“Gray?”
He gave a start and looked up, a guilty flush on his face.
“What are you doing? That is Lucian’s desk.”
“I… was looking for writing implements.”
“You can find paper and pen in your room.”
“Can I? I didn’t think to look there.”
He reached farther into the drawer, then shut it and rose to his feet. Brynn stiffened when she saw him slip something into his pocket. She moved toward him, wondering if he thought she was blind. “What did you take, Gray?”
His flush deepened. “Nothing important, really.”
“Grayson Caldwell,” Brynn said, feeling as if she were scolding her youngest brother when he misbehaved. “Let me see.”
He hesitated a long moment before drawing the object from his pocket. “It’s nothing of significance.”
Brynn caught a glimpse of a ring that bore the Wycliff seal. “Lucian’s seal ring?”
“Yes. I merely wanted to borrow it.”
“Why?”
“Because I need his stamp on a letter.”
“Why don’t you simply ask him to stamp it for you?”
“Oh, certainly,” Gray replied with an edge of sarcasm. “I should present him with bald proof that I’m trafficking in contraband cargo. How do you think he would react, Brynn? He’s an official of the British government. Do you really think he would turn a blind eye if I were to divulge my illegal activities to him?”
Brynn frowned. “Why are you still involved in illegal activities? You told me you would stop smuggling as soon as our debts were paid. The settlement Lucian gave you should have been more than sufficient…Wasn’t it?”
“Not quite,” Grayson said, refusing to meet her gaze.
She took a deep breath. “Gray, I won’t beg Lucian for money. It was bad enough that I sold myself to him in marriage. I refuse to become any more obliged to him-”
“It wouldn’t matter if you did. Money cannot help me out of this difficulty.”
She placed a hand on his sleeve, her eyes searching his face. “Gray, what is wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong. I simply need Wycliff’s seal on a letter of authorization to ship a load of brandy. It will allow me to elude the revenuers if I am caught.”
“But why must you even take the risk? Can’t you just stop smuggling?”
“I do intend to stop, Brynn. Very soon. But I still have obligations. I cannot quit until I make one final shipment. This will be my last smuggling venture, I swear, but it will be more dangerous than most.”
The plea in his eyes took her aback. She had never seen her brother so troubled.
Disturbed by his intensity, Brynn stared at him a long moment before finally shaking her head. “Gray… you cannot use his seal without permission. It wouldn’t be right. You must put it back.”
His expression hardened. “Please, Brynn, don’t ask me to do that. I have no choice.”
“I am not asking you, I am telling. If you insist on taking it, I will have to inform Lucian.”
He stared at her for a long moment. “You cannot go to him, Brynn. He could ruin me. I think Wycliff already suspects me of being a Free Trader. He could order the excise men to hound our shores until I am caught. I could wind up in prison, despite your marriage to him. Is that what you want?”
“No, of course not, but-”
“It isn’t only my own skin that concerns me. It is yours and Theo’s as well.”
Brynn felt her heart quicken in alarm. “Theo’s? What are you talking about?”
Taking a deep breath, Grayson shook his head. “Nothing. I only meant it would reflect poorly on you if I were imprisoned. Don’t worry. I intend to deal with my problems. But I need this ring, just for a few moments.”
“Grayson…”
“Please, Brynn, you have to trust me.”
She searched her brother’s face until finally he averted his gaze.
“There is no other way,” he said in a low voice. “Please believe me, I wouldn’t stoop to this if I weren’t desperate.”
Brynn started to reply, but then froze when she heard the murmur of masculine voices out in the hall. Giving a start, she spun to find Lucian standing in the doorway.
She felt herself flushing with guilt, much as her brother had done moments before. They shouldn’t even be in here.
Wondering how much of their conversation he had overheard, she watched him warily as he greeted Grayson pleasantly and shook hands. She could see no sign of suspicion in his demeanor, but still she found it hard to maintain her composure when Lucian turned his attention to her.
“I was just giving m-my brother a tour of the house,” she stammered. “We were about to go in to dinner.”
“Excellent. I hope you won’t object if I join you.”
“No… of course not,” Brynn said, forcing a smile.
For the rest of the evening she had no opportunity for a private word with her brother, either to question him about his cryptic comments or to demand that he return her husband’s ring.
Somewhat to her surprise, Lucian put himself out to play the charming host, carrying much of the conversation since Brynn had little to say with her thoughts so distracted. She merely toyed with her food as she debated what to do. Smuggling brandy was one thing, but purloining Lucian’s property was unquestionably wrong.
Still, if Gray was in trouble, Brynn argued with herself, she couldn’t simply abandon him. And if Theo was possibly in danger… She had to discover what was worrying him so.
The chance to speak with her brother never came, however. At the end of the meal, Brynn left the gentlemen to their port and repaired to the drawing room alone, where she wound up pacing the floor. But when the two men joined her, the conversation remained centered on male sports.
Finally realizing Gray meant to outwait her, she gave up and retired to bed, leaving Lucian to entertain him at billiards late into the night.
She woke earlier than usual the following morning, just as dawn was breaking. Hearing the clop of horses’ hooves on pavement outside, Brynn threw a wrapper on and raced downstairs to find Gray preparing to leave.
He looked up as she reached the front entryway.
“Grayson,” she said tersely, “I believe you are forgetting something.”
He smiled, glancing pointedly at the butler, who was directing baggage to be carried out to the waiting carriage. “Ah, yes, puss. I didn’t say goodbye.” Leaning toward her, he kissed her forehead even as he whispered in her ear, “Don’t scold, Brynn, especially in front of the servants.”
“I will scold if you don’t immediately tell me what is going on,” she replied in a harsh whisper of her own. “What sort of trouble are you in?”
“Nothing I can’t handle. I didn’t mean to alarm you.”
“Grayson…” she repeated, her frustration welling. “What about the… object that doesn’t belong to you?”
He reached into his pocket and pressed the ring into her hand. “Here, take it.”
Her fingers closing over the cold metal, Brynn pasted a sweet smile on her lips for the benefit of the footmen. “If you ever do anything like this again, dear brother…” she murmured.
“I know, you’ll have my head for fish bait.” He gave her a forced grin. “But this has saved my life, whether you realize it or not.”
He kissed her cheek again and took his leave. Brynn shivered as she watched him go, wondering if Gray could possibly be serious about his life being at stake.
The moment the front door had shut behind him, Brynn turned and slipped into the study, intending to restore the ring to its proper place.
She had just reached for the desk drawer when Lucian spoke behind her. “Can I help you find something, love?”
Brynn jumped in alarm and spun to face him. Meeting his blue eyes always jolted her, but this time they were particularly penetrating. She stared back at him, wondering with a sense of desperation what excuse she could possibly give him for being here.