Vexing the Viscount (23 page)

“And I will do everything in my power to keep you safe and healthy.”

T
he next morning, Braden rolled over to curve his body against Tia's. He had barely slept last night, imagining all the things that could go wrong until he had her safely ensconced at Middleton Hall. He wrapped his arm around her and brought her sleeping form next to him. How had he fallen this deeply in love with a woman he had only known for a few months? And until a few weeks ago, they had barely spoken with each other.

Now, he could imagine waking up next to her every morning. He wanted his ring on her finger now, not tomorrow. His hand rubbed her belly. Could his child be in there right now? For once, he hoped there was a baby on the way. With other women, he'd been so careful not to spill his seed, but with her, it hadn't occurred to him. Perhaps he'd wanted her with child so she would marry him.

Braden inhaled her sweet scent. If he could only figure out who was behind the attempts on his life, then his life would be perfect. He had a woman many men could only dream of, he had wealth from his notorious past, an estate that was bringing in a small income and with improvements would earn more, and he had an illustrious title.

And someone trying to kill him.

“Stop worrying,” Tia's groggy voice whispered.

“Now why would you think I'm worrying over something?”

“Because when I worry, I bite my lower lip, as you so kindly pointed out. You, on the other hand, tap your thumb. It's been hammering my belly since you curled yourself around me. Would you like to talk about it?”

“No,” he immediately said, then regretted it. “I apologize. It's a habit not to speak of things with my . . .”

“Lovers?” she supplied.

“Yes.” He kissed her neck. “I just want this man found,” he admitted. “I want our life to start without worrying about who might be after us.” He was surprised at how lovely it felt to speak of his feelings with someone other than his male friends.

“Will we be safer at the estate?”

“I believe so.”

“But you are still concerned,” she added.

“Yes. I am going to meet with the runner I hired and tell him what I know about Jonathon and what has happened to him. Then I shall get the special license and we will marry in the morning before we leave. Send a note to Hart and your sister so they can witness the event.”

“I will.”

He tightened his arm around her as he nuzzled her neck. “Please don't leave the house today. I couldn't bear it if something happened to you.”

She nodded. “Please be careful today.” She rolled over and stared at him. “I couldn't bear it if anything happened to you either.”

He wanted to make love to her right then, but he had far too many things to settle before leaving for the estate. “I need to get out of bed.”

“So soon?” she said, tracing a finger down his jaw.

He groaned. “Yes. I really must.” He clasped her hand and kissed it. “This we will do later.”

“Good.”

He quickly dressed and went downstairs for some coffee and food. As he ate, he pondered what he could do to find the person responsible for trying to kill him. A knock at the front door brought him back to reality.

“My lord, Mr. Alistair Tavers is here to see you and says it is of the utmost importance.”

“Show him to my study, Nelson.”

Braden wondered why Alistair would be here so early in the morning. It was only nine. With a shrug, he walked to the study, where he found Alistair pacing the room. “Alistair, what is wrong?”

“Thank God, you are all right,” he said. Relief filled his face. “When it happened, I could only assume someone must have gotten to you and Jonathon.”

“Sit down and tell me what has you in such a state.”

Alistair took a deep breath and sat in a chair. “Last night, I was arriving home and as I left the carriage, someone took a shot at me. It just missed me.”

“What does that have to do with me?” Braden asked. “I certainly had nothing to do with it.”

“Of course you didn't,” Alistair said vehemently. “I thought if someone was trying to kill me that you and Jonathon must already be dead.”

“I see.” Braden stared at his cousin. Nothing in his attitude today looked as if it was a performance. Alistair seemed genuine. “And if I were dead and Jonathon too, you would be the next viscount.”

“I don't want that responsibility,” he said with a wave of his hand. “I wouldn't mind the money, but I also know most of what you have is from your gaming interests and not the estate. It would only be a burden to me.”

“Good point. I spoke with Jonathon yesterday and he also believes someone is making an attempt on his life.”

“Good God! What the bloody hell is happening?” Alistair rose and started pacing again. “Why would anyone want to kill us all? Is there some kind of curse on the title?”

Braden almost laughed at the idea of a curse on them. “Do you have any idea who would inherit if you had the title and died?”

Alistair halted his pace. “I have no idea. It never occurred to me to check, because I assumed the chance of inheriting was too slim. After Constance and Louisa, there are no other close relatives and they obviously cannot inherit.”

A very strange plan came to Braden's mind. “Why don't we find out?”

“What do you mean?”

“What would happen if all three of us should happen to die in an accident?”

“Dear God, don't think of such a thing.”

Braden laughed. “I meant, what if everyone thought we had died?”

“Oh,” Alistair said with a slight grin as he realized Braden's plan. “Then whoever believes he is the next in line to inherit will appear to claim the title.” He sat back down. “But Middleton, that could take weeks. I don't want my sisters to believe me dead all that time.”

“It might take that long,” he drawled. “Or it might not. If this person is so eager to inherit that he would attempt to kill five people, I doubt he will wait a long time to claim the title.” Even the idea of someone attempting to kill so many for a title seemed mad at best. “No one would believe the man had nothing to do with our deaths.”

“But where will we go?”

“Good question.” Braden rubbed his chin. “I believe we need to speak with Jonathon and make sure he is willing to be a part of this plan.” Which brought up another question: How did he contact his brother when he had no idea where he was staying?

“Once you get word to your brother, let me know. I shall be at my home until this is settled.”

“Very good. I will let you know as soon as I hear from him.”

Alistair bowed and left the room. Now Braden was left with trying to determine a way to contact Jonathon and there was only one person who could assist him. He left the house, still wondering what he would say should Eldridge be at home. What excuse could he have for paying a call on Emily?

There was only one he could think of.

When he arrived at the earl's home, he knocked on the door. He handed his card to the butler and waited to be admitted.

“Lord Eldridge is not at home, my lord,” the stiff butler replied.

Which was just a way of telling him that Eldridge did not want Braden to enter his home. “I am here to see Lady Eldridge. It is concerning her dear friend Miss Featherstone.”

“Miss Featherstone?” The butler frowned before opening the door fully to him. “Wait in the salon, my lord. I shall let Lady Eldridge know you are here.”

Feeling as restless as Alistair must have, Braden paced the room. Finally, delicate footsteps sounded from the hall. He stopped and turned to see Emily standing at the threshold with a look of worry upon her face.

“Middleton, what happened to Tia?”

“Lady Eldridge, please sit down with me on the sofa so we can talk.”

“Oh, God, she's dead, isn't she?” Emily covered her mouth as tears formed in her eyes.

“No. She is not dead.” He sat on the sofa and patted the place next to him. “I must speak with you privately.”

She tilted her head and then nodded. After sitting, she asked, “What is wrong with Tia?”

“Nothing,” he said softly. “I must get a message to Jonathon. He came to my home last night, but wouldn't tell me where he was staying.”

“I honestly don't know where he is staying,” she whispered. “I leave a missive for him.”

“Where?”

“At Hyde Park. If you go in at Grosvenor Gate, there is a small group of trees on the right. One of them is forked and at the fork, there is a cut in the tree just large enough for a folded piece of paper. That is where we have been leaving the notes.”

“Thank you, Lady Eldridge.”

“What exactly are you thanking my wife for, Middleton?”

Braden looked over to see Eldridge standing at the threshold with his arms folded over his chest. “Miss Featherstone is missing. I thought Lady Eldridge might have heard from her.”

“And has she?” he asked.

“No.” Braden rose from the sofa. “I must take my leave now. Thank you for your time, Lady Eldridge.”

“Of course, my lord. I wish you only the best in finding her.”

“Thank you.” Braden bowed toward Eldridge. “My lord,” he muttered. Once out of the house, he returned home only long enough to write a note to Jonathon. He rode out to Hyde Park and prayed he found the right tree before he left the missive. Now, he needed to get the special license and a note to the runner.

After he arrived home, he found Tia in the library, reading another book on family history. “Sweetheart, are you still trying to figure out this mess?”

“Yes, I am. It is also quite interesting to learn of your family history.”

Since Braden wasn't certain that this truly was
his
family history, he only shrugged. “I must speak to you in private.” He closed the door and sat across from her. “I spoke with Alistair this morning and he believes someone is trying to kill him too. I believe our only choice is for all three of us to die in an accident.”

She sat up straight. “What exactly are you talking about?”

“We need to stage our deaths. That way, whoever is trying to kill us will come forward. Until he does, we don't know who it may be.”

“That is a mad idea! You have no way of knowing if that person is the one trying to kill you.”

Braden sighed. “Who else could it be?”

“I don't know!”

“Don't be angry with me, sweetheart. I just want this over.”

Tia shook her head. “I am not angry,” she admitted. “I too want this over. I only worry that you might not have the right person.”

“What do you mean?”

“You have no way of knowing if Jonathon and Alistair are telling the truth. If the three of you go together someplace, one of them might kill you.”

He hadn't thought of that possibility. She might be right and if she was, he was only giving the killer the opportunity to kill without being caught. But if nothing else, he now understood how prepared he needed to be if they went with this plan.

“Braden?”

“I'm sorry. I was woolgathering. There is always the chance that you are right. But at this point, I believe we may not have any other options. I want this settled, Tia. Now.”

“I understand, but there is another issue.”

“What?” he asked, assuming she was only trying to stop him.

“How exactly will you make people believe all three of you died in an accident?”

Braden shrugged. “We shall stage a carriage accident. Perhaps outside of London, where there are some dreadful roads and hills. Let the word get out that the three of us are going to the hunting lodge.”

Tia rolled her eyes. “A carriage accident will never do. A coroner will need to verify the bodies.”

Braden swore softly. That had never crossed his mind. Now what would he do? “There has to be a way.”

“You will need three dead bodies,” she whispered. “And a fire.”

“You are starting to scare me,” he said with a smile. “I must remember to never get you too angry with me.”

She giggled. “The fire must be hot enough to destroy the bodies and make them unrecognizable. And they need to be very close in size to you all. It might help if it looks like you all were drinking heavily before the fire started, which would explain why you didn't get out.”

“Thank you,” he said, before kissing her quickly.

“My lord,” Nelson said from the other side of the closed door. “Mr. Brady is here to see you.”

“Thank you, Nelson. Show him to my study.” He looked over at Tia. “That is the runner I hired. I must speak with him.”

“Of course.”

He rose and then looked down at her with a grin. “I have the special license, so you will be married in the morning and possibly a widow by afternoon.”

“Do not jest about such a thing!”

“Tia, everything will work out. I promise.”

Tia read for over an hour as Braden spoke with the runner. She looked up from her book several times to wonder how she could convince him that the plan to stage his own death was far too mad of an idea to consider. Perhaps if she could see Jonathon, he could talk some sense into his brother. Of course, that was assuming Braden didn't lock her in his bedchamber if Jonathon arrived.

There had to be some way of stopping him. She smiled. Perhaps she should lock Braden in the bedchamber, with her. That would keep him from leaving and be quite enjoyable in the process.

Realizing it might be quite a while before he came out of his study, she went upstairs to find another book she'd left in her room. When she arrived, she found Mrs. Abbott packing her clothes.

“Am I leaving, then?”

Mrs. Abbott started. “Dear girl, you gave me such a fright. His lordship asked that you be packed and ready to leave after the ceremony tomorrow. I have time now, so I thought I would get a start on it.”