His arm was warm beneath her grasp. Comforting. "No offense taken. I swear it. In truth few country girls are educated beyond household responsibilities and needlework. As luck, or God's intervention, would have it, my father was a man who believed learning was for all noble families, even the inferior females."
He chuckled, seeming not only to catch the tone in her voice when she said "inferior," but to agree with her sarcasm.
"Well, I wanted to welcome you to Bassett Hall and tell you that if you need anything, I offer my services."
She dared a sideways glance at Griffin. His offer was of course nothing but a formality, and yet there was something in his tone that made her believe he was entirely sincere.
"This Hall, London, and my cousin for certain, can be intimidating." Griffin halted at the bottom of the grand stairs. "I wouldn't wish to see you frightened or unhappy."
Their gazes met a final time, and Julia was amazed to see not the man in the ridiculous clothing, but the man beneath the genuine smile and sparkling eyes similar to her own shade of blue. Her grandfather had always said a person should not judge a man by his cloak, and she was beginning to understand the wisdom of his warning.
"Ah! There she is, my prize," the Earl of St. Martin called from the nearest chamber. "Come, my dearest, and meet our guests."
Julia's gaze flickered from St. Martin back to the man who still held her tightly on his arm.
"Your servant, madame . . . " Griffin bowed deeply. "Forever."
Julia lowered her lashes and turned away. The warmth of Griffin's touch still burned her fingertips as she greeted her husband-to-be.
Buy IN LOVE WITH THE KING'S SPY
Colleen French is a multiple award-winning and bestselling novelist, daughter of bestselling novelist Judith E. French. Colleen French has written more than 125 novels under several pen names. Colleen's print books have sold more than 1 million copies and been translated into Bulgarian, French, Italian, Mandarin, and Spanish. Colleen's Native American novels are inspired by her English, Scottish, Irish, Welsh, and Lenni-Lenape ancestry and the Del-Mar Peninsula near the Chesapeake Bay, where her family has made its home for more than 300 years. Colleen French was awarded The Diamond Award for Literary Excellence from the State of Delaware. Her books appeal to readers of C. J. Petit, Shirleen Davies, Karen Kay, Madeline Baker, Elle Marlow, Ellen O'Connell, Caroline Fyffe, and Hannah Howell. She can be contacted at colleenfrenchnovels@gmail.com.
BY COLLEEN FRENCH
CAPTIVE
FIRE DANCER'S CAPTIVE
HEAVEN IN MY ARMS
HIS WILD HEART
IN CLOSE PURSUIT
IN LOVE WITH THE KING'S SPY
MY SAVAGE LORD
OUTRIDER
PASSION'S SAVAGE MOON
SWEET DECEPTION
THE HIGHWAYMAN AND THE LADY