Vexing the Viscount (24 page)

“Thank you.” She placed the book next to the valise and trunk. “It is still difficult to imagine that as of tomorrow I shall be a viscountess.”

“I would think so,” the housekeeper replied as she folded a chemise.

Tia sat down on the bed with a sigh. “Do you think he is making the right decision, Mrs. Abbott?”

“About marrying you?” she asked, turning her head to look over at the bed.

“Of course, about marrying me. I am truly nobody.”

Mrs. Abbott stopped her packing and walked over to the bed. “I think he must love you very deeply to have decided to marry you. The question is, do you love him in return?”

Tia bit down on her lower lip and shook her head. “I do love him, Mrs. Abbott.”

“Then you have nothing to fear, miss. With love, you both can conquer anything. And you will be a viscountess.”

Then why did she feel such a nagging sense of doubt about her upcoming nuptials? She didn't question her feelings. Of that, she was confident. And she did believe he loved her. So why did she have any doubts?

“So why am I nervous?” she finally asked.

Mrs. Abbott sat next to her and took her hand. “I suppose it is very natural for a woman to be nervous before her wedding. After all, this is a lifetime commitment. There is no getting out of a marriage, or at least the few options are very limited. Since I cannot see his lordship abusing you, there will be no divorce.”

“I am not worried about that, Mrs. Abbott.” She looked over at the older woman and grinned. “His lordship knows that I have too much of a knowledge of herbs and poisons. He would never hurt me in that manner.”

“Only possibly in matters of the heart,” she whispered.

Tia nodded. “I know marrying him is a risk. He was a horrible rake, but he tells me he wants to be a better person. I should believe that, shouldn't I?”

Mrs. Abbott squeezed her hand. “Yes, I think you should. After all, since he has been here, the most immoral thing I have seen him do is drag you into his house.”

Tia giggled. “That was rather wicked of him.”

“I hear the front door, so Mr. Brady must be leaving. Go down and talk him about your concerns. I am certain he will set your feelings to right.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Abbott. I am going to miss you when we return to the estate.”

“The next time you come to town, you will be her ladyship. I shall have to be all proper with you.”

Tia squeezed the housekeeper's hand. “Do you really believe I shall ever be a proper viscountess? I do believe I will need your assistance quite often.”

“Miss Featherstone, I cannot believe I am saying this after how I treated you the first day I met you, but I do wish you nothing but happiness.”

Tia forgot about classes and propriety and hugged the housekeeper. “Thank you, Mrs. Abbott.”

The housekeeper pulled away. “Now, go down and speak with your future husband while I pack these things for you.”

Tia smiled as she walked out of the room. Loud voices boomed from Braden's study. Odd, Mrs. Abbott had thought the runner must have left. Perhaps someone else had arrived.

She walked closer to the room with trepidation. The voices became clearer to her.

“How could you bring her into my home like this?” Braden shouted. “This is utter madness. He will kill you.”

“I don't care. I had to protect her.”

Tia inched closer. That voice sounded like Jonathon. Who had he brought with him that had Braden so upset?

“Why are you so upset?” Jonathon asked. “He will not come after you.”

The sound of a glass breaking split the air. “Have you completely lost your mind? Of course he will blame me just as much as he will you. She is a married woman. She belongs with him, not you.”

“Look at her. I cannot bring her back to that bastard,” Jonathon's voice boomed. “She needs medical assistance. I heard Hart married Mia. I will have Mia come over to help her.”

There was no need for anyone to call Mia while she was here. She opened the door and gasped at the sight of Emily's battered face.

“Tia?” Jonathon stared at her in disbelief. “Oh, this is just too much.” He turned back to face Braden. “Now I understand why you don't want Emily here. It makes perfect sense. Tia was the woman in your bedchamber making such a din. You never told her about Emily, did you? Or was this just to get back at me for stealing Emily away from you?”

“What?” Tia uttered. Braden and Emily had been what? Lovers? Courting? “What are you talking about, Jonathon?”

“Tia, it was nothing,” Braden said slowly, approaching her.

“Do not tell me something is nothing when I can see it on all of your faces.” Tia crossed her arms over her chest. “Why would Jonathon say you were trying to get vengeance for him stealing Emily from you?”

Jonathon shook his head with a scowl. “He had been courting Emily. But the first time I saw her, I fell in love with her. My brother was terribly jealous. He knows that you and I formed an attachment, so what better way to get even than to make you his mistress. You haven't changed a bit, Braden.”

“That is not true,” Braden said roughly. His face was dark with a murderous rage.

“I can't hear any more of this,” Tia cried. She ran from the room, knowing she had to leave him forever.

B
raden collapsed into a chair as he watched Tia leave. He steeled himself against the emotions screaming at him to follow her. He couldn't bear her believing this story.
Tell her the truth
, he said to himself, but he could not do that. He rose to chase after her until his brother stood to stop him.

“Do not go after her,” Jonathon warned. “We have to wait and make sure she leaves.” Jonathon returned to his seat next to Emily on the sofa.

“That was the hardest thing I have ever done,” Braden admitted slowly. He walked to the window and stared outside as if to catch a glimpse of her one last time. He doubted it was the best decision, but Jonathon convinced him that he could not marry her until after this mess was settled. Braden wondered if she would ever forgive him for the deception.

“I know, Braden,” Jonathon said. “After what you and Emily told me, I am sure we can convince her that this was purely for her safety. If she was married to you, the next viscount could not make a claim for the title until after it was determined she was not carrying your child, and that could take months.”

“We could have told her that. She would have understood my reason for not marrying her tomorrow.”

“No,” Jonathon said vehemently. “She needs to be away for her own safety.”

“I understand, but it does not make the matter easier to swallow.” He glanced away from them. “I fear she will never forgive me.”

“Of course she will,” Jonathon said. “I can explain it to her.”

“No,” he said harshly. “I will make this right with her. No one else.”

“He is right, Jonathon,” Emily finally spoke up.

“I will send for Mia at once,” Braden said. He walked to the hall to speak with Nelson. “Has Miss Featherstone left yet?”

“She stormed out of here a few moments ago, my lord. Is everything all right?” Nelson looked down. “Please excuse my impertinence, my lord.”

“She and I had a slight disagreement.”

“She took her valise with her,” Nelson added.

Good. So far their plan was working. “I see,” he said. “Please send a note to Lady Hartsfield. Inform her that we need her medical experience, but it is not for her sister. I wouldn't wish her to worry.”

“Very good, my lord.” Nelson gave him a strange look before turning away to write the letter.

He walked with leaden feet back to the study. What were they going to do with Emily? “I sent for Mia.”

“Thank you,” Emily whispered.

“What do we do now?” Jonathon asked. “I can't let her go back to him.”

“I won't go back to him,” Emily said resolutely. “I will divorce him now.”

“Divorce is extremely difficult,” Braden said. “Very few women ever achieve it. I know Eldridge has been unfaithful and now this. But I need to understand what drove him to beat you.”

Emily blinked her tears away. “Your visit this morning. I believe he heard more than I had imagined. He demanded to know if I was meeting Jonathon. And how I was doing it.”

“Did you tell him?” Jonathon asked.

“No, of course not. Then he thought he could beat it out of me. If my maid had not come in, I don't know what might have happened.”

Guilt spread throughout his body. She had been injured purely due to his visit. He should have known Eldridge would suspect her of harboring Jonathon. “Perhaps she can stay with Mia and Hart.”

Jonathon went silent for a long moment before shaking his head. “That makes sense, but will Hart allow it?”

“Yes,” he said without a thought. Hart had a soft spot for women. And knowing his past, he would want to assist Emily.

Within a few minutes, Mia and Hart arrived. Mia blustered into the room much like her mother would have done.

“What is wrong? Where is Tia?” She scanned the room. Seeing Emily, she went to her. “Who did this to you?”

Emily stared at her hands without saying a word.

“Can someone please tell me what is going on and where my sister is?”

“Lady Hartsfield, this is Emily, Lady Eldridge,” Braden said. “I don't know if you have met my brother, Mr. Jonathon Tavers.”

“Yes, I met him over the summer at the estate,” she muttered. “Now that we all know who we are, I will ask again—where is my sister?”

Braden cringed. “Quite possibly on her way back to the estate.”

“And why would she be doing that when you and she are to be married tomorrow?” Mia asked in an all-too quiet voice.

“There will not be a wedding tomorrow.”

She glared back at him with eyes the same color as Tia's. “Why not?”

Braden sat down with a sigh. “I cannot tell you the specifics, but right now she does not want to marry me. Before you say anything, I will tell you that once this little mess is done, she will forgive me and marry me.”

“I would not be so certain if I were you, my lord,” Mia said, fishing some items out of her small valise.

“Why not?”

“We Featherstone women have long memories and don't always forgive so easily.”

It was probably a good thing she did not see her husband shaking his head and mouthing the words
not true
to Braden. “I will take your words under careful consideration, Mia.”

“You had best do that,” Mia replied, wiping the dried blood off Emily's face. “How long ago did this happen?”

“Two hours ago,” Jonathon said as he watched the wise woman.

“Why was I not called sooner?”

“There were other, more important issues that needed to be attended to, Mia,” Braden said sharply. Hart leveled a deep scowl at him. “I apologize for my behavior.”

“Did he hit you anywhere else? Are your ribs all right?” Mia turned her attention on Emily again.

“No, just my face,” she finally admitted.

“And how far along are you?”

Emily's face went pallid. “How did you know?”

Mia gave her a look far wiser than her twenty-four years. “I knew the moment I saw you that you were carrying. So why would your husband have done this to you?”

“How do you know it was him?” Emily whispered.

“Just a feeling. Mr. Tavers is watching my every movement around you like a mother hen. So it isn't terribly difficult to assume what happened.” Mia finished cleaning Emily's face. “You shall be bruised for a few days, but it's not that bad.”

“Not that bad?” Jonathon shouted.

Mia turned her glare on him. “No, it wasn't all that bad, Mr. Tavers.”

“How can you say that?” Jonathon said. “You have no idea what it is like to have a man beat you like this.”

“Oh, you might need to intercede, Hart,” Braden said with a cringe.

“My wife can fight her own battles, Middleton. I made certain of that.”

Mia rose and placed her hands on her hips. “Indeed? Mr. Tavers, I should warn you to tread very carefully here. I spent weeks recovering at Hart's home because a man abused me. I am not saying what happened to her should be dismissed. But she will not need to stay in bed while her entire body attempts to recover.”

Jonathon looked abashed. “I apologize, my lady. I had no idea.”

“Now,” Mia said, looking at all the men in the room. “What are we to do with Lady Eldridge? She cannot stay here. Nor can she stay with Mr. Tavers. And I will not allow her to return to her husband.”

“I was hoping she could stay with you,” Braden said in a gentle tone.

Mia rolled her eyes before glancing over at Hart. He shrugged. “It is all right with me. However, if her husband comes to my home to retrieve her, we have no option but to turn her over to him.”

“You will do no such thing!” Mia exclaimed.

“It is the law, Mia,” Hart said. “He has the legal right to bring her back to his home.”

“It's not right,” she retorted.

“I can't agree more.”

Seeing Emily's white face, Braden said, “If it is settled, we need to get her out of here before Eldridge pays me a visit.”

Mia and Hart departed with Emily as Jonathon watched from the window. Braden wrote a note to Alistair asking him to join them. Braden wondered where Tia was right now. He needed to speak with Mrs. Abbott.

“Nelson, ask Mrs. Abbott to come see me in my study.”

“Of course, my lord.”

Mrs. Abbott's hasty footsteps soon rang out from the hall. “Yes, my lord?”

Braden had hated asking for Mrs. Abbott's assistance, but it had been the only way Tia would return to the estate safely. “How did it go with her?”

“She took the money you gave me and told me she was heading back to her mother's house.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Abbott.”

“My lord—” Mrs. Abbott started and then stopped.

“Speak your mind,” he said gently.

“Do you think it was for the best to send her away now? Begging your pardon, my lord, but what if she is carrying your child? She will need the security of your name.”

“And she will have exactly that as soon as this mess is finished. Please don't say a word to any of the other servants. Only you and Nelson are aware of the situation.”

“Of course, my lord.” With a quick bow, she left the room.

Braden had turned in some favors from his gambling days to make sure this would all go off without incident. As long as the servants kept quiet, everyone was would play their part. Alistair arrived at four, still looking apprehensive, but willing to agree to the plan as long as Jonathon was involved.

They discussed the plan in detail over dinner until each of them knew their part. The carriage was pulled around as if they were going for a normal outing. Alistair balked at the driver knowing where they were going, but it was necessary that someone could place them at the house. There was no other way this plan would work.

They drove toward the Red Door. Turning up an alley, they left the carriage and hurried with quite a bit of noise. Each of them carried a bottle of whiskey in their hands. They passed a few people who must have thought they were already foxed. A small, deserted home Adams owned sat away from the others. They entered the room and discovered Braden's favors had been turned in when they saw the bodies at the table. Playing cards were spread out as if the dead men had been playing before they keeled over and died. Adams would admit they had all been playing cards before he had been called back to the Red Door due to an issue there.

Jonathon lit the fire in the fireplace as Braden and Alistair spilled whiskey all over the bodies. Adams had supplied enough whisky that the small house should be up in flames in no time. They spread the alcohol all over the area of the room where the dead bodies were propped over the table. Braden lit the room and raced out the back door and down the street where Adams left the back door to the gaming hell open.

They were hurried up to the third floor. Braden went to the window and watched as the fire quickly engulfed the house. He felt a twinge of guilt for those poor dead men, but he'd been assured no one had come to claim them. So for now, all they could do was wait until Nelson reported back to Adams that the new viscount had arrived. And in Braden's case, wait and worry over Tia's safety.

 

Tia finally arrived back in the Midlands a few days after the incident in the study. She would be forever grateful to Mrs. Abbott for lending her the money to take the postal coach. She'd felt sorry for the passengers who had to endure her endless tears the entire drive. After a few days, she now felt as if she had no more tears to shed. A certain numbness had come over her that she could not shake. Honestly, she preferred the numbness to the agony of heartache.

She walked slowly toward her mother's cottage, wondering what her mother would say to her. Knowing her, Mother would tell her to return to Middleton Hall as the wise woman there. When she finally reached the door, she didn't know what to do. Should she knock? Should she just go inside?

She decided to knock and open the door. “Mother? Are you home?”

“Mia, is that you?” a voice called from the bedroom.

“No, Mama,” she said with a catch in her voice. “It's Tia.”

Her mother ran from the room and brought her into a warm embrace. “Oh, my darling, where have you been?”

The dam burst and her tears spilled over. “Oh, Mama,” she cried.

“Hush, it can't be as bad as that.”

“It is so much worse,” Tia mumbled. The heat of her mother's arm warmed her numb body.

“Come on, we shall sit and have some tea and you can tell me all about your travels. I can't imagine where you've been. I even sent Middleton to London to find you. I suppose I shall have to write him and tell him you have returned.” She led Tia to the sofa by the fireplace.

“Please don't write him.”

Her mother looked down at her. “Why would I not?”

“I do not want him to know I am here.” Although, she supposed it would be the second place he checked, the first being Mia's home in London. If he even cared to look for her at all. At this point, she doubted he would.

“Oh my.” Her mother sat next to her on the sofa. “I believe I had better hear this before making tea.”

She didn't know where to start. How did you explain to your mother that you became a man's mistress?

“I take it he found you?” her mother asked.

“Yes.” Slowly, she found the words to explain what had happened over the past few weeks. The tale sounded incredibly sordid.

“Oh my,” Mother said again. “So you do love him?”

Did she? She thought she had been in love with him, but after hearing about how he was using her to get vengeance on Jonathon, she wasn't sure any longer. “I do not know.”

“I know,” her mother commented. “I can see how much you love him in your eyes and your tears. It wouldn't hurt this much if you didn't love him.”