Her Sudden Groom Read Online Free

excitedly before she could think to stop herself.
    Marcus eyed their guest shrewdly. “Say, Alex, why don’t you include Caroline in your endeavor.”
    Caroline practically leapt off the settee. “I’d love to help with your experiment. First, we shall need to write down your question or goal,” she said to no one in particular, running across the room to grab a piece of parchment and a quill. A groan floated to her ears about the time she reached the secretary. She wasn’t sure who the creator of such an irritating response was, and chose to ignore it.
    “ I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” Mr. Banks protested. Unfortunately for him, his words went virtually unheard as Marcus brooded in the corner, whistling a merry little tune and Caroline scribbled down the scientific process on a piece of parchment.
    “ All right, Mr. Banks.” Caroline looked up from her paper with a bright smile. “What’s the point of this experiment?”
    He coughed and his face flushed a bright red.
    “ Why don’t you stay for dinner?” Marcus invited jovially. “That way you and Caroline can have more time together.”
     

 
     
    Chapter 3
     
     
    Alex could no more say no to Marcus’ invitation than he could break contact with Miss Caroline Sinclair’s sparkling, deep blue eyes.
    “ All right,” he said against his better judgment.
    “ Excellent.” Marcus reached into his pocket and removed his watch. “Dinner ‘will be served in about an hour and a half. Shall I leave you two alone to discuss this matter?”
    Alex stared at him. Did the man actually intend to leave Alex and Miss Sinclair alone without a chaperone?
    Marcus limped across the room and stopped, turned his head, and winked at Alex. “I’m not worried about leaving her alone with you. I know you won’t do anything with my cousin you wouldn’t do with your own.”
    Care to place a wager on that? Currently the thoughts he was entertaining of him alone with Miss Sinclair were not very cousinly. “Right,” Alex said hoarsely, trying to push inappropriate thoughts of Miss Sinclair from his mind. “We’ll only speak about science, nothing else.”
    Marcus gave him a curious look, then shook his head and departed.
    Alex had no idea what Marcus was about, nor did he care to know. He’d just been granted a reprieve from being forced to marry Lady Olivia. If her brother wanted him to entertain the beautiful Miss Sinclair with talk of science in return, he wasn’t going to argue.
    Taking a seat by the small secretary Miss Sinclair occupied, Alex tried to focus on making up an experiment. He’d understood Marcus’ brilliant suggestion to approach finding a wife like running an experiment, but he couldn’t tell Miss Sinclair that was Marcus’ meaning. He may not know a lot about females, but he knew enough to know it would be best not to mention something like this to her.
    “ Your experiment, Mr. Banks?” Miss Sinclair prompted, tapping the end of her quill against her pink lips.
    “ Call me Alex,” he murmured, stalling for time.
    “ And you may call me Caroline. Now that we have that settled. You can tell me about your experiment, Alex.”
    “ I’m trying to recruit people to the Society of Biological Matters ,” he blurted before thinking.
    “ Might I suggest you open membership up to both sexes?”
    Alex closed his eyes and tried to keep from scowling. “I’m sorry about that,” he said. He drummed his fingers on the arms of the chair for a moment, an idea forming. His fingers stilled with one final thwack. “All right then, Caroline, you are officially a member-contingent.”
    She gasped. “Excuse me?”
    Alex didn’t know whether her response was due to being offended she was a member-contingent or due to actually being considered for membership. He chose to believe the latter. “Absolutely,” he said with a smile.
    She cleared her throat and bored holes into him with her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. “And why am I being