“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?”