Vexing the Viscount (19 page)

Anything but love. Every time she remembered how she told him she loved him, only to get no response, a small piece of her died. She refused to live in a loveless marriage. “I can't give you an answer right now.”

“When?”

“Before we return.”

“So by the end of the week,” he said.

“Yes. At the latest.” Now she had four days to determine the best way to tell him that when they returned to the estate, their relationship was over. Her heart ached with the thought. She didn't want to end the closeness she felt with him. She wanted to fall asleep every night to the sound of his heartbeat in her ear and his arms wrapped around her.

She put her head back down on his chest and attempted to keep the tears at bay. How would she be able to endure knowing he was so near, but unable to touch him, kiss him, or soothe his worries? It would be impossible. She would give in to her yearning for him.

Listening, she heard his steady breathing and realized he had fallen asleep. She let her tears fall. Crying didn't help, but she couldn't seem to stop. Why would he press her to marry him when he didn't love her? Was he frightened someone was trying to kill him, so he wanted to be married with an heir on the way? It seemed the only answer that made any sense to her, except there were many women in Society who would fall at his feet for the chance to become a viscountess.

She tossed and turned all night, barely sleeping at all. Finally, at seven, she slipped out of the bed and headed to her room. Her head ached from lack of sleep and worrying. Perhaps lying down in her bed would help. She reached for the door handle and then stopped when she heard a commotion down in the hall.

“Where are they?” a woman demanded.

Tia froze. She knew that voice all too well. She couldn't possibly be here. That would mean she knew about Tia's relationship with Braden.

“My lord, is she with you?” Nelson said calmly.

“Yes, Nelson. This is my wife. She is looking for her sister, Miss Featherstone.”

B
raden woke to Tia slamming the bedroom door and shouting at him. He rubbed his eyes before opening them to see her standing near the foot of the bed with wide eyes and looking frantic. She was speaking so quickly, he had no idea what she was saying. “Tia, slow down and tell me what is wrong,” he demanded.

“They are here,” she said. “Both of them. Oh my God, he told Nelson she was his wife! That cannot be true!”

“Who is here?”

“My sister and her husband! He sounded just like the Earl of Hartsfield. But she wouldn't marry him. No matter how much he loved her, she would never feel comfortable marrying an earl.”

Hart was here? In London? He rolled over and looked at the clock. “Why are they here at this hour?”

“I have no idea! You must get up!” She came around and pulled his arm. “Maybe I should hide. Just tell my sister you never found me.”

“Sweetheart, if your sister is here, she has already heard the rumor that you are my mistress.”

She covered her mouth with her hand. “No,” she mumbled.

“Why does it matter if your sister knows that we are lovers? She had relations with two men before Hart. I doubt she will condemn you for doing the same.” Slowly, he slid out of bed and rang for his valet.

“Of course she will admonish me. I told her that I would never do such a thing. I said dreadful things to her when she took up with that second man.”

He drew her into his arms and hugged her. “It will be all right. I shall be there with you.”

She nodded her head slowly against his chest. “I would still prefer to hide here.”

He chuckled softly. “I have never seen you so skittish. Just calm yourself and we will face them together.”

“Very well, but be warned, she was born five minutes before me, so she believes she is my big sister and can tell me how to live my life.”

“Duly warned. Now go call for a maid to help you dress. We are not going to meet them like this.”

She finally giggled. “I do believe seeing you dressed—or should I say, undressed as you are—she might understand why I am with you.”

Braden laughed. “So you are only with me for my body?”

Finally, her adorable coquettish manner recovered as she leveled him a seductive grin. “That is the best part of you.”

“Go,” he said with a laugh.

She rushed to the connecting door and turned the handle, but the door didn't move. “Why is this locked?”

“Because you haven't unlocked it from your room,” Braden said with a chuckle.

“Oh!”

He laughed as she ran out of the room to her bedchamber. Hearing her rustling about in her room, he rang for Wilson, but when his valet entered the room, so did Nelson.

“Good morning, my lord,” Nelson said as Wilson said the same. “You have a caller at this odd hour and one of them seems most upset.”

“Ah, the Earl and Countess of Hartsfield,” Braden said and then smiled at Nelson's gaped mouth.

“How did you know that?” he asked.

“Miss Featherstone heard them in the hall. She informed me of their arrival and her sister's state of angst.”

Nelson leaned in closer. “She is far from angst. The woman is livid, my lord. I have sent in tea and biscuits, but that won't hold her for long. I'm quite surprised she hasn't stormed upstairs.”

“I'm sure Hart would prevent that as best he could.”

“I do hope so, my lord.”

He would love to get Hart alone before meeting Tia's sister, but Nelson was most likely correct that she would storm upstairs. “Tell them we will both be down presently.”

“Very good, my lord,” Nelson replied before turning and leaving the room.

Braden dressed quickly and then knocked on Tia's door. Hearing her admit him, Braden slipped into the room and waited as Mrs. Abbott dressed her hair.

“We are almost done, Middleton,” she said. “I don't suppose they have decided to leave.”

He chuckled. “No, we will have to face them.”

“Stop fretting, Miss Featherstone,” Mrs. Abbott reprimanded. “We all have to pay the piper for our actions.”

“You are not helping, Mrs. Abbott,” Tia said.

“I know,” the housekeeper replied with a wink to Braden. “You are dressed. Now go face your sister.”

“Come along, Miss Featherstone,” Braden said, holding out his arm to her.

She took it slowly. Looking up at him with her big brown eyes, he felt a pang of pity for what she must be going through.

“Thank you for going in with me,” she whispered.

“Stop fretting. It will be all right.” He squeezed her hand.

They walked down stairs to the salon. Entering the room, Tia halted at the threshold for a long moment and stared at her sister. She broke away from him and ran into her sister's arms.

“Oh, Mia!” she cried. “I really am so happy to see you.” She pulled back and stared at her sister. “I sent you a letter a week ago. Did you get it?”

“We were in Suffolk,” she said slowly. “Now, what exactly is going on here? Mother instructed Middleton to bring you back as soon as he'd found you. He left six weeks ago.”

“Yes, but he didn't find me for—” Tia glanced back at him—“was it a fortnight?”

“Yes.” Braden finally moved to Hart and shook his hand. “Good to see you and congratulations, Hart.”

“Thank you.”

Hart moved closer. “This may get nasty before they are through.”

“I realize that. What should we do?”

“Stand by and be ready to separate them if necessary.”

“Wonderful,” Braden muttered. He grabbed a cup of tea and sat down to watch the performance.

“Why did it take him two weeks to find you? Mother gave him the address.” Mia eyed him with suspicion.

“Amy and her husband had been evicted. They had left no forwarding address, so I was staying at an inn in Whitechapel.” Tia moved to a sofa and sat. “At least I was, until Middleton found me.”

“Whitechapel?” Hart commented. “That is not a very good section of town.”

“I had no choice. I had very limited funds,” Tia said, taking a cup of tea from her sister's hands.

“So why didn't you just return once he found you?” Mia asked and then added, “That was weeks ago.”

“She didn't stay long at my house,” Braden added.

“I don't understand.” Mia sipped her tea.

Although they were twins, Tia's sister looked far different from her. Mia had sable hair, no freckles, and was slightly taller than her sister. But they both had the same wide, brown eyes that dominated their faces.

Braden sipped his tea before replying. “I succumbed to a slight accident that first night. After she patched me up, she gave me laudanum. So the next morning, I slept much later than my usual. When I awoke, I discovered that she had left.”

“You left him!” Mia exclaimed, glancing at her sister.

“You were not there, Mia.” Tia put her teacup down and glared over at him. “I went for a walk in the park and met a lovely lady who wanted to help me. She offered to let me stay with her. So I did so for a fortnight until Middleton found me yet again.”

“Why would you stay with someone you had only just met?” Mia asked.

“Because I was not ready to be forcibly escorted back to the estate,” Tia retorted. “And then there was the poisoning.”

“The what?” both Mia and Hart asked at the same time.

Braden watched the reactions as Tia explained the poisoning to her sister. Mia's brown eyes grew large as she glanced back and forth between Tia and Braden. Concern lined Mia's face and he was certain the worry wasn't for him.

“Someone is trying to kill you?” Hart asked. “Why didn't you send a note? I could have helped.”

“I believe you were busy with your own business,” Braden said with a nod toward Mia.

“True,” Hart admitted. “But I am here now.”

“There is still something that has not been explained,” Mia interrupted them. “There has still been several days of them living together with no poisoning and no mishaps. Rumor has it that you are his mistress. Is that true?”

“Miss—excuse me, my lady, I do not believe that is anyone's business except Miss Featherstone's and mine,” Braden said stiffly.

“She is my sister so it is my business too,” Mia retorted, crossing her arms over her chest. “How dare you suggest it is not.”

“Indeed. Then one has to assume you are blameless. For why else would you be the one to cast the proverbial first stone?”

Mia's cheeks reddened as she stared at her feet.

“Middleton, that is enough,” Hart warned.

“I agree. The subject is to be put to rest. Miss Featherstone has been proposed to, so it is up to her if she decides to become a viscountess or a woman of scandal.” Braden rose. “Hart, I need to speak with you privately.”

Hart glanced at everyone in the room before nodding. “Very well.”

 

Tia couldn't look at her sister, the earl, or even Braden as the men left the room. Her cheeks felt as if they were on fire with embarrassment. Now that she and her sister were alone, Mia would attack her for her mistakes.

“I am sorry, Tia,” Mia said softly. “I suppose I am the last person who can scold you for your behavior with a man.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

“Honestly, I don't understand. Middleton has a dreadful reputation as a rake and some say he may have been involved in the deaths of the previous viscount and his son. How could you be with such a man?”

Tia stared at her sister with a raised brow. “Indeed? And the last man you were with before Hart beat you. Middleton has only treated me with love and respect.” Perhaps not love, but there had been some respect. “And he had nothing to do with those deaths. Since he has returned, someone has tried to kill him.”

“Are you going to marry him?”

“I haven't decided yet.”

“Why?”

She wasn't sure how much to tell her sister just yet. While they had been close growing up, since she moved to Middleton's estate, they had grown apart. Mia's dalliances with men hadn't helped the situation. But Tia needed someone to speak with and since Emily's friendship was now in question, it must be her sister. “When I told him I loved him, he didn't say a word, Mia. Not a word.”

“Oh,” Mia whispered. “I am so sorry, Tia.”

“How can I marry a man who doesn't truly love me? I don't want that. I want what Mother and Papa had. They were so happy together.”

“Yes, they were,” Mia said. “I want that too.”

“Are you happy?” Tia hoped her sister hadn't married Hart for the wrong reasons. The man had loved her for years, but Mia had never seemed to notice. A dreamy look entered her sister's eyes.

“Very happy, Tia. Did you know he loved me?”

“I think everyone knew but you.”

“I still cannot believe I never noticed,” Mia said softly.

“Do you love him?” Tia asked hesitantly.

“So much, Tia. That's why I was so upset when I found out you were Middleton's mistress. I don't want that for you. You deserve a man who loves you as much as you love him.”

Tia pondered her sister's words carefully. Mia was right. How could she marry Braden if he didn't love her? It would not be the right thing to do. Emily was a perfect example. Tia refused to live her life as Emily did, watching her husband take mistresses right in front of her. Or sneaking behind her husband's back to meet with a man. Tia would not settle for a life like that just to become a viscountess, not when that wasn't even important to her. The dresses were lovely, but beyond that, there was such a stiffness to the people in Society. She didn't want that.

“You are right, Mia. I do deserve love. And I won't settle for anything less.” Which meant in a few days, her time with Braden would be over.

“Are you certain he doesn't love you?”

Tia blinked and then stared at her sister. “How can you ask such a thing? You were the one who wanted me to come straight home.”

Mia played with the folds of her dress. “I know that. But seeing how much you love him, it softens my feeling toward him. If you feel so strongly about him, he can't be as terrible as I thought.”

“He's not. He actually was for a long time, but when he became the viscount, he made a decision to reform.”

Mia smiled. “That speaks highly of him.” She frowned for a moment. “I thought you were in love with Jonathon? And where is he in all of this?”

Tia explained what had happened with Jonathon over the past few weeks. And Braden's decision to return to the estate at week's end. The only thing she left out was how Emily fit in to this dreadful mess.

“So if you weren't in love with Jonathon, why did you run after him?” Mia asked.

“He's eating opium, Mia. When he was at the estate, he admitted to me what he'd been doing and that he hadn't touched it in over three months. After he returned to London, I assumed it was because the craving for it had come back. I wanted to help him.”

Mia covered her mouth. “That is part of why we are here.”

“Because of Jonathon?”

“No, Hart's brother, Charlie, is having the same issue. We brought him to Dr. Simmons for treatment.”

“That is what I had hoped to do for Jonathon. But we cannot seem to find him.” Tia sighed. “Was Charlie receptive to the idea of treatment?”

“Not at first,” Mia replied, explaining all that had happened at Hart's estate. “Once he saw what had happened to me, he was repentant.”

“I do hope the physician can help him.”

“I hope you can find Jonathon. Poor Charlie had become almost mad with the addiction.”

Tia worried her lower lip. Jonathon's actions of the past few weeks were definitely showing the signs of a man with an opium issue. If only she could have seen him last night. She could have questioned him about his symptoms. Perhaps once she'd pointed out all that she noticed, Jonathon would see reason.