Free Her Sudden Groom by Rose Gordon Page A

find she wasn’t blinded by sunshine like she’d expected. Right above the door they’d exited was a private balcony with several hanging flower baskets acting as an excellent sun screen. Close to the door was the lounge chair Alex’s mother had requested. About fifteen feet away was a little stone table with thirty two smaller stones lined up in four neat rows on top with a chair on either side of the table.
    Caroline blinked at the little table and a giggle escaped her lips.
    “ Did I miss something?” Alex asked, walking up beside her.
    “ No,” she said quickly, staring at the chess table in disbelief.
    The baroness, smart lady that she was, stepped up. “It’s not what you expected, is it?”
    Alex looked at them, confusion marring his handsome face. “What do you mean?”
    “ Caroline was expecting lawn chess,” Lady Watson explained.
    He gestured to the table. “This is lawn chess.”
    “ No, this is lawn chess,” his mother argued. “She was expecting lawn chess .”
    “ And what, pray tell, is lawn chess ?”
    “ This is fine,” Caroline put in quickly. “Let’s play.”
    “ No.” Alex shook his head. “I want to know what lawn chess is.”
    His mother sighed. “Do you remember when you were fifteen and we took you to the Tollison house party?”
    He nodded.
    “ Remember that giant, wooden platform they had in their backyard that was painted black and white and all you boys moved around those giant chunks of carved wood that were so big it took two of you to move them?”
    Alex’s jaw dropped. “You were talking about that ?”
    Caroline bit her lip and nodded sheepishly. “Yes.”
    He turned back to his mother. “And you knew she was expecting that?”
    His mother repeated Caroline’s gesture. “I had a slight inclination. Years ago, your father and I used to go play lawn chess over at Lord Sinclair’s. They had a set and we’d all play together.”
    Caroline swallowed. They had a set was right. After her mother died, Uncle Joseph got rid of it before her father could voice any claim to it.
    “ Caroline, let me tell you a secret I’ve learned from being married to Alex’s father for more than thirty years. Like Edward, Alex will give you anything you ask for. But you need to be specific. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want. He’ll give it to you or get it for you.”
    Caroline nodded as she absorbed what Lady Watson told her. She smiled. From what she could tell, the baroness’ observation seemed undeniably accurate.
    “ Not to fear though. This can still be salvaged,” Lady Watson chirped.
    “ We’ll just play regular chess.” Caroline moved closer to the chess table.
    “ Nonsense. You were expecting to play an outdoor game that is more physical than sitting in a chair, and you shall have it. I asked a footman to set something else up.”
    Alex groaned.
    A twinkle shone in Lady Watson’s eye. “On the other side of the house I directed a pall mall course be set up.”
    “ What’s that?” Caroline asked, intrigued.
    Alex groaned again. “Nothing.”
    “ I think you’ll like it, Caroline,” Lady Watson assured her.
    “ Judging by how displeased your son seems to be, I think you’re right.” Caroline grinned at Alex.
    “ Now, Alex, Caroline is your guest, you need to be a gracious host and play whatever she wishes,” his mother said, her shoulders shaking with mirth.
    “ Yes, she is,” he acknowledged with a single, slow nod. His face was nearly expressionless. “If you wish to play pall mall, so be it. But you may not like it. It’s difficult, so playing it the first time may not be much fun.”
    She looked curiously at him. He really didn’t want to play this game. “You never know, I might be a natural,” she ventured.
    He snorted.
    That strengthened her waning resolve. “I think I’d like to play,” she told him primly.
    “ Very well.”
    He offered her his arm, and they had almost walked around to the other side of the house when