What the Groom Wants by Jade Lee Read Free Book Online Page B

taking in the new silver tea set at the same moment he noticed two gentlemen setting aside their cups as they pushed to their feet.
    Radley’s brows drew together, furious that these two men—whoever they were—had upset his mother.
    “What has happened here?” he demanded in his most authoritative voice. It was a tone designed to carry over a violent storm at sea, and it made the two men jolt.
    And then as one, they bowed deeply before him.
    He stared, confused by such an obsequious reaction, especially as his mother controlled her sobs. She stepped back, wiping her eyes and shaking her head.
    “No, no. I’m all right,” she gasped. “I just so h-h-happy.” She gave him a trembling smile. “You’re home!”
    He nodded, his gaze still on the two gentlemen. They had the look of solicitors, one old and the other barely controlling his excitement as he shifted from foot to foot. Radley’s gaze moved to his mother’s beaming face, and his disquiet grew. Were these the solicitors who had left their card with his employer? And where did his mother get the money for a new dress, a silver tea set, and…
    His eyes narrowed. Fresh flowers? In a vase on the table? They had never had fresh flowers. It was too big an expense!
    “Mother,” he said slowly.
    “It has finally happened,” she said as she wiped her eyes. “You’re a duke, Radley! We… I’m… Oh darling, you’ve inherited the title just as I always knew you would.”
    He stared at her, his mind stuttering at her words. His first thought was that the toll of near poverty had finally gotten the better of her. Her mind had broken, and these men were here to take her to Bedlam.
    That was his first thought. The rest of him couldn’t help but replay the many words he’d heard while walking here. Whether or not it was true, the neighborhood certainly thought he’d stepped into something huge. But it couldn’t possibly be that he’d inherited the title. He was ninth or tenth in line for the dukedom.
    More likely was that the old duke had finally died, and the next one was doing his best to reconnect to the lost branch of the family. That would mean reaching out to his mother in Radley’s absence.
    “Don’t worry,” he said softly to his mother. “I’m home now. I’ll sort it all out.”
    “But there’s nothing to sort,” his mother cried happily. “You’re the new duke!”
    He smiled, hating that she kept saying that. It couldn’t be true.
    “Mother,” he said gently, “Miss Drew and her mother will be staying here tomorrow. They have had some difficulty with their rooms and—”
    “What? What!” She drew herself to her full height, and with the new coiffure, she nearly made it to his chin.
    He smiled as he squeezed her arms. “I know it is sudden, but they are having a problem, and they need a place to stay. So I said they could stay in my room—”
    “But they cannot!”
    His lips tightened, and he took as strong a tone as he dared with his mother, especially while the two men stood barely three feet away. “They can, and they will. I have promised them. It will not be for long, and you can—”
    “No!” she cried. “You are a duke now, Radley! There are appearances to be maintained. Your generosity does you credit, but we simply cannot—”
    “Mother,” he said, coldly cutting her off. He had intended to inform her as soon as possible, not to discuss it openly in front of strangers. He’d expected his quiet mama to simply acquiesce. Between the clamor outside and his mother’s odd words, Radley felt his world shifting on its axis. “We will discuss this at a later time. Right now, I should like to meet these gentlemen.”
    She huffed, clearly disliking what he’d said, but her good manners stopped her from arguing further. Instead, she turned to the gentlemen in question.
    “Radley, I’d like to present you with your solicitors. Mr. Pelley and his grandson, Mr. Pelley. They are from the firm of Chase and Pelley. They