Page 47 of An Inconvenient Vow

There had to be some way around it; there just had to be. Otherwise… he would end up disgracing himself by failing his vow in spectacular fashion. His mouth drawing into a grim line, Jeffree contemplated the only decent way out of his predicament. There was nothing else for it. He would have to appeal to be released from his vow by the Lady Meliora herself, or whatever name she now went by.

He did not look forward to the interview. He would appear weak and ridiculous, but under present circumstances, he had little option. A sudden silence fell over the room, unnerving him. As abruptly as Sabina had started snoring, she stopped again, shifting onto her side, and pressing back against him with a sigh. Jeffree stiffened. My gods, this was torture! They would need to have some serious discussion on the morrow about the new direction he had decided their marriage was taking.

12

Sabina was woken from her slumber by a sharp rap on the door. By the time she had struggled onto her elbows and gazed bleary-eyed about the room, she realized Jeffree was getting up from a chair by the window. Had he not slept? She glanced in sleepy confusion at the empty spot next to her in the bed before turning back to watch him accept a jug of hot water from a servant.

“You rose early,” she commented huskily and then cleared her throat. “Could you not sleep?”

“I slept sufficiently for my needs,” he answered shortly, setting the jug down.

Which was strange, Sabina thought; she had not formed the impression he was such an early riser. She rubbed her eyes, then noticed he was staring at her. “What is it?”

“Naught!” he snapped. “I just thought you might want to wash first.”

“Oh, thank you.” It was the first time he had done that too, she thought with mild surprise as she sat up.

“Have some modesty, madam!” Jeffree scowled, turning his back to her.

Sabina glanced down, expecting to find she was somehow exposed, but found all was as it should be. She looked back at him in bafflement. To be sure her shift was thin, but it was unlikely he would be so flustered by that. Shrugging to herself, Sabina slid out of the bed and pattered over to the cracked bowl, sloshing some water into it.

She hurried through her wash, and after throwing her water out of the window, she left the other half of the jug for Jeffree. Once Sabina had moved to the opposite side of the room to dress, he shuffled sideways to take her place, careful to keep his back to her. She shook out her dress, which was fine for a second day’s travel, and selected a clean shift. She found herself humming as she dressed. Jeffree may have found the bed uncomfortable, but she had partaken of an excellent night’s sleep.

Doubtless, he would find her morning cheer and chatter extremely annoying, she reflected, which was exactly why she should give her natural inclination free rein. If he was determined to drag her to this tournament then he should suffer the consequences and find out just how much having a wife in tow would inconvenience him! Biting her lip, Sabina determined to let him have it.

“I wonder how your family spent the night,” she began sanguinely, lacing her cuffs. “I expect the boys slept just fine, but I imagine your mother is like you and fussier about where she lays her head. It’s funny,” she mused aloud, “but I did not pick up immediately on your mother and stepfather’s affection for one another.”

He made no answer to this, and she shot him a speculative look before tilting her head and separating the fall of hair on the left side of her head into three strands. “Doubtless it is not the easiest time for Sir Dudley,” she speculated as she started weaving her hair into a braid. “Visiting Ganford Chase and being surrounded on all sides by his wife’s first husband’s family, I mean.”

Jeffree straightened up at this and shot her an odd look over his shoulder. He cleared his throat. “Yes, I suppose it would not be,” he said in the manner of someone who had never considered such a thing before. She listened to the sound of him splashing water around as she braided the other side of her head. She was just tying the end when she realized he had turned from the washstand and was stood silently watching her.

She lifted her head. “What is it?”

He gave a guilty start. “Do you do that every morn?” To her surprise, he sounded genuinely curious.

Sabina glanced down at the braid between her fingers. “Yes.” Suddenly, she remembered that Miles had often bade her to wear it loose when they were alone together. “Do you dislike them? The braids, I mean?”

He blinked. “No,” he said shortly and flung down his drying cloth, making for the chair over which the rest of his clothes were slung. Sabina gazed after him in bemusement. Then she shrugged. This was all proving much easier than she had imagined. He would likely be thoroughly fed up with her long before they even reached his wretched tournament!

Subsequently, Sabina was in a cheerful mood as they broke their fast belowstairs along with the yawning boys and a pallid-looking Lady Maud. She and Sir Dudley ate sparingly of the food on offer and rebuked the boys on their slovenly manners.

“Lord, Mother, we’re not at Ganford Chase now!” Crispin grumbled as he removed his elbows from the table.

“Do not speak to your mother in that tone!” Sir Dudley chastised him, and Jasper took the opportunity of his father’s distraction to tip the contents of his plate under the table to the waiting dogs. Sabina resolutely turned a blind eye.

Feeling Jeffree’s gaze on her, she met it, expecting to see censure in those blue depths, but strangely enough, he seemed to be staring at her headdress. Sabina lifted a hand to check all was in place, but everything seemed to be as it should be. She shrugged and returned her attention to her plate.

It was strange, Sabina thought, but all that morning Jeffree seemed to be constantly appearing at her elbow. On leaving the inn, she had found Jeffree waiting to mount her up on Blitha. He had done so, she realized dimly, the previous today, but today the attention seemed more pointed somehow.

On their ride, he frequently dropped back to ride beside her for long stretches, looking like he had something to say, but after casting a quick glance around at their company, not saying it. What on earth ailed him? she wondered distractedly as Crispin quizzed her on her opinion of fishing methods.

Around midday, they stopped for a rest, and when Sabina would have followed the Vyses to sit in the shade of a nearby oak, Jeffree caught her arm and led her instead toward another smaller tree. Casting a quick glance at his face, Sabina deduced he meant to speak whatever it was that was weighing on his mind.

After passing her the water, he watched her drink it and then cleared his throat. Sabina lowered the water and looked at him quizzically.

“After Areley Kings, there’s a place I want us to visit,” he started, looking grim.

“Is it nearby?”