“I shall,” she said contritely. “Would you…would you approve of Mr. Godwin’s suit?”
“Of all my children, you are the one who has always known her own heart,” Mama said after a moment. “Since you were a little girl, you knew exactly what you wanted. Now that you are a woman, how could I trust your instincts any less?”
Warmth flooded Gigi.
“However, this is your future we are discussing, and I will do everything in my power to ensure that you are making a fully informed decision. If Mr. Godwin wishes to have an audience with Papa and me, he must first meet a condition.”
She tilted her head. “What condition?”
“He must be willing to disclose his secrets.”
Knowing Conrad’s guarded nature, she asked uneasily, “You mean about his enemies?”
“About everything,” Mama said emphatically. “As you’ve noted, Mr. Godwin is a complicated fellow with an unconventional history. It should come as no surprise to you that he harbors demons from his past.”
While many attributed Mama’s social success to charm, Gigi knew it was, in fact, rooted in perspicacity. She thought of Conrad’s nightmare in the caldarium, the pain and terror that had oozed from him. Of his apology and admission that he hadn’t expected her to return for him. Were those demons of mistrust contributing to his distant behavior now?
“I shall convince him to share more with me,” she said.
“He must share it all,” Mama said severely. “If I know anything about demons, it is this: they thrive in secrecy but cannot survive in the light.”
A shadow passed through Mama’s eyes, and Gigi thought she must be thinking about Owen. Of the period her brother still refused to talk about—that fueled his nightmares and destructive behaviors.
“I am not afraid of demons,” Gigi said softly. “I would take them on for the people I love.”
“You have always been the brightest of flames, my dear girl.” Mama cupped her cheek, looking her in the eye. “However, Mr. Godwin is not another one of your projects. Whatever happened in his past, he is an adult now, and it is up to him to make the right choices. The ones that would make him worthy of you.”
At the spa, Mama declined to use the caldarium.
“Go on without me, Gigi. At my age, the last thing I wish to subject myself to is an episode of overwhelming heat.” She gave a delicate shudder. “I shall content myself with swimming and lounging.”
Thus, after changing into a linen shift, Gigi entered the caldarium alone. It was cozy and warm, comfortably lit by several new wall sconces. She settled on the stone platform, and the heated surface melted away some of her tension.
Nonetheless, worries whirled.
What secrets is Conrad keeping from me? Would he be willing to lay all his cards on the table? What if my family refuses to accept him…what will I do?
Eventually, she drifted into a state of drowsy unrest. Half-formed images filled her head: a letter crumpling in a fist, tears rolling like rain, shadows falling and falling. Feeling darkness cover her, she trembled, but warm knuckles tenderly brushed her cheek. With a sigh, she leaned into the masculine touch, and the instant she did, it went from comforting to arousing. He fingered the line of her throat, and when he grazed the tip of her breast, pleasure spilled through her so convincingly that she opened her eyes.
And blinked.
“What are you doing here?” she blurted.
Chapter Twenty-Four
“I want to talk to you,” Conrad said. “Before I leave for London.”
At least, that had been his initial intention. His motives had taken a different turn the moment he found her napping and having what appeared to be an exceedingly naughty dream. Her shift had ridden up her hips, and the steam had rendered the material nearly transparent. Her nipples enticed like candied cherries, and his mouth watered at the glimpse of the dark triangle between her thighs.
The dreaminess vanished from her eyes. Shooting to her feet, she tugged down her shift—pity, that—and glowered at him.
“How did you get past Miss Letty and my mama?”
“The vent, remember?”
She looked nonplussed. “Should you be running around when your life is in danger?”
“Worried, sweetheart?” He flashed a grin, and when he received a narrow-eyed stare in return, he sighed. “I can take care of myself. And I brought reinforcements.”
