“Charitable endeavors?” Uncle Alasdair sneered. “Strumpets. Do you really believe they’ll change their ways? Those bits of muslin would have left if they hadn’t wanted to be there.”
For the first time, deep in Dom’s heart, he knew his uncle was wrong. And if he was wrong about this, what else had he been mistaken about? “Yes, make sure they know the ladies are to be treated as such or they will answer to me.”
“Yes, my lord,” Jacob replied in a cheerful tone. “Shall I also ask Major Horton to provide some family history on the ladies? Just so there won’t be so many questions?”
“Do that and find out how soon they can travel.”
“My lord.” Paken entered the room. “A message for you from Lord Worthington.”
Bloody hell! That was it. Thea was leaving him. He took the missive. “I’ll be in my study.”
Dom sat behind his desk and stared at the letter in his hands. Well, putting off opening it wouldn’t make the news any less palatable. He opened the seal, smoothing the paper out.
Merton,
I expect your presence at Worthington House within the half hour.
Depart from the mews. No one must know you have left your house.
Worthington
Nothing about Thea ending their betrothal. Dom heaved a sigh of relief, then anger at his cousin’s high-handedness sparked his ire. Was the man mad? How had it come to this? Merton skulking around in the alleyways. He’d half a notion to ignore Worthington’s demands. But blast it all, what if he was right? “Paken, have a carriage ready at the garden gate in five minutes.”
Less than a quarter hour later, Dom charged into Worthington’s study and shoved the missive in front of him. “What the devil is the meaning of this?”
“Sit.” His cousin’s jaw clenched.
“You can’t tell me to . . .” Dom dropped into the chair. What if Thea had been hurt or worse? “Is it Thea? Is she all right?”
“No thanks to you.”
Merton ran a hand through his hair. His valet would leave him if Thea didn’t. “What happened?”
“She was followed. I’ve got men looking for the boy now.”
He groaned and dropped his face into his hands.
“I want an explanation as to why Dotty was allowed to leave Merton House on foot.”
“We disagreed over Tom and the ladies.”
“There had to be more than that.” His cousin’s eyes narrowed. “Dotty is one of the most level-headed young ladies I’ve ever met.”
“I may have ordered her to leave Tom to me.” He sucked in a breath. His words had sounded reasonable at the time. Now he wasn’t quite as sure.
Leaning back in his chair, his cousin motioned with his hand. “Go on.”
Dom relayed the meeting and what they’d discussed. By the time he’d finished, Worthington’s face was flushed with anger.
He threw down the pen he’d been fiddling with. “Do you purposely go through life with blinders on? She might very well be right in her assessment.”
Dom closed his eyes for a moment. “That is what the major and my mother said. I’m not used to all of this upheaval. I didn’t know . . .” He rubbed his temple. “It’s damned embarrassing to have a chit of a girl know more about the seedier part of the world than I do. What is worse, she never does what I tell her to.”
“Your betrothed has a reputation for rescuing victims of that world.” Dom’s head whipped up. And he had prayed her behavior here was an aberration. “Not London, of course. She hasn’t had time, yet. Still, the fact remains that you are correct. She probably does have a lot more knowledge than you. You may not like it, but you cannot continue to ignore it.” Worthington poured brandy into two glasses, sliding one to Dom. “Before the incident in the brothel, I wondered if you had any Bradford blood in you at all. Your actions there gave me a ray of hope, but only you can open your eyes. There is more to life than White’s, and your estates.” He took a sip. “I’ll tell you something else. When you get involved with the lower orders of society, being a peer will not always protect you.”
Dom stared at his cousin. No one had ever spoken to him like that before. Except Thea. Still, she would be his wife. He needed to have some control over her. “What about her not obeying me.”
Worthington shrugged. “I can’t help you with that. She has a mind of her own, as does Grace and, I might add, any other woman worth knowing.”
