Free What the Lady Wants by Jennifer Crusie Page B

condo."
    "Somebody tried to once." Mae walked toward the door.
    "Who?"
    "My ex-husband."
    Mitch stopped. "You were married?"
    Mae looked back over her shoulder. "It didn't last long. Four years."
    Mitch scowled, annoyed for some reason. "Four years is long. You lived with some guy for four years?"
    "Four years is not long for a marriage. Marriage is supposed to be forever. And no, he didn't open the West, if that's your next question." Mae pushed through the lobby doors.
    "I wasn't going to ask." Mitch followed her into the air-conditioned opulence, upset, wondering why he was upset. So she'd been married. Big deal. It was none of his business. "So what happened?"
    "It didn't work out."
    "Because you didn't like living in a condo?" What kind of a fool had this guy been? If she wanted to live in a tent, Mitch would have... He stopped himself. No, he wouldn't have. He was never getting married. But if he did get married, and it was to someone like Mae, he'd live in a tent if that was what it took to keep her. "You left because you didn't like the living arrangements?"
    Mae rang for the elevator. "I didn't leave. He did."
    "What a fool," Mitch said, and Mae smiled at him.
    "Thank you. That's very sweet of you."
    Mitch shrugged. "Just an observation. Nothing personal."
    The elevator stopped, and Mae put her hand on his arm. "There's just one thing I want you to know."
    Mitch tried to look understanding and supportive. "Yes?"
    "If Barbara cries, it's your turn to pat."
    "No way in hell," Mitch said and held the elevator doors open so she could pass through.
    The maid was dark, thin and irritated at being bothered. Obviously, this was a job for someone with charm, so Mitch stood back to let Mae operate.
    "We've come to see Ms. Ross." Mae smiled at her. "Please tell her Mae Sullivan is here."
    "She's not here. She's still in Barbados. She'll be back tomorrow."
    The maid started to close the door, and Mitch stuck his foot in it. So much for charm. "When tomorrow?"
    The maid glared down at his foot. "In the morning."
    Mae met Mitch's eyes. "Maybe she doesn't know about Armand." She turned back to the maid. "Do you know if she's planning on attending the memorial service for Armand Lewis tomorrow?"
    "Of course she's planning on going." The maid stared at Mae as if she thought Mae was insane. "She's the widow, isn't she?"
    "She is?" Mae's mouth dropped open. "The widow? Are you sure?"
    "Sure I'm sure." The maid moved her head from Mae to Mitch. "Now, if you don't mind, I have things to do."
    Mitch moved his foot, and she slammed the door in his face.
    "She's the widow? They're married?" Mae slumped against the wall. "He married her?"
    Mitch put his hands in his pockets and watched her deal with the blow. "When would he have had time to marry her?"
    "Last week, I guess. He was out of town all last week, but he came back on Friday to be with Stormy, and he spent Saturday and Sunday at the house with us. He was on the phone most of the time, but he was with us. And he went from us to Stormy on Monday night, and then he died."
    "And he never mentioned getting married. That is something he would have mentioned, right?"
    "Well, you'd think so." Mae swallowed. "It must have been that week he was gone." She looked up at Mitch. "If he did get married, what would that do to the will?"
    "I don't know." Mitch frowned. "It might invalidate it. She'd get something under Ohio law."
    Mae pushed herself away from the wall and turned back to the elevator. "Come on."
    Mitch trailed after her. "Where are we going now?''
    "Uncle Claud," Mae called back. "If it's about money, Uncle Claud has the answer."

    Claud Lewis's neat white frame condo on River Road was not ostentatious. It didn't have to be. It was sitting on the most expensive real estate in Riverbend.
    "Hello, Prescott," Mae said to the graying mini-aristocrat who opened the door. "I'm here to see my uncle. I know I didn't call, but this is urgent."
    "Very good, Miss Mae Belle." Prescott opened the