Free Alexandra by Lauren Royal, Devon Royal

him. “You don’t have it in you to commit murder.”
    “I appreciate your confidence.” His gaze remained steady, cool. He was very good at masking his feelings. Either that, or she’d only imagined those feelings last night.
    She’d never considered herself an especially imaginative sort of girl.
    He sat again, a silent dismissal. Suppressing a sigh, she turned to leave—and saw Griffin striding toward her.
    He glanced at Tris, grabbed her by the arm, then marched her into the picture gallery, and, for good measure, through the door to the billiard room.
    “I don’t want to see you alone with him. Ever.”
    In her current state of emotional anguish, her brother’s overprotectiveness was more than vexing. She wrenched her arm free. “I was only getting a book.”
    “Just keep clear of him, will you? With any luck, we’ll complete this project in a week or so, and then he can leave.”
    “And in the meantime, am I supposed to avoid entire rooms in my own home?”
    “If that’s what it takes.”
    “You could trust me a little.” In a huff, she leaned against the oak billiard table.
    “Stand up straight,” Griffin said. “You’ll throw the table off balance.”
    She snapped upright, her composure threatening to snap, too. When her eldest brother Charles had become the marquess, he’d enjoyed lording it over his younger sisters. And now Griffin. “Stop telling me what to do.”
    “I’m only trying to protect you—one of my many responsibilities, in case you’ve forgotten. I’d appreciate your cooperation.”
    “We don’t need you to watch over us. We had three months on our own before your arrival. We did just fine without you then, and we can do without you now.”
    Matching temper lit his eyes. “You want me gone? How convenient, since I’d just as soon not be here, either.” With an angry twist of his wrist, he sent an ivory billiard ball across the table’s green cloth surface. “My friends just defeated Napoleon without me.” The ball bounced off a cushion and hit another ball with a crack . “Perhaps I should rejoin them.”
    “As you said, you have responsibilities now. Beyond me, beyond Juliana and Corinna.”
    “I had responsibilities then, too,” he said, referring to his time as an officer. Time when, she supposed, he’d become used to everyone following his orders.
    But if he was hoping for an apology, he was hoping in vain. She’d had enough of other people deciding what was right for her. “Sadly, you cannot leave.”
    “You want me to leave?” He raised his gaze from the table and watched her, waited for her to answer.
    “No,” she said at last on a sigh. Suddenly, she felt beyond weary. All the fight drained out of her. The truth was, although Griffin might be a less than ideal guardian, she couldn’t imagine her life without him. She’d missed him dreadfully the years he was gone. “I don’t know what I want,” she said.
    He sighed, too. “I don’t know what I want, either.” Producing a handkerchief, he brushed the chalk dust off his fingertips. “Life hasn’t been kind to us these past few years, has it?”
    “Perhaps not, but I’m tired of feeling sorry for myself.” She gave him a shaky smile. “As concerns Lord Hawkridge, you’ve nothing to fear, I promise you. Your friend has become a proper gentleman overnight.”
    If part of her regretted that fact, a larger part knew it was for the best.
    “I’m glad to hear it.” Griffin smiled back, a relieved smile, then took himself from the room.
    Alexandra sent another ball across the table with a force that outdid her brother’s. It bounced off two cushions and rolled neatly into a pocket.
    If only her life would roll into place that perfectly.

TWELVE

    TWO DAYS later, Griffin woke on the wrong side of the bed. Or at least that was what Tristan surmised, given his friend hadn’t strung more than three words together during their ride out to the vineyard.
    Leading their horses by the reins, they