Vexing the Viscount by Christie Kelley

only just met. “While I would enjoy that, I must decline.”
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œI shouldn’t wish Middleton to worry.”
    Emily’s brows rose. “Indeed? Is he worried about ruining your reputation by having you stay in his home with no proper chaperone?”
    Tia laughed. “Emily, no one cares if I am at his home whether I am his mistress or not.”
    â€œAre you?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œBut everyone will assume you are.”
    Tia shrugged. “I know no one in town. They will just believe he has installed a mistress to his home. Since I will be leaving possibly tomorrow, very few people will even realize I was there.”
    â€œWhy will you not stay with me?” Emily asked quietly with a slight pout. “Have I offended you in some manner?”
    â€œOf course not! But, Emily, we have only just met this very day. Why would you want a complete stranger in your home? Besides, what would your husband say?”
    â€œYes, Emily, what would your husband say?” A deep voice sounded from the threshold.
    Emily’s face brightened. “Eldridge, come meet my new friend,” she said, extending her hand outward.
    Emily’s husband was older than Tia had expected. Gray hairs peppered his dark brown locks, and wrinkle lines around his eyes foretold his age to be much closer to forty than Emily’s youthful twenty.
    The earl approached the bed and gently kissed his wife’s cheek. “Baines said you were not feeling well, so I came up to check on you.”
    â€œMy new friend has helped me feel much better.” Emily quickly introduced them. “I was just trying to convince Miss Featherstone that her reputation might be in jeopardy by staying alone with Viscount Middleton. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if she stayed with us? She could accompany me to the parties you are unable to attend. And she could give me someone to talk to while you attend to your duties.”
    â€œYou are more than welcome to stay with us, Miss Featherstone. For my wife’s sake, I hope you will.” He gave a quick bow and then left them alone again.
    â€œSee,” Emily said with a tight smile. “Eldridge would give me anything I desire as long as I don’t make a fuss about his mistress.”
    Tia cringed. This was no marriage.
    â€œSay you will stay with me,” Emily implored.
    â€œMiddleton will be furious.” That alone should make her want to stay with her new friend. After what he did to her last night, he deserved a little retribution. But staying with Emily also would give her access to her friends in Society. This might help her find Jonathon.
    â€œHe doesn’t have to know you’re here,” Emily said with a smile.
    â€œI suppose he doesn’t.”
    And if he could not find her, he couldn’t force her to return to a position she no longer wished to do. Even as a tingle of worry crept over her, Tia said, “I’ll stay.”

Chapter 5
    B raden woke slowly with a muddled feeling in his mind. He blinked a few times before lifting his hands to rub his eyes. A searing pain tore through his right arm. “Damnation.”
    Looking over at this arm, he noticed the bandaging and then closed his eyes in an attempt to remember what took place the previous evening. He remembered attending a party and finding Jack. They went to a gaming hell . . . but what happened after that? Dammit, why was his brain so fuzzy this morning? Had he imbibed a bit too much?
    He wondered about that for a minute. There was no sign of nausea, no headache, but his arm was aching like the devil and bandaged too. He slowly reached over and rang the bell for a footman. Not more than two minutes had passed before a knock sounded at the door.
    â€œCome in,” he said gruffly.
    â€œGood morning, my lord,” Nelson said in an unusually soft tone. “Can I get you anything?”
    â€œMy memory.” Braden eased into a sitting