She smiled gently. “I know about you and Griffin.”
“No, not that. Or yes, that. Helena, I have decided that after the next protest, I will no longer participate in any other demonstrations.” I watched with fascination as the bird sat on the bottom of the cage, wadding up the paper into little brown balls. “I would not even attend that protest, but after our promise to Mrs. Heywood that we would support her at the candidate’s meeting, I can hardly refuse to join in that one, last protest.”
“I shall miss you in the fight for our rights, dearest sister. Without your charming spirit, your happy countenance—”
“Spare me the flattery, Helena,” I said abruptly. “I had hoped you would join me in the decision to end our protest careers.”
“I will no longer support Maggie Greene, of course, after her treachery, but that does not mean I shall leave the cause as you will do.”
“I have no intention of leaving the cause,” I said firmly. “I feel strongly that Griffin will have no objection to my supporting the issue in a less active manner. I shall continue to do my part in every way except the actual demonstrations and protests.”
She cheered up at that thought. “What an excellent idea. There are hundreds of ways we could make ourselves useful, and still make our—” Her gaze dropped.
“Husbands happy?” I finished with a smile.
“Perhaps. Certainly your husband will be happy with our decision. Very well, Cassandra, I agree. I will stand by your side for the candidate’s meeting, and will make it my last demonstration as well. Are you sure, though? Have you considered your decision fully? I would hate for us to compromise our beliefs in such a manner that will prohibit our involvement in any form.”
“I understand your reticence. I know you enjoyed the idea of demonstrating, but I honestly believe that this is a solution that will allow us to live in harmony with our husbands and still retain our self-respect and satisfy our needs to see justice done. Mrs. Heywood herself has said that not every woman is required to go into battle; warriors can be found in many guises.”
She blushed at my frank speech, and picked at the embroidering on her sleeve. “You may speak for yourself, of course, you’re so happy with Griffin, but I don’t believe I shall ever marry.”
Another lovesick sweetheart
, I sighed to myself as I watched the bird assemble a collection of small paper pellets. “Helena, not twenty minutes ago I had a conversation with Robert about you.”
She looked up, her eyes thick with tears. “About me?”
“Yes. Although I am breaking his confidence, I can assure you that he feels towards you as you feel about him.”
“Are you sure? You spoke with him? He loves me?”
I could not help but smile. Things were working out so well. “Yes to all of your questions. So, wipe your eyes and keep your spirits up. I have a feeling you will soon be as happy as I am.” A thought struck me. “In fact, unless I am mistaken, your happiness is the very reason Robert wished to speak with Griffin.”
“Oh,” Helena said happily.
My eyes were drawn to the bird. “What does he do with the paper pellets?”
She looked at me blankly for a minute, then frowned at the macaw. “He ejects them at the servants. He’s Letitia’s bird.”
“That would explain a great deal.”
“Cassandra, why is Robert speaking with Griffin? Why isn’t he speaking with Harold? It is Harold who has control over my fortune.”
“He has spoken with Lord Sherringham,” I spoke softly, watching her carefully.
“He has?” The color faded from her face as she put a hand to her mouth. I expected her to swoon, but she surprised me. “It doesn’t matter. I am old enough to marry whom I please. I will have control over my fortune in four years, and then it won’t matter what Harold thinks.”
Her face was flushed now, and she had a peculiar light in her eyes. I was happy to see that she, at least, would fight for the one she loved.
If only Griffin has done his job, I thought to myself, and given Robert the assistance he needs. We did not have a long wait to see if he had; the door opened and both men walked in. Robert was flushed, but looked cheerful. Griffin was no longer grinning, although I detected a certain twitching about the corners of his mouth that was suspicious. He held out his hand for me. I glanced at Helena. She looked as if she would faint.
“Helena?” I asked, rising to go to her, concerned about her waxen appearance. Griffin grabbed my hand, and pulled me toward him.
“Come, my dear. I want to talk to you.”
“Griffin, now Helena is ill.”
“No she’s not. Come with me.” He pulled me out the door, and led me to a small room off the hall. It was filled from floor to ceiling with books. I turned to face him.
“What can you be thinking? First Robert, and now Helena—” I paused. It occurred to me that Helena might not really be suffering.
Griffin nodded.
“Thank heavens. Now I can stop being a confidante of the lovelorn. It has been a rather frustrating job.”
He frowned for a moment, then spun around and left the room. “Stay here. I’ll be back in a minute.”
Chapter Twenty-four
Griffin
’s study gave an interesting insight into the man—it was untidy, but fascinating. I had just settled down with a book containing engrossing descriptions and illustrations of the natives of Borneo when he returned.
“I wanted to make sure Sherry didn’t interrupt them, but I couldn’t find him.” He frowned at the Borneo book. “That’s not suitable reading for a lady.”
“Oh, don’t be such an old maid. I am a New Woman. I have a lover. Penis sheaths and virgin sacrifices are nothing to me.” I looked up to where he stood. “Were you aware that there is a tribe in Borneo that has a ritual of manhood consisting of three young men and one nubile—”
He snatched the book from my hands and put it in a drawer, leaning against it. I smiled and stood up to kiss him. “The book also had some interesting things to say about mating rites. I believe I would like you to explain them in greater detail.”
He wrapped his arms around me and nuzzled my neck. I twined my fingers through his curls and kissed a line along his jaw. “I will be happy to do so at a later date.”
“Mmm. I’ll hold you to that. Did you give Robert the push he needed?”
“I gave him a whiskey and the benefit of my advice,” he murmured as he sucked my earlobe into his mouth. “The rest he’ll have to do himself.”
“I should ask how you are feeling today,” I breathed, running my hands over his hard-muscled torso. As much as I liked touching him, I couldn’t help but wish it was his bare flesh my fingers were skimming over. “The doctor would expect me to check you out.”
“Perhaps a physical examination is in order,” he answered, his hands tugging and pulling until they slipped under my shirtwaist, the warm heat of his palms cupping breasts that had been clamoring for just very touch.
“I don’t believe we have time for that,” I pointed out, unable to keep from wriggling against him. He was aroused, and would, I believe have settled for a quick examination if I hadn’t remembered something I needed to do. I slid out from his embrace, circling behind a tall armchair. “I have something to say to you.”
Griffin
put a hand on the chair and took a step forward. “What would that be?”
“It is about us.”
“I’m always happy to discuss that subject.” He took another step forward and I found myself in the circle of his arms again.
I put my hands on his chest and pushed out of the embrace. “No, none of that.”
“Why not?”
“I need to talk to you, and it is impossible for me to talk any sense when you…you know.”
“When I do what?” he asked, moving closer. His lovely amber eyes mesmerized me, deep, endless pools of amber that I could gaze into for an eternity. He pulled me tighter. “Perhaps you mean this?”
With a quick, heated kiss he picked me up and set me down on the desk, spreading my legs and pushing my skirt and petticoat up over my thighs.
“Griffin, we don’t have time—”
“We have time for this. I’ve wanted to do this since that first night when you gave yourself to me,” he answered, tugging at the ribbon to release my drawers. A moment later that garment went flying as Griffin pulled me forward to the edge of his desk, my legs resting on his shoulders as he knelt before me.
“Griffin?” I asked as the dark curls brushed my thighs. “
Griffin
?
”
His mouth was warm on my flesh as he kissed a path up my thighs to that spot that had recently been making strident demands regarding him. “
GRIFFIN
!”
His lips were a brand burning into my tender flesh as he his tongue did things I had no idea a tongue could do. He kissed, he sucked, he licked and nibbled and caressed, touching me in ways that made my heart pound and my breath stop in my throat. I tensed as he eased a finger into me, the familiar tightness of the winding coil inside me promising bliss. A second finger joined the first and suddenly I was there, blazing a trail into the heavens like a fiery comet. I clutched his head to me and cried out his name, almost sobbing with the pleasure of his selfless homage to our love.
He held me until I recovered myself enough to speak.
“Was that, by any chance, in the book of the Borneo natives?”
He chuckled and kissed me. “No.”
I licked my lips. “Hmm. That’s…different. Is it…can I…do men enjoy reciprocal treatment?”
He kissed me again. “Very much so.”
“Hmm. I will make a note of that, but before I can explore the idea further, I want you to go back around to the desk. There’s a subject upon which I need to speak, and I can’t do it when you are doing that.”
He withdrew his hand, grinned, then handed me my drawers and leaned against the desk, watching as I put them on. “You have my undivided attention.”
I shook out my skirts and took a deep breath. “About the next suffrage protest—”
He scowled. Before he could interrupt me, I explained about the planned appearance at the candidate’s meeting. “I know you are against my attending, and I appreciate your concern, but I have decided to fulfill my promise even though it is against your wishes, and the wishes of my family. I have spent a good deal of time thinking about you lately, thinking about us. It did not take me long to realize that no matter how strongly I feel about assisting the cause of women’s emancipation, I feel stronger about you.”
He started toward me. I held my hands out to keep him back. “Let me finish, please. I can’t imagine life without you. For that reason I have decided that, after the next event, I will give up my active involvement in women’s suffrage.”
He looked at me in wonder, and I gazed back at him, happy with my decision, knowing it was right, sniffling just a little at the tears that had somehow slipped from my eyes.
Griffin
set down the pipe he had been holding, then came to me, taking my face in his hands and kissing away the tears. I tugged on his hair until his lips claimed mine, and told him in every way I could just how much I loved him.
I don’t expect you to give up your work. If it’s that important to you, I can live with it. All I want is to keep you from being hurt.”
Love for this wonderful, understanding man flooded me. It was what I had been hoping for all my adult years—a man who could respect me as well as love me. I placed my hand on his cheek. “As long as I have you, nothing can hurt me. Helena and I have decided that we will be content supporting the cause without endangering ourselves in the protests themselves.”
He started unbuttoning my shirtwaist, kissing each bit of exposed flesh. “An excellent solution,” he agreed, and slipped a few more buttons through the holes.
A sudden loud noise from outside the room disrupted him. We both turned toward the door as it was flung open. Griffin’s grip on my waist tightened as he beheld his brother, red with fury and sputtering incoherently. I quickly redid my buttons, peering over Griffin’s shoulder at the earl.
“Griffin,” Lord Sherringham roared, “What have you done! How dare you tell that—that—” he glared at me, evidently for inspiration, “—that young scoundrel that he may marry Helena? I found him now, in the conservatory, proposing to her. He had the audacity to say you had given him permission.”
I sank into the chair behind me, watching Griffin closely. He turned slowly. “I have given my permission, since you will not.”
“How dare you! Have you considered who he is? His expectations? His means?”
“He loves her and she loves him. He is a good man, and will make her happy. What else should I consider?”
“I forbid this marriage. I cannot forbid you your own mistake,” he waved a pudgy hand toward me, “but, by God, I can halt another disaster in this family.”
“You can’t stop Helena from marrying, and I would hope that you have the decency to give her an ample allowance until she is in control of her own fortune,” Griffin said, his hands fisted.
“I will do no such thing!” Lord Sherringham seemed to be calming down, but I did not care for the look in his eye. “Very well, as you point out, she is free to marry whomever she chooses. But I am free to dispense her money as I see fit, and I will not see her wasting any of it on that fortune hunter.”
I expected Griffin to argue the point, although I knew it would do no good. He didn’t, however, he simply jammed his hands in his pockets, and said mildly, “It doesn’t matter how tight you hold on, Sherry. She will have her money in four years and until then—” He shrugged.
A wave of love swept over me as I watched him. I knew then he would arrange to help Robert back onto his feet in a manner that even the sensitive Robert would accept. Helena would have Robert, Griffin and I would have each other, and everyone would be happy. I gazed at the love of my life, my eyes brimming with admiration and love.
“I’m sure you will be turning us out now, so that you might welcome
that woman
. I will tell Letitia. Mark my words, Griffin,” Lord Sherringham spat out the words, “you will regret the day you made this decision.”
He spun around and slammed the door behind him as he left.
Griffin
scowled at the door until I placed a hand on his arm. The muscles beneath my fingers were tense and taut.
“I shouldn’t have come today. I’m sorry that I’ve caused so much trouble.” I looked into the amber eyes I loved so much, dark now with anger, and placed a finger on his temple. “Did you know that your vein is bulging again?”
He stared at me for a minute, then threw back his head and laughed. Grasping me in another bone crushing embrace, he said, “My darling Cassandra. What man could resist such lover’s talk?”
Shortly after that we went in search of Helena and Robert. We found them were we had left them, although not in the same state. Helena was weeping on Robert’s shoulder, and he was flushed and red with anger.
“Ah. I see the traces of a visit from Sherry,” Griffin said dryly. He handed his sister a handkerchief. “Helena, stop crying.”
Helena
took the offered item, and attempted to wipe her tears. “But, Griffin! Harold said we could not marry, and he was
rude
to Robert!”
Griffin
pulled Robert to one side, and spoke with him in a low voice. I went to Helena, and put my arm around her. “Don’t worry, my dear, Griffin will see to everything. He has already seen Lord Sherringham, and—” I sighed with happiness. “—he was magnificent.”
Her expression lightened. “I’m so happy you’re not fighting with Griffin anymore. He loves you so very much.”
“I think we have worked things out,” I said, my eyes wandering to his admirable profile.
Griffin
took us home a short while later in his motorcar. I had a few minutes to ask him if he’d had any luck finding incriminating evidence against Lord Sherringham, but he had not found anything.
“You forbade me to confront him,” he reminded me. “If I could just get him alone, I could make him tell me what he’s been up to.”
“Be patient, my darling. He will reveal his hand in some way or another.” I started into the house, then stopped. “And for heaven’s sake, be careful!”
I was at Mrs. Heywood’s door early the next morning, consumed with curiosity about the subject of her note. Her butler escorted me into the morning room, where I sat drumming my fingers on a lovely walnut table for a quarter of an hour. Mrs. Heywood arrived, apologizing for her tardiness, received my congratulations at her release from prison, and settled down to business.
“We have decided to move up the date for the candidate’s meeting protest to one held tomorrow evening. Due to problems within the Union the officers have decided to disseminate details about the protest to only those people who will participate. As both you and Miss St. John have committed yourselves to the protest, I thought it best to tell you in person about our arrangements.”