this was a situation where the latter strategy was appropriate.

With a determined effort of will, she cleared her mind and allowed her bone-deep fatigue to pull her toward sleep. But then something intruded, jerking her awake once more.

With a smothered exclamation, she sat up, glaring into the darkness. But this time, she saw the faint glow of candlelight in the gap under Rose’s adjoining door. Then she heard the muffled sound of a fussy baby, followed by the padding of bare feet pacing the floor.