“Of course,” the older woman answered, wiping her hands. Speaking to me, she said, “I’m Ester, my lady, and this is Lavonia and Cora.” She pointed first to the dark-haired girl and then to the redhead.
“It seems you could have done slightly better with our breakfast this morning,” Sebastian said, his gaze on the scrambled eggs, strawberries, and steaming tea.
To my astonishment, Lavonia leaned back and crossed her arms. “If you wanted something else, you should have sent for it.”
“Lavonia!” Ester gasped.
Sebastian held up one hand. “You have a new mistress, and from now on she will be giving the instructions, and if any of you wish to keep your place here, you’ll obey her as if the orders came from me or my father.” He turned to me. “Do you have instructions?”
My tongue felt tied. He’d taken full charge here—for which I was grateful—and then, without warning, had turned to me. I didn’t wish to disappoint him or make him sorry for his protection.
What would my mother have ordered? I tried to sound like the lady of the keep.
“Ester,” I said. “Will that bread you’re making be baked by midday?”
“Yes, my lady.”
“I haven’t taken stock of the larder, but I brought some things with me from Chaumont. In a short while, I’ll have boxes of tea and several casks of wine brought in. At midday, I’ll send Matilda and Betty to you. I’d like trays prepared with slices of fresh bread with butter, bowls of berries, boiled eggs, and several pots of tea for any of the men who come in to eat. Can you manage that?”
“Yes, my lady.”
From the table, Lavonia glared at me.
“Is there is ham in the larder?” I asked Ester.
She nodded and glanced nervously at Lavonia.
“For dinner tonight,” I continued, “you’ll make roasted potatoes and a large dish of peas in cream sauce, if those vegetables are available. Please heat a ham, slice it, and lay it out on a tray. I’ll have decanters sent in, and I want two decanters of red wine drawn from the casks.” I paused. “I’ll send Betty and Matilda right at dusk this evening.”
“Yes, my lady.”
Sebastian smiled, but again it was cold. “There, all planned out for today, but you should ready yourselves for changes around here, and clearly...it’s about time.”
He turned and took my arm.
As he walked down the passage, I could see the anger in his eyes. “Ester’s a good sort,” he said, “but if those girls give you any trouble, you tell me, and I’ll handle it. We’ve let things get far too lax around here.”
I nodded. This was all unfamiliar ground for me, and I was beyond grateful for his help. If there was trouble, I could go to him.
Right now, I wanted to get back and see to the work being done in the great hall.
By evening, I left my duties and ran upstairs and let Miriam lace me into a silk gown and re-style my hair. I wore the diamond pendant.
When I came back down, I looked ready for a proper dinner.
Upon reaching the main hall, I heard masculine voices and walked in to find Jarrod, Rolf, Sebastian, and Kai all there. Jarrod and Rolf were both looking about the place in surprise, for it had indeed undergone something of a transformation.
The newly scrubbed table had been laid with white cloths, porcelain plates, and pewter goblets. All of these had come from Chaumont Manor. Four enormous tapestries hung on the walls, and I think my mother chose them well.
The half dozen spaniels still wriggled about the men, seeking attention.
“Dinner will be served shortly,” I said from the archway.
All four men turned as I walked in. Sebastian smiled. Rolf glowered. It was clear to me that he and I would never be friends. He frightened me a little. Kai eyed my silk gown and glanced away.
“You approve of the changes?” I asked Jarrod.
He walked over and picked up an engraved pewter goblet. “I do. I wouldn’t know how to buy any of this.” He nodded to Sebastian. “We’ve made a better bargain than I realized.”
Sebastian’s eyes glittered, and Rolf’s face was like thunder.
Right then, Betty and Matilda came in carrying trays of sliced ham, roasted potatoes, peas in cream sauce, and two decanters of wine.
“Shall we sit down?” I suggested.
“A good bargain indeed,” Jarrod said. He looked again to Sebastian. “Now I want a grandson.”
That night Sebastian came to my room with two goblets and a decanter of wine. I’d already had wine with dinner and didn’t want any more. I was in my nightgown. He set the wine on a stand beside the bed and dismissed Miriam. Then he jumped onto the bed, pulled off his boots, and leaned back against the headboard.
“That was the perfect meal,” he said. “Rolf barely managed to choke it down.”
Hesitantly, I asked, “You dislike him so much?”
“Dislike him? By the gods, that’s an understatement. He’s a bully beyond description, and he’s viewed me as nearly useless since the day I was born. So does Father for that matter, all because I don’t see the world as they do.”
“How do you see it?”
“There’s more to life than gaining wealth and power and smiting one’s enemies. A good deal more. But that’s the scope of their world. That’s why Rolf can’t figure out why you chose me.”
I didn’t understand what he meant. My own father cared for little besides wealth, power, and social standing. Isn’t that what most men cared for? What did Sebastian care for?
Seeing my confusion, he patted the bed. “Let’s not talk of such serious things.”
Without hesitation, I went to him. He poured himself a goblet of wine, drank it in several swallows, and then stripped down to a pair of white underdrawers. I’d never seen a man in such a state of undress.
He did all this while still sitting on the bed with me, and something about his actions felt intimate.
I touched the scar on his collarbone. “How did you get that?”
“Rolf caught me with a blade when I was about twelve. I can’t remember what we were fighting over. A horse, I think.”
I tried to imagine him fighting with Rolf as a boy, but I couldn’t see him as anything but a man. It was difficult not to be affected by his appearance, his dark hair and handsome face. His body was lean with tight muscles. I wondered what it would feel like if he touched his mouth to mine.
Putting the goblet aside, he pulled me up against his chest. I trembled once. Would we consummate the marriage tonight?
He kissed the top of my head again. “You’ve had a long day. Get some sleep.”
I knew I should be relieved. Of course I should. But a part of me couldn’t help being confused . . . even disappointed.
Chapter 10
As the weeks passed, I continued trying to become the lady of Volodane Hall.