Page 90 of An Inconvenient Vow

“I see,” Sabina murmured. “Well, that was very good of His Grace.” She hesitated. “Have you seen anything of my family in my absence?”

“Your sister, Mistress Isemay, has been over most days to enquire if there had been any word as to your return,” Penny put in, closing the pantry door behind them.

Sabina felt a pang of guilt that she had not managed to write, but indeed the only chance she would have had was during her four days at Longacre, and those had passed very quickly. “She seemed well?” she asked.

“Oh a most lively and agreeable young lady,” Penny enthused. “Several times she’s had me make her up some provisions for her to take into the woods.”

“Provisions?” Sabina asked, startled.

“Bread and cheese and such like.”

This seemed odd to Sabina as Tipton Hall had its own farm down the road with plenty of cheeses. If anything, it would have made more sense if her sister had bought them a wheel of cheese, for currently, Morecotte had no livestock.

“Isemay has taken to walking in Langley Woods?” Sabina repeated slowly. “Surely not alone?”

“Nay, for most days she brings that hulking brute Samuel Johns with her,” Lancer assured her. “There is none would tangle with the maid when she has him at her side.”

Sabina relaxed. Samuel was an old family retainer of many years. “I am surprised my father can spare Samuel from the farm,” she murmured aloud. It seemed strange but sometimes Isemay got these peculiar whims. Perhaps wandering in the forest was the latest one and her parents were indulging her after her horrible wedding ordeal.

Shrugging off her momentary unease, Sabina expressed a desire to see the buttery. The Lancers obliged and Sabina surveyed the many casks and flagons with astonishment. The duke at least must have thought Jeffree would be spending the lion’s share of his time at Morecotte for there was an impressive selection of wines and some of the smaller flasks looked to be honeyed mead and brandy-wine as well as three large casks of ale.

“Most generous,” she murmured distractedly. She hoped His Grace would not request it all to be returned when he realized his heir had no intention of living under Morecotte’s roof. “We are fortunate indeed.”

“If I might ask when Sir Jeffree will return?” Lancer ventured. “Only I’ve a few questions to put to him and…”

Sabina was not able to hide her reaction to this question, and she saw the glance the Lancers exchanged. “You may put any question you have to me, Lancer,” she told him recovering quickly. “I am mistress here of old.”

Lancer scratched his ear and Penny elbowed him in the side. “I just wondered where them hounds of your’n might be, mistress,” he admitted. “Feste and Brisis, I mean.”

“Milady!” his wife hissed out of the corner of her mouth.

“Milady,” he corrected himself hurriedly.

“The hounds were gifted to my husband’s brothers,” she told Lancer, who looked frankly crestfallen. “But you will see them again soon, Lancer, never fear. Both Jasper and Crispin will be joining our household in a few months’ time as my husband’s squires.”

As soon as she said it, she felt a lurch in her stomach. Was that even the case now? What if Jeffree went back on his word? What would the Lady Maud think? How disappointed Jasper and Crispin would be if the plan fell through. Mercifully, she found herself distracted by how disconsolate Lancer looked by this news and busied herself telling him all about her brothers-in-law and their instant bond with both dogs.

“They are absolutely devoted to their care and were taking instruction from an old countryman in their father’s employ. Mullins is his name, and the last I saw of him, he was passing them a recipe for the making of a salve to give the dogs’ strong paws.”

Lancer was just commenting he would like to see such a recipe himself, when they heard the sound of a horse and cart outside. Penny ran eagerly to the window to peer out. Sabina followed at a more sedate pace. After all, she thought, Jeffree would hardly ride in a cart, now would he?

“Lord save us!” Penny exclaimed. “Would you look at how high that wagon is piled!”

“There’s two more following on behind,” Lancer commented, heading quickly for the door to lend a hand.

Sabina gazed out of the window trying to make out the bulky objects loading up the cart. She screwed up her eyes. It looked like… furniture, she realized with stupefaction. Cabinets, cupboards, and… chairs. Yes, chairs.

Penny gave a squawk. “It’s the master!” she exclaimed.

Sabina’s heart lurched. “Where?” She whipped her head around and saw Jeffree swinging down from Radax’s broad back. Before she could stop herself she was rushing toward the door and hurrying out to the front of the house. Words clamored on her lips, which she was determined would remain unspoken. Where have you been? How dare you leave me? Stupid words that had no right to be spoken, except by a termagant wife.

She was halfway down the path when she almost ran straight into him. Mercifully, she managed to pull herself up short just in time.

He glowered down at her. “Wife,” he greeted her coolly.

“Husband.” She managed to add a little more ice to her greeting. She waved a hand toward the carts which were now being unloaded by the men that had driven them. “What is all this?”

“What does it look like?” he growled back.