Page 38 of An Inconvenient Vow

“Well, yes. They are!” she spluttered.

“There you are then.”

“But why has Lancer brought them here?” Sabina persisted as Jeffree tucked into a plate of roasted fish.

“Naturally, he brought them to his mistress. You have need of a horse. My uncle does not keep extensive stables. He barely rides and keeps mostly carriage horses.”

“And the hounds?”

“Will need to be reacquainted with you, presumably.”

Sabina thought fleetingly of Miles’s prize hounds and felt her heart quail. She’d had little to do with them back in the day, but from what she could remember they had needed frequent feeding and exercise and firm instruction.

“I did not expect you to…” Words failed her. Her mind raced to more practical matters. “We will take the dogs with us?” she asked dubiously. Jeffree nodded. At least the exercise should wear the brutes out, she thought. “Shall I go down and speak to Lancer now?” she asked, half rising from her chair.

“No, finish your meal and we will go down and inspect them together.”

Sabina found her appetite had fled. The horse could be one of several, but the one she had particularly enquired about had been Blitha. Surely, Jeffree had not repurchased the beautiful chestnut for her with the star at its brow? Blitha had been Miles’s pride and joy, but he certainly had not permitted Sabina or anyone else to ride her.

When they made their way downstairs, half an hour later, Sabina found Lancer seated to the one side of the huge hearth in the Great Hall, looking very ill at ease. He sprang to his feet when they entered the room, looking vastly relieved to see them.

“My lady!” he said. “They’m out in the courtyard, awaiting you.”

Sabina was duly led out to find a groom holding Blitha and two stable lads trying to restrain the hounds. They broke free at their approach and circled about them enthusiastically, though she was not sure they sniffed any more at her than they did at Jeffree.

“Hello Feste; hello Brisis,” she greeted them, managing to pet their sleek heads as they weaved about, snaking their muscular bodies between their legs.

“Which is which?” Jeffree asked, extending a hand for Brisis to sniff.

“The gray is Brisis and the white is Feste.”

“Fine dogs.”

“That they are, sir, the finest hounds in Ganfordshire,” Lancer opined. “A pretty penny Fred Martin had me spend of your’n to get ‘em back. I had to use both purses,” he added regretfully.

Jeffree grunted. “He would have been a fool to take any less,” he said squatting down and letting Feste sniff his face.

Sabina noticed a new look of respect dawn in Lancer’s eye. “Will they come back to Morecotte with me now, sir?” he asked hopefully.

“No,” Jeffree answered shortly. “They will accompany their mistress to Areley Kings.”

Sabina opened her mouth, then closed it again. After all, mayhap he meant to leave her unattended when he competed and that was why he thought she had need of the dogs. She eyed their muscular haunches doubtfully. Keeping them in line was the part that worried her. Still, they were at least two years older than the last time she had seen them. Perhaps they were not quite so unruly as she recalled? One could only hope!

She walked over to Blitha and reached a hand up to stroke her neck. “Still a beauty,” she murmured. Blitha whickered and lowered her nose to be petted.

Jeffree turned to the groom. “His Grace presumably has some riding saddles and tack? My lady’s horse needs equipping, and I have not had time yet to procure such things.”

“Aye Sir Jeffree,” the groom replied, casting an admiring look over Blitha. “Though, likely none that would do her justice. She’s a fine horse.”

Brisis was pawing at Sabina’s skirts, so she knelt down to stroke the dog’s sleek blue-gray head. “Do you remember me, Brisis?” she crooned. The dog’s tail wagged. “I think you do,” Sabina mused, tipping her head to one side. A crafty tongue brushed her ear and Sabina squeaked, turning her head to find Feste muscling in for some fuss.

“I’ll leave them with you then, my lady,” said Lancer regretfully as Sabina laughed and scratched the white hound’s head.

“Thank you. And please convey my regards to your wife. I sent a note over to her yesterday…”

“Aye, she got it,” Lancer responded. “She’s following your instructions to the letter, don’t you worry, milady.”

Sabina nodded and straightened up. Jeffree had wandered in the direction of the stables with the groom leading Blitha. She glanced down at the dogs who seemed happy enough to gambol about her feet, rather than follow Lancer who took his leave of them with a last regretful glance over his shoulder. After all, Sabina thought with a frown, he did have his own dogs back at Morecotte!