Page 134 of An Inconvenient Vow

“Formulated her plan to be revenged on him,” Jeffree concluded grimly. Sabina nodded her head, avoiding his shrewd gaze. “What did she do?”

Sabina took a deep breath. “She convinced him they were sweethearts, who had been eloping when set upon by enemies,” Sabina admitted wretchedly. “Then, once he was healed, they set out for Ganford Church and were wed there with Samuel, the servant, standing witness.”

Jeffree’s expression grew tight. “I see.” He glanced down at his godfather who was groaning and moving his head fretfully. “I hear Osborn in the passageway,” he said, surprising Sabina with the sudden change of subject. “Fetch him. We’ll get Sir Charles up to bed.”

Grateful for the distraction after her confession, Sabina ran to summon Osborn and then watched helplessly as Sir Charles was carted up to bed by the two men. On impulse, she turned back to fetch the forgotten goblet of brandy-wine and a candlestick, carrying them slowly up the stairs held out in front of her.

Following their murmured voices, she gathered they had taken Sir Charles into the larger of the back bedrooms and stood outside the room awaiting them there. The old man would not appreciate her barging in on him being prepared for bed. Accordingly, she waited until Jeffree emerged. He started on seeing her in the shadowy passageway, but took the wine from her without a word, passing it back to Osborn who was following in his wake.

“Give this to Sir Charles then fetch him some meat broth from the kitchen.”

“I can fetch it,” Sabina quickly offered, but Jeffree caught her elbow.

“No,” he said, steering her along the passageway. “Osborn can do it.”

He led her straight to their bedchamber and, to her surprise, took the candle from her, setting it down. “Let’s go to bed,” he said abruptly.

Sabina blinked and opened her mouth. “But should we not—”

“I don’t want to talk about it. Let’s leave it for now.”

Seeing the tired look on his face, she relented at once. “Very well,” she agreed. “Though you will need hot water for washing.”

“Have Penny bring it.”

Sabina hurried at once to the head of the stairs and called for the maidservant. When she returned, Jeffree was already undressing. When water was brought, he washed with his customary thoroughness, and no other words were spoken between them. Sabina did likewise and climbed into the bed, feeling a jittery mess.

When Jeffree joined her moments later, he drew her into his arms and let out a ragged breath. A moment later she felt his fingertips brush her eyelids. Was he checking if there were no tears? Then he steered her head to his shoulder and her hand to his chest as was his custom and she listened to his breathing even out.

How could he fall asleep? she marveled. After hearing some of the goings-on? Why had he not demanded to know the level of her own complicity? All the harsh questions and accusations she had expected to fall from his lips had not even found utterance! She was dumbfounded. Was it simply that he did not have the energy for it at this hour?

By some miracle, she managed to fall into a light doze, comforted by his presence, and when she woke again, it was with a start. The room was now illuminated by candlelight and Jeffree was propped up on one elbow regarding her. “I think you were more tired than I,” he observed.

She cleared her throat. “I have not been sleeping well,” she admitted. “What time is it?”

“Somewhere around midnight. Perhaps you should sleep some more.”

Sabina shook her head. “I would much rather make a clean breast of it,” she said, sitting up and hugging her knees.

His eyes flickered, but he did not move a muscle. “Were you in on it from the start?” he asked quietly.

“No!” she said quickly. “I swear to you, Jeffree, I knew nothing about it until I followed Isemay the day before we left for Caer Lyoness. By that point, Leland was healing and on the road to recovery—”

He waved a hand and she lapsed into silence at once, waiting for him to indicate she could continue. “I believe you,” he said confounding her. “And even if I did not… She had every right to take her revenge. It is all Leland’s fault we are in this position again.”

Sabina’s eyes widened. “It is?”

“Does this not remind you of last time?” he asked irritably. “My thinking you were complicit in some sort of plot, you forced to defend yourself.”

Sabina swallowed. “You believed me last time too,” she remembered.

“I’m weary of it,” he admitted. “The mess is not of our making and I do not want us getting dragged into things again.”

“If we had not been dragged into it last time, then… we would ne’er have been wed,” she pointed out painfully.

He was silent a moment. “I suppose that is true. That all seems a long time ago to me.” Sabina did not point out that it had been little over a month and a half they had been married. Instead, she waited. “I also want to make a clean breast of things, wife,” he said suddenly and reached out his hand to her. Sabina placed her own in it without hesitation.

“I wish I could go back to the time when I first met you,” he started with a frown. “I can’t tell you how much it bothers me that I do not remember the first time at the Bishop’s Palace. I should remember it, and I am furious with myself that I do not. If I could go back and take my blinkers off, so that I was not blinded by my own consequence then I would do so. There I said it!” He threw a challenging look her way, but when Sabina opened her mouth to make reply, he forestalled her.