Page 136 of An Inconvenient Vow

He grunted, grabbing a feel of her arse to comfort himself. “Neither one of us chose wisely the first time,” he admitted after a moment’s squeezing.

“And neither of us chose at all the second,” she pointed out pulling a face.

“It was fate,” he answered at once. “You were meant to be mine.”

“Fate?”

“What else?” He slid his hands up to her waist. “It really does not bother you that I am not gracious?”

“Not now that I know what is in your heart,” she said fondly, laying a hand on his cheek. “For once I told you that I wanted actions rather than words you have been very good at those Jeffree.”

He pulled back to regard her doubtfully. “I have?”

“Yes. Why did you not tell me what you had done for Delia Selwyn and her child?”

“Who?”

“The blacksmith’s niece.”

“Oh, yes. I meant to tell you at some later point. I was not sure you would approve.”

“Why would I not? It was very touching and considerate of you.”

He shrugged a shoulder. “You might have thought me a little high-handed. I just wanted to make things comfortable for you. It did not seem right to me that—well, anyway. I made enquiry and it turned out that Selwyn girl and the blacksmith’s apprentice were courting. They practically snatched my hand off at the offer of a fresh start.”

“Yet you did not see fit to mention any of this to me?”

“Why should I? You wanted actions, not words you said.”

She bit her lip. “But, Jeffree, how am I supposed to know about your actions if you do not tell me of them?”

He shrugged. “I supposed that eventually you would hear they had left the area and be glad of it.”

Her heart swelled within her breast. “Jeffree…”

“You asked me before who my closest friend is,” he said raspily. “It is a question I had never pondered before, for I never cultivated friends. My mother once said perhaps my wife would be my greatest confidante.” Sabina stared at him. “It seems, in this respect, she was right.”

Tears started in her eyes. “Jeffree…”

“I know it is not the same for you,” he carried on calmly. “I do not expect you to give me back the same words. You have your sister and—”

“I dearly love Isemay,” Sabina responded at once. “But recent events have shown me that we are not likeminded in the slightest! She is the most reckless person I know, indeed, some of her actions seem almost terrifyingly foolhardy to me!” Jeffree snorted and Sabina lifted her chin. “What?” she asked.

He shook his head. “Just remembering a rash claim made by a beautiful young widow that she had played the whore for me.”

“That was entirely different!” Sabina insisted. “I did that to save Isemay, not initiate some crazed revenge plan!”

“Mmmm.” He sounded skeptical.

“Beautiful?” she faltered, only just picking up on his description.

“Extremely beautiful.” He lightly touched the mole above her top lip. “It took me a little while to notice, then once I had seen you without your wimple, your appeal grew apace, and now, I find you the most beautiful of all in my eyes.”

He looked so sincere that it stole all the breath from her body. “Jeffree…”

“Though, if you ask me, you and your sister are a reckless pair and need to be kept a close eye on. It is fortunate you are both safely married so your parents can rest easy in their beds at night.” Sabina gasped faintly at this description, but he ignored it. “Anyway”—he squeezed her hand—“return to what you were saying.”

“What was I saying?”