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She stopped on the dance floor. “I am not leaving with you.”
“Yes, you are.”
“You cannot force me,” Tia said in an overly confident tone.
The poor woman had no idea just what he could do. Without a second thought, he brought her up against his body and leaned down to kiss her. She struggled against him, but it was no use. Braden was stronger and that short kiss did exactly what he’d intended.
“How dare you!”
The pain in his cheek faded almost as quickly as her hand moved away. “You are coming home with me.”
“I will be ruined.”
“You already are,” he said coldly. “The servants will talk with other servants as soon as they hear you attended this ball. Word of your stay at my house will be all over London in less than a week.”
Her hand covered her mouth as tears filled her eyes.
“Tia, what is going on?” Lady Eldridge said, arriving far too late to help.
“Lady Eldridge, Miss Featherstone will be leaving your home tonight,” he said softly so no one else would overhear them. “She belongs back in the Midlands.”
“She has no place to go.” Lady Eldridge turned to face him. “How dare you humiliate her like this!”
“I will do whatever I please. She is my wise woman and is returning home.”
“No—”
“Emily, it’s all right,” Tia said in a resigned tone. “I don’t belong here.”
Lady Eldridge looked at Tia. “If you go with him you will be ruined.”
“I already am,” she said, glancing around the room. “Look at the disaster I made.”
“He made it, not you.”
“Come along, Miss Featherstone.” Braden held out his arm for her. He should feel remorse for his actions tonight, and yet, he refused to allow those emotions in. Her own mother had sent him on this mission and he had finished the job tonight and would see her off in the morning.
She ignored his arm and marched out of the room before he could take a step. He started forward, only to be stopped by Lady Eldridge.
“This is not how I intended the night to go.”
“Good evening, Lady Eldridge.” What the bloody hell had she meant by that? He strolled out of the room, but suddenly looked back at her. People crowded around her asking her all sorts of questions. She smiled at them all and whatever she’d said seemed to quiet them down.
She had sent the note.
She had wanted him to find Tia here.
Why?
He continued out of the room to find Tia standing in the front hall as a footman handed her shawl to her. She walked outside before he had reached the entrance. “Miss Featherstone, it may take a few moments for my carriage to be brought around. You might wish to wait inside.”
“No.”
Braden took the shawl from her hands and wrapped it around her shoulders. “There. It’s getting chilly tonight. You would be more comfortable inside.”
“You ruined me. Deliberately. I could never set foot in a home like that again.”
He laughed. “How little you know, Miss Featherstone. All it takes is marriage to the right man and they will beg you to come back. It would be as if nothing ever happened.”
