Page 69 of An Inconvenient Vow

Sabina sucked in her breath. “Over my dead body!” she flung at him angrily before she could stop herself.

He blinked, then seemed to weigh his next words carefully. “I have to go back,” he said simply.

“Why?”

“Because Meliora did not absolve me from my vow,” he said through gritted teeth. “She wanted to meet you first.”

Sabina’s chest rose and fell indignantly. “That’s outrageous! She had no right to demand to ask such a thing! She has sworn herself in service to her god and worldly matters should be nothing whatsoever to do with her anymore!”

Jeffree narrowed his eyes at her. “You think I don’t know she was being damnably awkward?” he asked angrily.

“If you go scurrying back to her now…” She ran out of breath before she could think of retribution dire enough.

“What?” he asked roughly. “You will what?”

Sabina shook her head again. She knew she was being ridiculous. It was not as though she held any leverage with him. Why should he care about her feelings? She lifted her chin. “Go then!” she said instead tightly. “Go hurrying back to her and beg her for her favors!” He stiffened perceptibly at her words. “Though for the life of me I cannot think why you are making two wasted journeys,” she added bitterly. “Why did you not simply tarry and receive her permission before you left?”

“How could I?” he scowled. “You had no mind to wait when you finally emerged from her study. I dared not turn my back on you in case you took off!” His tone was extremely belligerent. For some reason, his anger went some way toward soothing Sabina’s raw feelings.

“How do you know I won’t now?” she asked coolly. “As soon as you go to prostrate yourself at Meliora’s feet?”

He let out an incredulous huff at that. “I have never prostrated myself at a woman’s feet and I never will. Stop being intentionally difficult.”

“Oh,” said Sabina, placing her hands on her hips. “Are you not enjoying it? I thought your taste must run to haughty bitches after meeting your former betrothed!” As soon as the snide words flew out of her mouth, Sabina gasped and clapped a hand to her mouth.

Where had that come from? She had not disliked Meliora precisely, for she had shown herself to be a woman of strong character and indomitable will. In a way, Sabina had been vastly relieved she had not turned out to be some saintly, classical beauty. So why was she saying such mean things about her now?

Jealousy, she realized with dismay. A prickly heat ran all through her body and she felt shame wash over her. She was acting like the jealous unreasonable wife everyone had always said she was. Her throat closed painfully, and she clutched a chair back so hard she would not have been surprised if the wood had not splintered between her fingers.

Jeffree was staring at her, most likely with disgust. She shut her eyes a moment and drew a couple of steadying breaths. When she opened them again, he was stood directly in front of her.

“No words of love were ever spoken between us,” he said in a furious undertone. “I did not love her! I barely knew her in truth. I simply believed that she was the most praiseworthy woman in the land and that made her the best.”

“And you have always believed that you deserve the best, have you not, Sir Jeffree?” she hissed back, matching his own tone. “My, however have you borne the disappointment of winding up with me?”

“I have borne it just fine!” he flung back. “I am fully reconciled!”

“How good of you!” she responded sarcastically. “Well, I am not!”

“If I am satisfied, madam, then I fail to see why you have reason for complaint!”

Sabina gasped. “You pig!” she fumed. “You know how I hate it when you call me madam!”

He gave a short laugh. “How fortunate that I do not mind your own dubious manner of addressing me.”

“Unspeakable toad!” Sabina added with feeling.

“Anything else?”

“Loathsome wretch!”

“Never at a loss for words, are you?” he murmured, and for one astonishing moment, she thought he was about to smile. “I did not know what my tastes ran to,” he said suddenly in a low, gravelly voice that robbed Sabina of all breath again. “Not until I met you.”

“What?” she gasped.

“Meliora was my guardian’s choice, not mine! I was too young to know what I liked then.” This last part was muttered gruffly, his eyes sweeping over her with a boldness that made her breath catch. He did not hide the fact his eyes tarried on her breasts, waist, and hips.

Sabina made a strangled noise in her throat. She needed to regain control of this conversation and her breathing. She gave a short, mirthless laugh. “And you expect me to believe that what you like is a dowdy widow with a reputation for shrewishness, Sir Jeffree?” she scoffed. “Is that what you really expect me to believe?”