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Braden shook his head. “No. I think she wanted to believe I was my father’s son. I wanted to believe it too,” he admitted, more to himself than to her.
“I’m sorry. Do you have any idea who he might be?”
“None at all. At this point, it doesn’t matter, except that I feel horrible for inheriting over Jonathon when he is likely the true heir.” He had never told a soul what he just admitted to her.
“But there is nothing you can do about it.” She reached out to caress his check. He snatched her hand and kissed the palm. “This was your parents’ decision.”
“I know that, which is in part why I decided I had to change myself. I could no longer be the self-absorbed man who only cared about his own pleasure. If I was going to inherit, I promised my mother I would be a good viscount. An example to all those born into a title who do everything they can to ruin themselves and their titles.”
She smiled down at him. “I’m sure she would have been very proud of you. But how did you learn to box?”
He tilted his head back and laughed. “That would be all Hart’s fault. I met him when I was seventeen. We didn’t agree on a few things and got into a fight. I have never taken a beating as he gave me that day. So I asked him to show me how to fight.”
“What did you argue over?”
Braden rolled his eyes at her. “A woman, of course.”
“Of course,” she said with a laugh. “I shouldn’t have expected anything different from you.”
“Exactly. After that we became friends.” He rolled her over on her back. “Now, I have had enough talking about my past. I am feeling very well rested.”
She giggled softly. “Are you now? As your wise woman, I should tell you to rest more.”
“As my betrothed, you should be welcoming my advances,” he replied.
“I do welcome them,” she said with a sigh when he kissed her neck.
Tia woke a few hours later to find Braden’s arm wrapped around her waist, holding her against his hard chest. She savored the sensation of his warmth. But she wondered if she’d made the right decision. Marrying him would be difficult, only because of their very public relationship. Everyone would know that she’d been his mistress.
Did that matter?
The more time she spent in London, the less she liked the majority of the people she met. Out in the country, most people wouldn’t know what happened in town. They would be happy that their wise woman had decided to marry and have children. And then there was the idea of children.
She had always wanted children. Now her children would be proper ladies and gentlemen. They would go to good schools or have excellent tutors to learn far more than she had been taught by her father. Her son would be viscount one day. Hopefully, not for a very long time, though.
It was the right thing to do, she decided.
“Stop fretting,” Braden whispered in her ear before kissing her lobe. “Everything will be fine.”
She turned in his arms to face him. “Now why would you think I’m fretting?”
He smiled. “You bite down on your lower lip. It’s very adorable.”
“I do not do that,” she said with a laugh.
“Trust me, you do.”
“How are you feeling?” she asked, looking at the bandages.
“Head still hurts a bit, but it’s better.”
Tia bit her lower lip. “Who do you think is doing this?”
He touched her lip as if to remind her to stop biting down on it. “Honestly, I can only think of two people with a motive.”
“Jonathon and Alistair,” she said softly. It made no sense to her. She knew Jonathon and had met Alistair twice. Jonathon was no killer. He was far too kindhearted for that. And he never seemed interested in the title when they had talked at the estate. He’d even told her what a burden it was on his brother.
Alistair, while he needed money, also didn’t seem the type to kill over a title. He couldn’t possibly imagine that he would ever have a chance to inherit. And all suspicion would be on him if he did.
