Page 83 of An Inconvenient Vow

Why then had she insisted he could not visit his former betrothed again, without her by his side? She flushed at the memory. That had been both foolish and nonsensical. Then again, Jeffree had not seemed to resent the condition she had demanded. He had acquiesced quite willingly; indeed, he had reassured her no further visit would e’er take place. Was it possible he had been lying?

It was always a possibility, but somehow, she did not think so. She did not think Jeffree the kind of man who would lie for convenience. He did not shrink from argument or possess a lying tongue. Likely he had never troubled himself enough to tell anything but the blunt truth.

She considered this a moment as Jeffree threw his effects into a saddlebag and looked up at her expectantly. Sabina nodded, but when she turned to fetch her own pack from the bed, he picked that up too and threw the door open for her. She could not really accuse him of being ill-mannered toward her anymore, she reflected as she preceded him down the narrow passageway.

She was not sure when, but he certainly now showed her the attentions a wife might expect from her spouse. Her cheeks heated. Certainly, he was a fast learner when it came to the bedchamber. She could have no complaint in that respect. She blinked as memories from the previous night flooded into her mind, making her breathing fast and her step on the stairs falter. Her new husband was certainly proving no slouch between the sheets.

He had brought her to that pleasure precipice not once but twice and sent her shooting over the edge. The second time had really astonished her. She had not disliked the act in the early days of her first marriage when conjugal relations had still existed betwixt herself and Miles, but certainly, she had not over-relished it.

Never had she reacted like that, not even when she had thought herself fond of her bedpartner. With Jeffree it was different. Mayhap it was because he was so intense.

His hand clasped on her shoulder, steadying her as she reached the bottom step. “Watch your step.”

Sabina nodded, glancing over her shoulder at him. She thought his glance narrowed, seeing her flushed face. “Will we break our fast here or find somewhere else at midday?” she asked hurriedly to distract him.

“Let us see what is on offer,” he answered, looking about for a servant.

He must have had quite an appetite, for despite the place only offering a dark maslin bread and some leftover cold mutton, Jeffree elected to partake of this fare. Osborn joined them at table and Sabina resolved to think no more disquieting thoughts as she helped herself sparingly to the food on offer. She was only making herself needlessly flustered.

Still, she started violently when seeing the paucity of food on her plate. Jeffree touched her hand. “I will find you better food later,” he muttered.

Sabina cursed herself for an idiot when her color rose at his words. “That really is not necessary,” she assured him and forced down another mouthful of the rye bread. “This will do very well.” He made no reply, though Sabina was careful to avoid his eye when she pushed away the rest of her slice uneaten.

“It’s good bread is this!” Osborn objected.

“You have it, then,” Jeffree told him sharply. “And do not attempt to reproach your mistress again or you will suffer for it.”

Sabina felt embarrassed when Jeffree offered her his hand for her to rise from the table and led her out of the hostelry like she was some grand lady. “I can mount by myself,” she pointed out feebly when he helped her into her saddle with the same amount of attendant ceremony.

She was not sure he paid much heed to her words, but she could feel Osborn’s sour gaze between her shoulder blades from where he brought up the rear. She shrugged this off when she felt the sun warm on her back. There was barely a cloud in the sky, and it was hard not to be cheerful when she was homeward bound and well-slept and in good company.

The last thought brought her up short. Good company? Where had that unbidden notion sprung from? Osborn was certainly not good company with his sulks and mutterings and as for Jeffree… Well, he had faults a-plenty, even if none sprang immediately to mind when she looked now at his handsome face and regal bearing in the saddle.

He was proud and haughty, she reminded herself hastily. He had a nasty tongue. True, it had not seemed so nasty the night before when she had welcomed it into her own mouth and sucked on it like it was the most delicious comfit she had e’er been offered. Sabina gulped. There she went again, letting her thoughts wander. What was she thinking of?

Self-preservation seemed to be flying out of the window. She snuck another glance at him and felt her heart quail. This would never do. She was getting distracted by his beauteous face and form, that was all. It was small wonder that a provincial nobody like herself should be dazzled by the high and mighty Jeffree de Crecy.

The surprise of it was that she had not felt the full effect of his appearance from the outset. His manner back then had been so distasteful that it had blighted his beauty in her eye. Now, his manner toward her had… what? Not softened exactly, and it was not as though he was trying to exercise charm on her either, for she did not believe he had any.

It was more that he was trying not to antagonize her, that was all. After all, they had decided, had they not, that they must try and rub along together while they navigated these early stages in their marriage?

At least, she thought that was what they had decided. Uneasy remembrances rose in her mind. Of Jeffree speaking of a future together. But when he had said that, she reminded herself, he had been prompted by man’s most basic of urges. Men could convince themselves of anything when lust raked at their backs.

He had surely meant that their lives would forever be entwined now, even if only by name. Sabina nodded. Yes, assuredly, that was what he had meant. She would be his wife now until death did them part. Even if he spent his days pursuing tournament glory and she spent hers bustling about Morecotte making her old home comfortable once more.

For some reason, the thought did not comfort her as she would once have imagined it would. Why was that? She reminded herself that Jeffree had agreed without hesitation to all her suggestions for renovation. He had swept away all her considerations of thrift and economy, pledging his considerable coffers to the cause.

Why, then, did she feel so discomposed? She was worried about her sister, it was true. Their father and mother must surely be pushing for such a reconciliation between Isemay and the duke. Sabina’s absence would make very little difference to what happened. After all, her sister had entered into her engagement with Bethencourt the first time without Sabina’s counsel, and if she did so a second time, then it would not be so very surprising. An older sister’s word held very little sway compared to that of a parent’s.

No, this current strange mood must be solely because of things growing complicated with Jeffree, she thought with a sigh, nibbling at her bottom lip. Then it struck her. She no longer disliked him! With a gasp, Sabina sat up in her saddle and stared ahead of her with shock and consternation. She could no longer in all honesty say she did not like Jeffree de Crecy. The realization left her disquieted, and she had to make a hurried grab for the reins which had slackened in her grasp.

She needed to have a care, she thought, breathing hard through her nose, or ridiculous as it sounded, the next thing she knew she would be growing overly attached to Jeffree and dependent on his company. Then, when her novelty wore off, as it inevitably would, where would she be? Jeffree would start finding her irksome exactly as Miles had done and Sabina would be left all alone and despised for a second time.

This time, she would not even have her own hatred for company as she could not imagine Jeffree betraying her as Miles had. After all, he had never pretended to care for her as her first husband had done. No, it would be different, she decided, different but still… oddly painful.

Sabina was in a grave mood by the time they stopped for a break at midday. After pacing about a bit to stretch out her legs, she dropped down onto a convenient grassy bank. Jeffree joined her moments later after seeing to the horses. He glanced at her a little warily, then cleared his throat.

“Why so stony-faced?” he asked, passing her the waterskin.