Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

Daniel knew that Sebastian would not be too impressed with his inviting Jane to stay at Southerby. Even though she could make her own decisions, she was still in his care for the summer and he had undermined him.

While the children were playing above stairs with Sabine, the adults were invited downstairs for an informal tea before mealtime that evening. When seated he noticed that both Emilia and Sebastian had changed out of their travelling clothes into a navy suit and a cream dress. Emilia had put Henry down for a nap.

Emilia had a strange expression on her face. She looked uncomfortable sitting next to her husband, yet she looked quizzical when her eyes travelled between himself and Jane. He believed that Emilia and Sebastian had had an argument in their bedchamber regarding his uncouth behaviour when they were greeted.

Daniel sat beside Jane on the settee opposite her brother and sister – in – law but remained an appropriate distance apart.

“How was the trip?” Jane asked, hoping to break the tension.

Sebastian’s blue eyes that mirrored Jane’s wise yet innocent ones flashed to his. “Fine, Jane,” he replied bluntly, his eyes not moving from Daniel.

Emilia rolled her eyes, annoyed. “More importantly, Janey, how has your stay been?” she asked in a kinder tone.

“It’s been wonderful,” Jane replied. “I much prefer the countryside to London.”

“Lord Southerby,” Sebastian said almost darkly. “It is traditional for members of the ton to have a collection of their favourite whiskeys hidden away. Might you show me yours; I would love to see it.”

Daniel pursed his lips and nodded. This was what Sebastian wanted, time alone to tell him to ask his sister to leave. It was also Daniel’s opportunity to tell Sebastian of his honest intentions. “Of course, I have a few of my favourites in my study,” he replied, standing from the settee. “If you’ll follow me.”

The two men walked in silence to Daniel’s study. Once the door was closed behind them Sebastian spoke.

“I trust you know that I’m not interested in your whiskey collection,” Sebastian said sternly.

“I had guessed as much,” Daniel replied carefully.

“My sister is naïve, Lord Southerby. She probably thinks she’s here as your friend and as a maternal figure for your daughter but I know better. You need to do the honourable thing and ask her to leave while her innocence is still intact,” Sebastian seethed.

Daniel took a deep breath before defending himself. “You do not give Jane the credit she deserves. She is not naïve; she is in fact very wise and knowledgeable.”

Sebastian’s eyes narrowed. “Have you compromised her? You have, haven’t you! You bastard!” he spat. His fists clenched as he prepared to fight Daniel.

“I haven’t compromised her nor do I plan to,” Daniel said defensively. He would not turn Jane into one of the women that he’d ruined. Jane was complete to him, she wasn’t faceless. If he entertained such thoughts about Jane then he would need to make peace with Eleanor’s death, something he was sure that would never happen.

Sebastian nodded once, seeming to believe him. “Regardless, it does not stop people talking in London. It won’t be long before my sister is a joke. It isn’t appropriate. You need to send her home for her sake.” Sebastian had lost all of his angst and Daniel could tell that it was coming from that of a concerned older brother.

“I can’t just make her leave. I invited her here – shouldn’t it be her decision?” Daniel asked half – heartedly.

“Jane isn’t used to life in the ton, she doesn’t know how quickly a few gossiping old ladies can ruin you. The last thing I want is for my sister to be laughed out of town, she is too pure of heart and mind to have that happen to her.”

Daniel knew that what Sebastian was saying was true. It was selfish of him to expect Jane to risk her reputation to stay at Southerby for an extended period of time. “I will ask her to return to London with you when you choose to leave,” Daniel conceded.

Sebastian managed a small smile. “Perhaps you aren’t as bad a man as I thought you were, Winchester.”

“I’m glad I could change your mind,” Daniel smiled and bowed his head.

“But that doesn’t mean I like you,” Sebastian clarified.

At dinner that evening the party was joined by Emilia’s first ladies maid and Sebastian’s first valet who had married and moved to a town neighbouring the Southerby estate.

Kassandra and Peter seemed like a nice couple. They made an honest living and they were raising a family. He liked the simplicity of their life. In another life, if he weren’t an Earl, he would’ve tried farming. He could imagine finding spending all day in the fields peaceful.

“I can’t believe that James and Kitty are four already, it seems like only yesterday they were born!” Kassandra exclaimed as they were eating their main course of quail.

“I know,” Emilia replied. “And soon they will be five years old. Time passes quickly with children.”

“Have you found that with Sabine, Lord Southerby?” Sebastian asked. “Does she grow fast?”

Daniel looked around the table cautiously. His eyes fell on Jane who was giving her brother a stern look. “I’m afraid it is only recently that I have known Sabine,” Daniel admitted. There was no reason to lie to them, he was among friends, or what would eventually become friends he hoped.

Sebastian’s eyes narrowed. “Is she a bastard child?” he asked bluntly.

Emilia’s fork clattered on her plate as she dropped it in horror. “Sebastian,” she hissed angrily. She offered an apologetic look to Daniel.

“Hold your tongue, Sebastian,” Jane whispered across the table to her brother.

Both Kassandra and Peter stopped eating their dinner abruptly as they stared at Sebastian.

“No, Sabine is not a bastard child, her mother was my late wife, she is legitimate, although not an heir as she is not a son,” Daniel replied curtly. The thought of little Sabine being described as a bastard truly offended him.

“Oh,” Sebastian realised. “My condolences,” he offered glumly as he returned to his dinner, daring not to meet his wife’s murderous eye. Daniel found peace in the knowledge that he would be in deep sorrow with his wife that night.

Daniel chose not to respond, instead changing the subject. “So, Peter, what type of farming do you do?” he asked.

The red haired man looked up the Earl warily. “Dairy mainly,” he replied. “Kassie and I are saving up to expand. We want to purchase a neighbouring farm with about a hundred acres of land. We currently own twelve cows but we’d like more. We want to start a business eventually where we’d sell all sorts of dairy products to places further away, but right now we make do with selling to the town.”

“So you sell milk, butter and cheese?” he checked.

Peter nodded. “Yes, we do.”

“I’ll have our cook begin a weekly order with you then,” Daniel smiled before returning to his dinner. He hoped that the conversation would not return to the awkwardness between Sebastian and him.

His eyes met Jane’s sad ones. She mouthed ‘I’m sorry’ to him subtly. He smiled and shook his head. He and Sebastian weren’t friends yet, he still thought him a rake even if he was to do the right thing by sending Jane home.

After dinner that evening and everyone had retired to their prospective bedchambers, Emilia decided to give Sebastian a piece of her mind. She glared at Sebastian from her dresser as he began to undress for bed a few feet away from her. She ran a hand through her hair to loosen the tangles from her up – do as she pulled the pins from it. “You could not have embarrassed me further tonight,” she hissed icily.

Sebastian threw her an exasperated look as he began unbuttoning his shirt. “Please, Em, not tonight, I’m not in the mood to argue about this again.”

“You’re never in the mood to talk about this which is why it always ends up in an argument. I don’t see the problem here!” Emilia stood up from the dresser and walked over to him. Her husband could be so stubborn when he wanted to be.

“I don’t see how it makes me a bad person for me to want something better for my little sister. The man is a rake!” he snapped. “It was a perfectly logical assumption to think of him having a bastard child out there.”

“Rake or not, he is reformed. Can’t you see the way Jane acts around him? He has captured her heart and if I’m not mistaken Lord Southerby is quite enchanted by Janey,” Emilia replied angrily. She was cautious of the volume of their voices; she didn’t want to wake anyone up. Henry was asleep in the next adjoining room also.

Sebastian scoffed. “Don’t make me laugh, Em. His personality might be reformed, I’ll give you that, as he is no longer that sour looking man from every ball we attend, but he still beds anything that moves. What man is going to want Jane when she’s no longer pure?” As soon as he said that his face dropped. “I didn’t mean that.”

Emilia’s lips pursed as she fought back tears. “Is that what you truly think?” she whispered. She felt dirty, something she hadn’t felt since before Vincent had died.

Sebastian groaned and wrapped his arms around Emilia before she could pull away from him. He placed his lips on her collar bone as he shook his head. “I’m sorry, that’s not what I think. I’m just angry at Jane and at that rake and at this whole situation. Jane’s always had a mind of her own. She does what she wants without thinking about the consequences. Do you know how hard I’ve had to work to quash the rumours flying around about her?”

Emilia forced herself out of Sebastian’s arms so he could receive her furious glare. “When you’re in love you don’t think about the consequences. You don’t care about what others say, like I didn’t care what people said about me when we married. How inappropriate and disrespectful I was to Vincent’s memory. I know exactly how Jane feels. I just hope that she doesn’t end up bound to a fool when it comes to those he cares for.” Emilia walked over to the large four poster bed and got underneath the covers.

Sebastian just stared at her with a remorseful look on his face. “Why did you ever agree to marry me? I really am ridiculous.”

Emilia managed a small smile. “The first thing we have agreed on since we arrived in Southerby, I believe,” she said softly. “I married you because you’re noble and giving, you’re very handsome and you care about others more than you do about yourself. And even though I don’t agree with how you feel about Jane and Lord Southerby, I know you’re looking out for her. I’m frightened to think about how you will be when a young man asks to court Kitty.”

Sebastian grinned devilishly as he climbed in the bed next to her. “I’m afraid that suitor will leave Ethridge without a head on his shoulders.”

Emilia leaned over and kissed his cheek softly. “Now that we definitely agree on,” she whispered in his ear. “But give Lord Southerby a chance. There’s more to him than meets the eye, imagine how he must feel, he is a widower after all – how would you feel if I died?” she asked softly.

Sebastian’s blue eyes hardened at the thought. “I won’t entertain that notion, Em.”

“Well, it’s a reality for him,” she said firmly. “He’s a good man, I know it, and he may have done some rather vulgar things with his spare time in the past but I want you to be nicer to him. Will you do that for me?”

“I’d do anything for you. If it means losing all of my remaining dignity then I will,” he replied before leaning over to blow out the candle beside the bed.

“Good, because he’s important to Jane, I don’t want you ruining this for her,” she said as she lay back on her pillow.

“How do you know he’s important to her? What if you’re wrong?” he challenged before she fell asleep.

“I’m a woman,” Emilia yawned. “I know everything. It’s a gift we’re given at birth.”

Sebastian chuckled lightly and kissed her forehead. “Good night,” he whispered. “Dream happy dreams.”

“I’ll be dreaming of being matron of honour at Jane’s wedding,” Emilia said sleepily as she rolled over onto her side. Before slumber completely took her, she could have sworn she heard Sebastian groan.

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