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bsp; Braden reached over and handed her the book. “Please be careful. I hate the idea of you going out there and doing what I should be doing.”
“You cannot without exposing what you did. Once she confesses, then we can explain that you did it for your personal safety. Or we shall lie and say the three of you had gone to your hunting lodge, not that house to play cards.” She leaned over and kissed him softly. “Try not to worry.”
“That is surely an impossible task,” he whispered.
A knock hammered the door. “Are you ready, Miss Featherstone?”
“Yes.” She walked out of the room and noticed both Jonathon and Alistair standing in the hall.
“Be careful, Tia,” Jonathon said solemnly.
“Yes, please have a care, Miss Featherstone,” Alistair added.
“Thank you, gentlemen.” Tia felt dreadful for them all. It could not be easy to see a woman trying to coerce a confession out of someone. Her hands shook as she grabbed her reticule from the hall table.
Adams took her arm. “You will go first. I will have my driver park a block away, so if by chance anyone sees you it will appear that you had walked to her home. I will arrive soon after by carriage.”
“What if one of them is not at home?”
“I have a boy watching the house. If either leaves, he will give a sign as we drive by. If they are not both home, we shall do this another day.” He showed her around to the back door so no one would see them leave together.
“Thank you for all your assistance, Mr. Adams. You are a good friend to Middleton.”
Adams acknowledged the compliment with a nod.
They drove through Mayfair in silence, each trying to formulate their upcoming conversations. As the carriage rolled past the Bunworth home, Adams glanced out the window. Tia tried to see what he looked at, but the man’s body blocked her sight. He sat back and pounded once on the roof of the carriage.
Before she had a chance to ask, the carriage slowed to a stop. “Am I to assume they are at home, then?”
“Yes.” He waited in the carriage as the driver helped her out. “Do not take any chances, Miss Featherstone. Middleton will kill me if some any harm befalls you.”
“Thank you,” she said softly. Her nerves were tight while she walked down the street. She had to get Constance to confess. Tia just had no idea how she would even get the woman to speak with her.
She approached the door with trepidation. She lifted the brass knocker and let it fall from her hand. The door opened and the butler stood at attention.
“Miss Featherstone to see Lady Bunworth.”
“I shall see if she is at home. Please wait here.”
Tia was certain he only let her in so she could get out of the light rain that had just started to fall. The butler whispered to a footman and then returned to his post. Tia waited for close to five minutes before the footman returned.
“Lady Bunworth will be down presently.” He gestured to the salon. “Please wait here.”
Tia walked into the salon and prayed this was the one that backed to Bunworth’s study. She had no way of knowing if it did. This was the same room in which Constance had entertained her and Braden.
“Well, this is a surprise indeed,” Constance’s voice sounded from the hall. “Why would Middleton’s mistress pay a call on me?” She entered the room with a bluster of black bombazine. “I could only think of one reason and the answer is no.”
Tia rose and gave her a quick curtsey. “I have no idea to what you are referring, Lady Bunworth. I only came to give you my condolences on the loss of your brother.”
Her face softened slightly, almost making Tia think she had the wrong person. “Thank you, Miss Featherstone.”
The front door opened and Tia heard Adams’s voice.
“Now who is it?” Constance asked in an annoyed tone.
The butler walked past the door. “It’s a Mr. Adams to see Lord Bunworth.”
