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“Get up!” she ordered again. “Open the curtains wider,” she ordered the footman standing near the window.
“Don’t you dare open that window!” Nicholas snapped at the footman. The man looked from the dowager to the duke, uncertain who to obey. “Leave us,” he instructed to make the matter easier for him.
The footman scurried out of the room and Nicholas glared at his grandmother. “What are you doing here? Could you not have waited downstairs for me?”
She gave him an incredulous look. “Wait for you downstairs?” Then she cackled. “You may have a higher ranking than me in society but I am yourgrandmother.”
“Where is Bentley?”
“Are you seriously asking me where your butler is?”
He shrugged. “You’re here.”
She huffed out a breath. “I amsixty-fiveyears old, boy. I do not have time for your nonsense. You will understand how valuable time is when you become as ancient as I am.”
Nicholas tugged the bed covers higher and squinted at the clock on the fireplace mantle: The time was some minutes past seven. This woman had another thing coming if she thought she could disturb him like this. He drew the covers up to his neck and turned onto his stomach, then buried his head under a pillow to resume his slumber.
“Have you gonedeaf?” Her cane thumped on the carpet again. “You have to marry and I have never heard of a man that got married in bed.”
“You may start rejoicing, for you might experience it in your lifetime,” he mumbled into his pillow. He heard her approach the bed but ignored her. Until her cane poked him.
“Grandmother!” He turned around and sat up. “You are not afraid of wounding me, are you?”
“I only poked the duvet.” She gave him a sweet smile. “Until you have an heir, you are quite untouchable.”
“Until I have an heir…” he echoed. “Is this your way of convincing me to marry?”
“I do not need to convince you to marry. Youaregoing to marry.”
“Will you at least afford me some privacy to perform my morning ablutions and get dressed?”
“Very well.” She moved to the sitting area on one side of the room and proceeded to make herself comfortable.
Nicholas gaped. “I mean, leave me.”
“I am far cleverer than you give me credit for, Nicholas. Once I leave this room, you are going to reach for the lock and I will have to break the door to get you to come out.” She raised her cane, pointing at his dressing room. “Go on. There is nothing you have that can hurt me. I birthed your father and uncle, and—”
“Please,” he cut her off, “spare me those details. I beg of you.” He shook his head in wonder. “Does propriety mean nothing to you?”
“I am too old to care.”
He groaned. It was all he could do not to throw a pillow at her in the hopes that she would leave him. “What do you want of me this morning?” he asked.
“I shall be calling upon the Hanover residence soon. I expect you to come with me.”
“And to what will they owe the pleasure of your call?”
“The earl is yet to acknowledge the contract I sent him. I want to know why he is hesitating. Andyou, my boy, will woo the girl.”
“Give him time,” he heard himself say.
“His silence is disrespectful.”
“If I recall correctly, your comments last night were disrespectful.”
She dismissed his remark with a wave of her hand. “I also want to have a little chat with my granddaughter-in-law.”
“She isnotyour granddaughter-in-law.”
