Read Online No Groom at the Inn: A Dukes Behaving Badly Novella by Megan Frampton - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Megan Frampton
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would be something to look forward to, a prickle of anticipation to help steady his course.
“That sounds delightful,” Mrs. Green replied in a voice that indicated it was anything but. Perhaps she just always spoke that way? That would make him very sorry for Mr. Green, although that gentleman didn’t seem to mind things one way or the other.
I t was after dinner, and the party had all moved into the drawing room, which was arranged for general entertainment—a piano in one corner, several couches scattered about, and a few shelves of books. They hadn’t yet started playing the games since there was tea to be had first.
“My Jamie is so clever, don’t you think?” Mrs. Archer leaned over to speak in Sophronia’s ear, as though sharing a secret, and not something that everyone in the room knew Mrs. Archer thought.
She really was a sweet woman. “He is.”
“I am so pleased you’ll be joining our family. It’s just been me and Jamie for years now, and he deserves some happiness.”
And now she felt like the worst kind of lowly worm, fooling this lovely, gentle woman.
“James isn’t in town that often, is he?”
Mrs. Archer shook her head regretfully. “No, he is always going off to one place or another. It’s been the same ever since he was small. I’d send him out to play, and then he’d end up in the village, or down at the lake, or in the fields. We lived in the country until Jamie was about twelve years old. Then his father—Mr. Archer, that is—found he was required to be at his place of business every day, and so he moved us into London.” She sighed. “Jamie takes after his father. My late husband was always off doing things until we got married.”
It was on the tip of Sophronia’s tongue to ask if James had any brothers and sisters, but she had to think that a normal about-to-be-married couple would have discovered that kind of information about one another already, and while Mrs. Archer did not appear to be a suspicious type of person, her suspicions would certainly be aroused if the topic of family hadn’t come up already.
She could, however, safely ask Mrs. Archer questions about herself. “Do you like living in London?”
Mrs. Archer glanced around as though to ensure nobody was listening in. They weren’t; prior to the start of the games, Mrs. Green had insisted that James examine yet another artifact—or “arty fact”—and Miss Green had dutifully brought it out from one room or another for him to see, as well as for the guests, presumably, to admire, as well.
To Sophronia’s eyes, it appeared to be a misshapen drab piece of pottery. She would not be sharing her opinion with Mrs. Green.
“I don’t really enjoy London,” Mrs. Archer said. “That is, I do like the conveniences, and when Jamie returns to England he invariably has business in London, so there is a greater chance I will be able to see him. I do miss him.” She sighed and looked over to where her son was staring intently at the misshapen drab. “I did always hope—well, it’s foolish.”
“What did you hope for?” Sophronia asked, wanting to know even as she was dreading the answer—it would likely be something involving her son staying nearby with his wife and their brood of not-yet-existing children.
“I always hoped that when Jamie settled down he would truly settle down. Like his father did with me. Perhaps in the country, a town like this one, or like the one where we lived before. A place where I could see him, and his wife,” she added, with a warm smile toward Sophronia, “and where it was less of a commotion.”
She was right to have dreaded the answer. It was precisely what she would have imagined the woman wanted, and precisely opposite what her son was determined to do.
She did feel terrible for the deception, but on the other hand, she could feel just how bound up and stifled it made him feel to be in one place for too long.
“I understand that,” she replied. “I’ve
“That sounds delightful,” Mrs. Green replied in a voice that indicated it was anything but. Perhaps she just always spoke that way? That would make him very sorry for Mr. Green, although that gentleman didn’t seem to mind things one way or the other.
I t was after dinner, and the party had all moved into the drawing room, which was arranged for general entertainment—a piano in one corner, several couches scattered about, and a few shelves of books. They hadn’t yet started playing the games since there was tea to be had first.
“My Jamie is so clever, don’t you think?” Mrs. Archer leaned over to speak in Sophronia’s ear, as though sharing a secret, and not something that everyone in the room knew Mrs. Archer thought.
She really was a sweet woman. “He is.”
“I am so pleased you’ll be joining our family. It’s just been me and Jamie for years now, and he deserves some happiness.”
And now she felt like the worst kind of lowly worm, fooling this lovely, gentle woman.
“James isn’t in town that often, is he?”
Mrs. Archer shook her head regretfully. “No, he is always going off to one place or another. It’s been the same ever since he was small. I’d send him out to play, and then he’d end up in the village, or down at the lake, or in the fields. We lived in the country until Jamie was about twelve years old. Then his father—Mr. Archer, that is—found he was required to be at his place of business every day, and so he moved us into London.” She sighed. “Jamie takes after his father. My late husband was always off doing things until we got married.”
It was on the tip of Sophronia’s tongue to ask if James had any brothers and sisters, but she had to think that a normal about-to-be-married couple would have discovered that kind of information about one another already, and while Mrs. Archer did not appear to be a suspicious type of person, her suspicions would certainly be aroused if the topic of family hadn’t come up already.
She could, however, safely ask Mrs. Archer questions about herself. “Do you like living in London?”
Mrs. Archer glanced around as though to ensure nobody was listening in. They weren’t; prior to the start of the games, Mrs. Green had insisted that James examine yet another artifact—or “arty fact”—and Miss Green had dutifully brought it out from one room or another for him to see, as well as for the guests, presumably, to admire, as well.
To Sophronia’s eyes, it appeared to be a misshapen drab piece of pottery. She would not be sharing her opinion with Mrs. Green.
“I don’t really enjoy London,” Mrs. Archer said. “That is, I do like the conveniences, and when Jamie returns to England he invariably has business in London, so there is a greater chance I will be able to see him. I do miss him.” She sighed and looked over to where her son was staring intently at the misshapen drab. “I did always hope—well, it’s foolish.”
“What did you hope for?” Sophronia asked, wanting to know even as she was dreading the answer—it would likely be something involving her son staying nearby with his wife and their brood of not-yet-existing children.
“I always hoped that when Jamie settled down he would truly settle down. Like his father did with me. Perhaps in the country, a town like this one, or like the one where we lived before. A place where I could see him, and his wife,” she added, with a warm smile toward Sophronia, “and where it was less of a commotion.”
She was right to have dreaded the answer. It was precisely what she would have imagined the woman wanted, and precisely opposite what her son was determined to do.
She did feel terrible for the deception, but on the other hand, she could feel just how bound up and stifled it made him feel to be in one place for too long.
“I understand that,” she replied. “I’ve
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