Page 135 of An Inconvenient Vow

“Nay, more than that. I should have been spotted climbing through your bedchamber window,” he insisted. “If I had any damned sense, I would have pursued you from the first. I wish to gods you had spoken the truth and you had been my harlot that day!”

Sabina’s jaw dropped. “Nay, Jeffree, that is too much—” she spluttered but got no further.

“Breaking that foolish vow of mine was the best thing that ever happened to me,” he insisted before halting. His face flushed and he started again, correcting himself. “No, I should say, your claiming to be my lover was the best thing. I will never regret that you did so or forget it. That moment is burned in my brain, was from that very moment. I cannot tell you how often I think of it still. It is a treasured memory of mine.”

Sabina was astonished. “I think perhaps you remember it slightly differently now,” she quavered, thinking of his shocked expression at the time.

“If I could go back, I would proclaim it was so, and tell everyone that my intentions toward you were honorable.”

Sabina coughed. “I am not sure they would believe you, after the salacious tale Hendry told.”

Jeffree waved this aside. “I would explain you were being stubborn over a foolish vow you had made. Tell them I was having to break down your resolve.”

Sabina stared at him a moment in fascination, before giving herself a little shake. “It scarcely matters now,” she pointed out. “For that is all in the past.”

“That is not so,” he argued. “For I mean to set things fully to rights. At the next family gathering, I will set things straight.”

“What do you mean?”

“I will let them all know how prized you are by me. That they will show you due deference or feel my wrath.”

“You will do no such thing!” Sabina started hotly, imagining a room full to the brim with haughty De Crecys. “I can imagine nothing worse than being made a spectacle for a second time in front of your family!”

“Very well then, at the next royal tournament.” Jeffree shrugged. “I will go down on one knee in front of the crowds and proclaim myself your knight to command and yours alone.”

“Jeffree!” Sabina gasped. “If you do anything of the kind, I will never forgive you!”

“What? Why?” His brows drew down and his frown grew thunderous.

“Because,” Sabina said hotly, crossing her arms. “I would not like seeing you humbled.” She glanced away from his expression. “It is one thing for me to call you an arrogant toad, but I do not like anyone else to get the better of you. It would make me—” She did not get the chance to finish the statement for he had snatched her into his arms.

“The crowd would love to see me humbled by a woman,” he said against her brow.

“I don’t care what the crowd wants, and you will never be humbled at my hands!”

“I am humbled by my feelings for you every damned day,” he growled. “I go hot and cold all over at the idea I might never have—” He choked on his words. “If you had not taken my fate into your hands.”

“No, Jeffree,” she said reassuringly and grabbed hold of his upper arms. “You deserve some credit there. I would never have insisted we wed. That was all your idea.”

His shoulders relaxed. “That is true,” he conceded, breathing out raggedly. “You would have left me in the lurch if you’d had half the chance.”

“I did not know then, what a good husband you would make,” Sabina said, half-defensively, half-placatingly.

“Hmm,” he rumbled, drawing her close against him. “Really? Even when I put you through things like that wretched business at Fulford?”

“You mean Meliora,” she said dryly. “Your first love.”

“She wasn’t anything of the sort!” he said twisting his head to glare at her. “She was naught but a—foolish boyhood fancy.”

Sabina pictured Meliora’s stern, autocratic face and had to suppress a gurgle of mirth. “I doubt anyone would ever describe her as that!” she gasped.

“Are you laughing at me?” he asked, his eyes narrowing. He slid an arm about her waist and drew her body closer to his. “You are my first and only love, as well you know.”

She sobered instantly. “And you are mine too,” she conceded softly, reaching up to stroke his hair from his brow.

He scowled. “I had better be.”

“Of course, you are. Miles was just… a horrible misstep.” She glanced up at him to see how he took that.