Daylight brought no relief from the weather. Jane came in to wake her mistress, and Sabrina stared out in dismay at the wintry scene from her bedroom window. The sky had cleared overnight but this had only caused the temperature to drop, and the snow returned with the dawn. There could be no question of travelling today, and that was worrying. Not that she should complain; they had a reasonable degree of comfort, the house was dry and they had food and servants enough to supply their needs, but the idea of being trapped at Hare Hall with Jack Callater filled Sabrina with apprehension. Last night’s dinner, and the uninterrupted hour that they had spent alone together afterwards, had shown her how easy it was to fall back under the spell of his charm.
She must be on her guard now. She would never forgive his behaviour at the Hartland Ball, the way he had walked out on her after taking his pleasure. Yet her wayward heart reminded her that there had been pleasure for her, too, in those few, precious hours she had spent in his bed. He had awakened feelings in her that she had never known before. He had made her feel...alive! Last night she had woken in this strange bed, her body yearning so badly for Jack’s touch that she wanted to go and find him, to throw herself into his arms and beg him to do it all over again.
In fact, just thinking of it was melting her bones.
‘Have you learned nothing in your five-and-twenty years?’ she berated herself inwardly as she sipped her hot chocolate. ‘The man is a dangerous flirt. He has been on the town for years, his name has been linked with goodness knows how many ladies, but never a hint of marriage. If you throw yourself at him again, he will take what he wants and walk away, just as he did before!’
But the desire Jack had awoken was not so easily suppressed. She wanted him so much it was a physical pain.
Having finished her hot chocolate, she slipped out of bed and almost welcomed the chill of the boards on her bare feet. As soon as Jane had laced her stays, Sabrina sent her away. She was perfectly capable of dressing herself in one of her front-closing gowns, and goodness knew, Jane had enough to do in the kitchen, as well as looking after Mary. However, it was almost an hour later before Sabrina finally went downstairs, having scrambled into the rest of her clothes and dressed her own hair. Mary greeted her cheerfully as she walked into the kitchen.
‘Good morning, my lady. Mrs Nidd has made porridge for everyone this morning.’
‘Porridge!’ exclaimed Sabrina, ‘Do we have milk then?’
‘Oh, yes,’ said Mary, looking up from her own breakfast. ‘We collect it from the Jessops’ farm about a mile away. I told Jane about it when she took me up to bed last night, and she sent one of Lord John’s men to fetch some. It is less than a mile if you walk across the fields.’
‘Abel went off just before dawn,’ added Jane, ladling the creamy porridge into a bowl for Sabrina. ‘He brought butter and bread, too, my lady, and Mrs Jessop has agreed to supply us with milk and also a fresh loaf every day, once she learned that there was no one here to make it. I had taken the liberty of writing a note for Mrs Jessop, you see, ma’am,’ she went on. ‘Mary said the farmer’s wife is a very respectable soul, and I thought I should give her a brief explanation of our circumstances, in case she was anxious about what might be going on here.’
Sabrina nodded her approval. ‘Very sensible, Jane, I should have done the same.’
‘Thank you. And I hope you don’t object to eating in the kitchen, ma’am, only the dining room is mighty chill in the mornings.’
‘Not at all. I would much rather be here in the warm and in company.’
‘Good. And you’ve no need to worry about the menservants coming in. I have already sent a kettle of porridge across, and they are quite content to break their fast in their quarters above the stables. Truth be told, I think they prefer it. Abel tells me their rooms are quite snug.’
‘There’s honey, too, Lady Massyngham,’ put in Mary, pointing to a stoneware jar on the table.
‘Excellent! This is quite my favourite breakfast. And do, please call me Sabrina.’
It was heartening to see Mary so cheerful this morning, quite unlike the frightened waif they had found alone in the house last night. She chattered away happily to them, only breaking off when His Lordship’s valet came into the kitchen.
‘Good morning, Mr Weald.’ Jane looked around from the range, where she was stirring the large kettle of porridge. ‘Is the master ready for his breakfast?’
‘Not quite yet, Mrs Nidd, thank you. I’ve come to fetch up a can of hot water.’
Sabrina kept her eyes lowered, but her lip curled in contempt as she whipped up her resentment. So, Jack had decided to play the great lord above stairs, while everyone else rallied around doing what they could to make the house comfortable. She should have expected nothing else from him.
‘His Lordship wants to make himself presentable before he comes down to break his fast,’ Weald explained.
‘Of course he does,’ her maid agreed, much to Sabrina’s annoyance. How selfish of the man, to lie abed and be waited on, when everyone else was working.
Jane chuckled and went on. ‘Aye, he will want to clean himself up after chopping all those logs this morning.’
Sabrina almost dropped her spoon. She waited until Weald had withdrawn before speaking. Then she asked, as casually as she could.
‘Lord John has been cutting wood?’
‘Why yes, my lady. Bless him, he said he quite enjoyed wielding the axe. He brought in another bucket of coals, too, and had the fire here burning nicely by the time I came downstairs. He says it gave him something to do. Made him feel useful.’
‘Oh.’ Sabrina felt quite chastened. Thank goodness she had not uttered her scathing remarks aloud. ‘Yes, well, we all need to help out in the circumstances.’
She went back to her breakfast and afterwards set about helping Jane with the housework. Her maid was loath to allow her to help with anything other than a little sewing, but Sabrina protested she could do more than that.
‘You will remember Papa’s views that every lady should know how to keep house and prepare a dinner, no matter how many servants they may have. He insisted I should spend time with the housekeeper, and in the kitchens.’ She chuckled. ‘I never thought I should need it, until today.’
‘I don’t know, Miss Sabrina...’
‘Now, Jane, this is no time to stand on ceremony.’ She added, with feeling, ‘Lord John is not the only one who wants to feel useful!’
‘Well, perhaps a little light dusting, then, my lady.’
‘Is that all you can suggest? Lord, what a useless creature you think me. There must be more I can do to help.’
‘Well...we could do with knowing what we have in the linen cupboards. Mary’s bed needs fresh sheets, and since we have no idea how long we will be staying here, an inventory would be useful.’ She lowered her voice, even though they were momentarily alone in the kitchen. ‘There are signs that some of the house contents have gone missing. Only small things as far as I can tell, but I fear some of the servants helped themselves when they left. In lieu of wages.’
‘Then counting the linen shall be my first task!’ declared Sabrina, laughing.
Away from any room with a fire, Hare House was very cold. Draughts whistled through the passages and before sallying forth to inspect the linen cupboards, Sabrina put on her pelisse, donned an apron and then threw a thick cashmere shawl about her shoulders for added warmth. She located the cupboards in the housekeeper’s room and spent a quiet hour sorting the contents and making notes.
She was on her way back to the kitchen when Jack appeared and, she could not help it, her mouth dried at the sight of him. He looked as handsome and fashionable as ever, in the well-tailored riding jacket that fitted over his broad shoulders without a crease and with his cravat neatly tied. Even his serviceable buckskins looked immaculate, disappearing into highly polished top boots. His tall, athletic frame seemed to fill the narrow servants’ passage and it was impossible for Sabrina to do anything but stop as he approached.
She was still fretting over her earlier injustice to him, and this made her greet him far more warmly than she had intended. However, she could not deny it felt very right, very comfortable, to do so. When he remarked upon finding her in the passage, she told him she had been counting sheets.
‘We will have to change all the bedding at some point, besides needing towels and napkins and all manner of linen, so it is best to know in advance what we have in the cupboards.’ She chuckled. ‘I wish I could take the credit, but it was Jane’s suggestion that I make a note of everything.’
‘An excellent idea. And since you are already armed with paper and pencil, perhaps you would assist me with my next task?’ When she gave him a quizzical look, he continued. ‘I am about to investigate the contents of the wine cellar, but, unlike you, I had not thought to bring anything to record my findings. And,’ he went on, when she went to hand him the notebook, ‘I will need to hold the lamp, so it would be much easier if I had someone to write everything down for me.’
She hesitated, but only for a moment. She had met far more dangerous men than Jack Callater, hardened libertines whose charms were legendary, but she had never yet succumbed to any of them. Common sense might suggest that she should not be alone with him, but curiosity had got the better of Sabrina. She wanted to see more of the house. At least that is what she told herself.
‘Very well, if you think it would be useful?’
He nodded. ‘Very useful.’
She turned and followed Jack back the way she had come.
‘I should like to know that our suspicions about Mr Steadmarsh are unfounded,’ she said. ‘We might well be able to tell that from the state of his wine cellar.’
‘Yes, that’s very true.’ Jack held up a large key ring. ‘These are the butler’s keys. Mary tells me the housekeeper had charge of them when the man left Hare Hall, so it is unlikely that the servants were able to raid the cellars. Let us go and see.’
They started at the butler’s pantry, where they took one of the silver chambersticks to light their way to the basement. There they found several doors leading off a dark passage. Sabrina held the candle while Jack tried the keys. The first door opened onto a small cupboard with shelves holding a few ancient pieces of tarnished silver, but when they unlocked the second, he gave a little grunt of satisfaction.
‘Aha. Success.’
Jack took the candle and led the way into the cellar. Sabrina followed. By the light of the single candle she could see it was paved with rough stone flags and had a drainage channel running down one side.
‘Now why would anyone want to sit in here?’ she exclaimed, spotting the table and chairs in the centre of the room. On the dusty tabletop were half a dozen upturned wine glasses.
‘It is not unknown for the master of the house to entertain his friends in the cellar.’
She turned to look up at him. ‘Have you ever done such a thing?’
‘Of course.’ He grinned. ‘We could try it now, if you wish.’
Sabrina thought it best to ignore his suggestion and returned her attention to the cellar. Arranged around the walls were wooden racks filled with bottles and a sturdy workbench. There were also stands for barrels of varying sizes, although only a few of the smaller ones still held barrels. There were chalk marks everywhere, dates on the wine racks and notes on the barrels, which she guessed indicated when they had been last used.
‘It is clear that Mr Steadmarsh took his wine very seriously,’ remarked Jack. ‘Or at least, his predecessors did. The supply does not look to be seriously depleted.’
‘There is a candlestick on the table,’ remarked Sabrina. ‘If we light that, I can sit down and make notes while you inspect the cellar.’
‘An excellent idea.’
Jack walked over to the table and lit the two candles fixed into the wax-encrusted holder, while Sabrina dusted one of the chairs with the corner of her apron before sitting down.
She opened the notebook. ‘Very well, sir, I am ready.’
‘Good. Let us start with the barrels.’
She watched him as he inspected the casks of various sizes on one side of the room. There was one he said was a drum of Madeira, and another with tapered ends that Jack told her was a small pipe of port.
‘Both near-empty,’ he said, rapping his knuckles against them. He moved across to the last small barrel and knocked on it. ‘However, this half-anchor still holds plenty of brandy.’ He held his candle close to the barrel and peered at the lettering. ‘Cognac, from the Massougnes estate. I should like to try a little of that.’ He glanced back at her. ‘Will you join me?’
Sabrina knew he was teasing her. Ladies did not drink brandy except for medicinal purposes, but instead of saying so she laughed.
‘What, at this time of the day?’
‘Why not? Better to discover now that it is undrinkable than wait until dinnertime.’
‘That sounds like a very reasonable argument.’
She could hardly believe she had said that, but some devilry had gripped her. She had spent years pretending to be a wicked widow, why not actually do something disreputable? Such as drinking brandy with a man in a cellar. That little devil in her head told her that was hardly disreputable at all. She picked up two of the glasses and wiped them with a clean handkerchief before carrying them over to Jack.
His look of surprise made her smile with satisfaction. He rinsed the glasses with a little of the cognac before pouring a good measure into each of them.
He held one out to her. ‘You are a connoisseuse, perhaps?’
Sabrina did not want to admit she had never tried brandy before and gave what she hoped was a mysterious smile before taking a mouthful. The fiery liquid singed the back of her throat as she swallowed it and she fell into a fit of coughing.
Jack laughed. ‘Ah, not an expert, then.’
He reached out to take the glass from her, but she resisted.
‘No,’ she croaked. ‘I will finish this.’
‘Small sips, then,’ he advised, as he raised his own glass to his mouth. ‘Mmm, it really is very good. What is your opinion?’
Sabrina tasted it again and managed a creditable nod of appreciation. She did not much like the taste but was determined not to be beaten, especially when Jack was looking at her with such amusement.
‘It reminds me of something...hazelnuts,’ she said, after another sip. ‘Does all brandy taste like this?’
‘Similar, but Cognac is regarded as the finest. They are not all as light and fresh as this. I shall have Tom fill a decanter and bring it to the dining room this evening.’ He drained his glass. ‘Shall we try something else?’
Sabrina quickly shook her head. ‘No, thank you, my lord. There is work to be done.’
She was not such a simpleton. She knew better than to drink any more so early in the day. That could lead to all sorts of foolish behaviour!
Jack was well aware that he should not have suggested they drink brandy together, but somehow it was just too easy to forget the proprieties with Sabrina. Too difficult to keep a proper distance. It occurred to him now that it was the same for her. Why else would she take him up on his challenge to try the cognac, especially when it was obvious she had never drunk it before? Perhaps, like him, she enjoyed the frisson of danger that existed between them.
Now, that was an interesting thought.
‘We should finish making our inventory,’ she said now. ‘I promised Mary we would keep a tally of everything we use and pay for it.’
‘Very well, if you sit down again, I will take a look at the wine racks.’
‘...and eleven bottles of Champagne on the last rack.’ Jack straightened. ‘Will that suffice, or do you want more details?’
‘No, that is enough for our purposes,’ replied Sabrina, putting down her pencil. She was glad that was done, for the brandy was having an effect. She felt a little light-headed and in no mood to concentrate. She also felt remarkably cheerful.
She smiled. ‘Well done, my lord. We have achieved a very worthwhile task this morning.’
‘Do you think so?’ Jack pulled one of the champagne bottles from the rack and held it up. ‘Worthy of a celebration, do you think?’
She really should not, but the only other thing Jane had asked her to do was to tidy the drawing room. No very onerous task. She smiled brightly.
‘Yes, I think so!’ She waved at the empty glasses they had used for the cognac. ‘Will these do? There does not appear to be any other sort...’
‘Oh, yes, I should think they will suit our purpose.’
Jack opened the bottle and poured the sparkling wine into the glasses. Sabrina picked up one and held it aloft. ‘Your good health, my lord!’
Taking a sip, she could taste the remnants of the cognac in the bubbles that fizzed pleasantly on her tongue. She took another mouthful and sat back on her chair as a glow of content began to spread through her.
‘You prefer this to the Massougnes, I think, my lady.’
‘I do indeed.’
She smiled up at Jack, who was standing over her. She did not move when he leaned down and brushed his lips against hers. The tip of his tongue flickered all too briefly into her mouth before he straightened.
‘Enough of that,’ he murmured. ‘Else who knows what might happen?’
Sabrina knew. She knew exactly what she wanted to happen. In fact, she was already growing hot at the thought of it. Slowly, deliberately, she pushed her shawl off her shoulders and stood up. She stepped closer to Jack and slipped her arms about his neck.
‘Kiss me.’
She felt a little burst of satisfaction when she saw the fire in his eyes as she whispered the words.
He put his glass down on the table. ‘I do not think that’s a good idea, do you?’
In answer, she gently pulled his head down towards her, looking up at him, her lips already slightly parted in anticipation. She closed her eyes as he brought his mouth down on hers, excitement rippling through her body as he kissed her. She pressed herself against him, the heat pooling in her belly and excitement rising when she felt his hard arousal. Her blood was on fire as it coursed around her body, and she almost wept when he broke off the kiss and held her away from him.
‘This is madness, Sabrina,’ he muttered, frowning down at her. ‘You may well regret this later.’
‘No regrets, Jack.’ She tugged at the apron strings and shrugged it off. ‘No regrets, I promise you.’
She pulled his head down again, and this time, when his mouth met hers, the world exploded. His arms tightened around her and he kissed her thoroughly, strengthening the desire already growing inside her. Sabrina sighed as he began to cover her face with kisses and even as his mouth trailed down to her neck, she was already unbuttoning her pelisse, moving it aside so that he could continue to trail those blissful butterfly kisses along her neck. She threw her head back as his tongue flickered over the soft skin of her throat. His hands slipped inside the coat, one moving around her back and holding her firm against him while the other... She moaned softly as the other hand pushed aside the soft muslin of her bodice and caressed her breasts.
When his fingers found one hard erect nub and began to massage it, a gasp of pure pleasure escaped her. She was almost fainting with desire now and gave a little mewl of disappointment when he cupped her buttocks and lifted her up against him. In a couple of strides, he crossed to the wall, where he lowered her onto the empty workbench. He began to kiss her again, working his mouth against hers, the kisses growing deeper, hotter. She felt him push aside her skirts, then one hand smoothed over her thigh, moving slowly higher, closer to the heat. He slipped his fingers into her, stroking and caressing until she was euphoric, almost swooning. She threw back her head as ripples of excitement ran through her, building into a wave that she could not control. She gasped, cried out as the delicious torture continued, then she reached for him and was scrabbling with the buttons of his buckskins. She wanted him inside her, needing him to share this exquisite delight.
Jack almost groaned as her small hands struggled with the unfamiliar fastenings of his clothes. He breathed deep, controlling himself until she had freed him, then his pulse leapt when he felt her fingers slip around him, gently moving over his shaft, and he knew he would not be able to hold off for much longer. He pulled her closer, and she wrapped her legs about him, tilting up her hips, offering herself, and he could not resist. He entered her, exulting as she pushed back against him and in the cry of pleasure she gave as they both came to a juddering climax. Shaking, she clung to him and whimpered his name as the final spasms died away.
Eyes shut, Jack held Sabrina tight against him, her face buried in his shoulder. The faint beat of her heart echoed against his chest, and they remained still, clinging to one another for a long, long moment. Then at last he felt her stir, and with a sigh he eased himself away.
‘I beg your pardon,’ he began, but she interrupted him.
‘There is no need. I...invited you to do that, did I not?’ She slipped off the bench and began to shake out her skirts, brushing off the dust.
‘I did not need much persuading.’
He reached out and pulled her into his arms again. Her lips were still red and full from their lovemaking, and he dropped a gentle kiss upon them. It went on for a long time, and when it ended she gave a shy smile before moving away.
‘I cannot deny that was even better than I anticipated,’ she murmured, walking back towards the table.
‘There is more champagne, if you would like some?’
‘No, no.’ She shook her head. ‘Thank you.’
‘Then it will keep until dinner time.’
‘Yes.’ She looked distracted, ill at ease as she draped the heavy shawl about her shoulders. She scooped up the discarded apron, closed the notebook and picked it up, together with the pencil. ‘I must return these to the kitchen.’
‘I will come with you.’
For a moment, Jack thought she was going to say something. Then, silently, she nodded. She waited while he snuffed out the candles on the table and picked up the chamberstick, then she walked with him to the door, and they made their way in silence upstairs to the kitchen.
He watched her walk over to the big dresser and place the notebook in one of the drawers.
‘This is where Jane and I have decided we should keep it,’ she told him.
He frowned a little. He did not need to know that. He did not want to talk about anything so mundane. He wanted to discuss the blinding pleasure of what they had done in the cellar. Had she been lying when she said she enjoyed it? A prickle of unease ran through him. Had he disappointed her? The stories about the wicked Lady Massyngham suggested she had enjoyed liaisons in far more outlandish locations.
‘We thought the kitchen the most sensible home for it,’ she went on. ‘It is very conveniently placed for everyone to enter details of what has been used.’ She flashed him another small smile. ‘It will also be useful to have a record for Mr Steadmarsh when he returns.’
She was still talking about that damned notebook! Jack’s head as well as his body was still reeling from their recent union, but he did his best to concentrate on what she was saying and answer in kind.
‘Do you think he will return?’ he asked.
Sabrina clasped her hands before her. ‘I want to believe he will. But, having been gone for so long, is it possible, do you think?’
She turned to look up at him, her eyes concerned, and he felt an irrational flash of jealousy that she should put the concerns of Hare Hall above what they had just shared.
‘I cannot say,’ he said, still trying to think clearly. ‘His servants evidently did not believe he would come back.’
‘That is what is so worrying. I hate to think of poor Mary, left alone without anyone.’
‘She will not be. We will not abandon her.’
‘Well, I certainly have no intention of doing so.’
He stiffened. ‘You think I could be so unfeeling?’ He read the answer in her face, and all the old hurt surfaced. That unreasonable jealousy and his frustration with the turn of the conversation spilled over. He said acidly, ‘If you remember, madam, six years ago you were the one who cut me. Once you had caught yourself a rich husband.’
‘And when you walked out of the bedchamber at Hartland the other night?’ she retorted, ‘What was that, if not unfeeling?’
‘Self-preservation! We enjoyed a quick romp, but nothing more. When you tried to cozen me with your false praise, I saw through it immediately.’
‘Cozen you?’ She frowned. ‘I never...’
He ignored her and went on savagely, ‘Pray do not try to deceive me with your feigned innocence, madam! You won’t catch me again with your beguiling ways. Especially after what we have just done!’
She was staring at him, her eyes wide. His body was still thrumming uncomfortably with desire, but all the old pain, so long contained, had welled up and found relief in anger. He mimicked her, repeating the words that had haunted him since the Hartland Ball.
‘“Oh, Jack, I have never known such happiness in a man’s bed.”’ His lip curled. ‘You may dupe other poor fools with such lies, Sabrina, but not I!’
He saw the colour come and go in her face, first a fiery red, then the blood draining away to leave her pale as chalk. She put her palms against her cheeks as she stared at him, her eyes huge and dark against her white skin. He thought she was going to faint and took a step towards her.
‘Sabrina—’
‘You have said quite enough, sir!’
He stopped. The words were uttered in a steady voice that was cold and hard as the stone floor beneath their feet. She was still pale, but her eyes glittered with fury. She stood before him like a wrathful goddess.
Sabrina kept her head up, her hands clenched at her sides. Tears were not far away but she held them back by the sheer power of her will. She needed every ounce of energy she possessed to help her through this without breaking down, and she was determined he should never know how much his words had hurt her. She was an expert of disguising her true feelings. It had been a necessity, she thought bitterly. It was the way she had survived four years of marriage to a man she despised.
How ironic, then, that when she told Jack the truth, he did not believe her.
And why should he, after their coupling in the wine cellar? She could not expect him to believe her an innocent after she had thrown herself at him so wantonly for a second time. She had thought as much even before they left the cellar, as soon as she could think clearly again.
‘We agreed that while we are at Hare Hall we would not quarrel.’ She was reminding herself, as well as Jack. ‘It is best we do not talk of anything that has gone before. If we fall out, it will make our sojourn here very uncomfortable. For everyone.’
‘And what we have just done?’ he demanded. ‘Is that to be ignored too?’
‘Of course.’ She forced herself to meet his gaze, hoping her face conveyed nothing but indifference. ‘Now, if you will excuse me, I have work to do.’
She slipped past him, but when she reached the door she stopped. Despite what she had just said, she was haunted by the need to be honest with him on one point.
‘I was not lying,’ she said, staring at the wooden panels. ‘It was true, what I told you at Hartland. I had never enjoyed a man’s caresses. Until that night at Hartland, with you. And again, today.’
And with that she left him.