Page 132 of An Inconvenient Vow

“I’ll fetch the ale,” Penny said, scurrying toward the buttery.

However, when the rider entered the house, they found it was not Jeffree at all but one of the duke’s servants delivering a missive to Sabina. She opened it at once.

Wife, she read.

Doubtless, you will think it a fool’s errand but I have been sent to Wynstay Marshes after some information Sir Charles received from a former servant of Alfred Hendry’s. I will see you on the morrow. JDC

A former servant? Sabina read the words several times before lowering the letter. She tried to remember the other two attendants Alfred Hendry had that day. A toothless old villain of a man sprang to mind and another hulking brute in the same mold as Lancer. If they had been involved in Leland’s beating, they would have known he was abandoned in Langley Woods. They must now simply be spinning a yarn to get money out of Sir Charles.

Sabina groaned. Wynstay Marshes was a good day’s ride from here. Jeffree was being optimistic thinking he would be back tomorrow. If he was, it would be late tomorrow. If only he had come home first, she could have warned him it was a wild goose chase!

“Will I set up the bathtub for you tonight, milady?” Penny suggested, clearly trying to cheer her up.

“Thank you, Penny, that would be wonderful.”

After her bath Sabina lay awake in Jeffree’s large bed for a long time, worrying about her sister’s rash marriage, Sir Charles Ellis’s inevitable reaction to it, and what her husband would say when he learned all. When she finally drifted off to sleep, she could still feel the worry twisting at her gut.

The next morning she woke with the same sense of dread, even before she could bring the cause properly to mind. A letter arrived for her as she tried to force some bread down. She felt a lurch of fear, but when she turned it over she found it sealed with a large letter V for Vyse.

On opening it, Sabina found it was full of news from Crispin and Jasper who had filled many pages about Feste and Brisis’s goings-on. Clearly, her brothers-in-law were as enamored of their hounds as ever. Crispin had even attempted a drawing of both dogs which showed some talent for she could plainly tell which was which even though it was only drawn in black ink.

At the end, there was a neat paragraph added from the Lady Maud which was extremely civil for that reserved lady. Apparently, all of them were well and would expect news of how the newlyweds were settling into life together. Sabina thought she would wait for a few weeks before attempting to respond to that query. Perhaps she could get away with a drawing of Lancer’s scruffy hounds?

A cough at the doorway had her looking up to find Osborn lurking there. “Oh Osborn, I thought you must have gone to Wynstay Marshes with your master,” she exclaimed, lowering her letter. She was not terribly surprised that he had made himself scarce the previous evening. In her opinion, Osborn always did the least work possible. Considering how difficult Jeffree could be, she thought his servant got away with rather a lot.

“No milady.” He coughed and took a few steps closer, lowering his voice. “Er, Sir Charles Ellis just called by.”

“Sir Charles? But he knows Jeffree is not here,” Sabina pointed out in startled tones.

“Exactly,” Osborn said with a nod. “I told him you was indisposed but that you would let the master know Sir Charles wanted to see him as soon as he returned.”

Sabina regarded him blankly. “You did?”

“Seemed to me Sir Charles was in something of a rare taking. Quite white about the mouth he was, and shaking with fury. Seemed to me,” he repeated, rocking back on his heels, “that the master would not want you to be—er—put out by him when he was in such a temper.”

Sabina was astonished. Osborn had made it quite plain that the change in Sir Jeffree’s circumstances had hugely inconvenienced him personally, yet here he was making excuses for her and shielding her from Sir Charles’s wrath. “Thank you Osborn,” she said faintly. Really, she could think of nothing else to say.

Osborn gave her a hard look and seemed to be weighing up his options. “Only I called in at The Blue Boar last night after Sir Jeffree left.” His shifty eyes resolutely avoided hers, roaming instead all around the room. “There was—er—some talk of the houseguest staying up at Tipton Hall.” His eyes met hers briefly and Sabina’s heart thudded. Oh gods. “Old Roper was there,” he continued slowly, “as used to work here along with the Lancers.”

“Old Roper?” Sabina heard herself repeat numbly. A wheel turned somewhere in her mind. “Wait, was he the toothless old man who—?”

“That were him. He’s been hobbling up to The Chase the last few days pouring all manner of confidences in Sir Charles’s ear.”

“Was it Roper gave Sir Charles the tale about Wynstay Marshes?” she asked.

“Aye, that it were. He’s an opportunistic old villain and no mistake. He were lurking last night in the tavern and I have no doubt he went haring straight up to Ganford Chase with the tale as soon as it were done.”

Sabina stared ahead of her blindly a moment as she took this new disaster in. “Thank you for telling me, Osborn,” she uttered at last.

“I knows me duty,” he said mildly. “Seems plain to me where it lies these days.” He gave her a nod and left the room. Sabina blinked. Well, perhaps Osborn had recovered from his dislike of mistresses at last.

She remained where she was a while, her heart thudding painfully in her chest. Clearly, the cat was out of the bag when it came to Leland Ellis’s whereabouts. When Jeffree came home there would be hell to pay. Sabina rose unsteadily from the table, determined to keep herself busy this day until her husband’s return.

29

It was not until late evening that Penny came flying up the stairs to tell her the master was back and asking for her. Sabina abandoned the inventory list she had been checking and rushed downstairs. Her heart gave a leap when she saw him in the Great Chamber. She hurried inside and made haste to close the door behind her, wasting no time to blurt out, “Isemay has done a terrible thing!”

Jeffree checked whatever words had been on his lips and eyed her warily a moment before scrubbing his hand down his face. He walked over to the small table and poured himself a drink. “Can we not reassure ourselves that all is well with one another before we start this discussion of your sister?” he asked, his tone surprisingly neutral.