Merely the Groom (Free Fellows League 2)

“Maman,” Colin reminded his mother. “It’s been nearly eight years since I attained my majority.”

“I know,” she answered, nodding her head and staring down at the red leather case she held in her lap.

“Has he pawned the McElreath jewels and replaced them with paste, too?”

“No,” Lady McElreath replied. “He hasn’t touched mine.”

Colin clenched his teeth so tightly his jaw ached. Of course his father hadn’t pawned the jewels his mother would wear in public and replaced those with paste. The Earl of McElreath had a position to uphold. He was an inveterate gambler and a gentleman. Gambling away his son’s inheritance was unfortunate, but losing the jewelry that belonged to the Countess of McElreath was unthinkable. Replacing that jewelry with paste would upset and embarrass his wife, cause speculation, and ultimately require some sort of explanation among the ton. It might also lead people to think that Lord McElreath couldn’t afford his expensive gambling habits. And a man in his position could do without that sort of speculation and grief. Far better to pay his creditors and fuel further trips to the gaming tables with the jewels meant for his son’s bride.

“Of course not,” Colin agreed. “It was far more sensible to lose the courtesy title’s family stones.”

“Don’t be so hard on him, Colin,” his mother admonished. “You’re nine and twenty, and until now, you’ve shown no interest in taking a bride.”

“Part of the reason I’ve shown no interest in taking a bride is because I knew I had nothing to offer a young lady of quality.” The other part of the reason was the vow Colin had taken when he and his two friends had created the Free Fellows League. But the League was their secret, and his mother didn’t need to know about that.

“That’s nonsense!” Lady McElreath scoffed. “You have a great deal to offer any young lady of quality.”

“Do I, Maman?” he queried. “Because Lord Kelverton made it quite clear that I had nothing to offer Esme.”

“Oh, good heavens, Colin, that was years ago! You were a little boy. Esme was a young girl.”

“We were betrothed from the cradle. Lord Kelverton knew Father’s predilection for gaming, but that never lessened his desire to join our families by having me marry his daughter until...” Colin stopped and turned his focused stare on his mother. “That’s it, isn’t it?”

“What’s it?” She pretended not to understand, but Lady McElreath had never been any good at pretending, and Colin knew it.

“The reason Lord Kelverton broke the marriage contract. Father’s gambling didn’t concern Lord Kelverton until he discovered that Father had gambled away Esme’s future inheritance.”

“They weren’t Esme’s future inheritance, they were yours,” Lady McElreath said.

“Yes,” Colin agreed. “The jewelr

y belongs to our family, but the heir doesn’t wear it, his wife does. How long would it be before some sharp-eyed member of the ton humiliated Esme by pointing out that her wedding gift was a collection of worthless paste?” Colin scooped a handful of jewelry, held it up, and then let it slip through his fingers back into the blue leather case. He closed the case and handed it to his mother. “Here, Maman, you keep these. They’re of no use to me.”

“What will you do for a betrothal ring?”

Colin shrugged. “I don’t know. But you needn’t concern yourself about it, Maman. I’ll take care of it.” Colin stood up, walked over to his mother, bent, and kissed her on the cheek. “Good night, Maman.”

Lady McElreath stopped him before he reached the drawing room door. “Colin! Wait!”

He turned to find his mother tugging at her betrothal ring and gold wedding band.

“Use these,” she said. “They’re real.”

“No, Maman,” Colin shook his head. “Thank you, but no. I won’t ask my bride to seal her wedding vows with borrowed rings.”

“She need never know these aren’t the Grantham jewels,” Lady McElreath said, holding out the emerald and diamond betrothal ring and her gold wedding band, urging her son to take them.

“I’ll know, Maman,” Colin said quietly.

Lady McElreath bit her lip and nodded.

“Sleep well, Maman. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Colin...”

She made another attempt to stop him, but Colin ignored the pleading note in her tone of voice. He had a great deal to accomplish before his wedding and only a few more hours in which to do it.

Chapter Fifteen