After he left, Kai asked Sebastian, “What are you doing?”
Sebastian waved one hand. “There’s no sense in either one of us trying to fill Rolf’s boots when it comes to the land. Father never taught us a thing. I was his great disappointment and you were his golden boy in a fighting ring. Trust me, this Ethan Porter knows what he’s about. He’s handled several estates. I looked into his references.”
“You did this without even talking to me?”
“I assumed you’d agree,” Sebastian answered, but there was an edge in his voice. He didn’t like being questioned. “Oh, and I’m cutting taxes in half, possibly more. We’ve enough money to live three lifetimes. The silver mines alone have made us wealthy. I want to give the people here a better life. I’m also going to lift the ban on fishing and hunting.”
“Of course, you’re right there,” Kai agreed, “but I don’t like the idea of hiring a land manager. That’s our place.”
The edge in Sebastian’s voice grew sharper. “We’ll give it a try.”
Several days later, Ethan Porter moved into a guest room. I saw very little of him, but he rode out every day to oversee the people, crops, and lands of the Volodanes. Sebastian conferred with him almost every night after dinner.
My father didn’t respond to my letter about Allemond Monvílle, but Kai continued to ask if he had.
A week after Ethan’s arrival, Sebastian announced we were having a house party. To me, this seemed much too soon following the deaths of Rolf and Jarrod, but what could I say?
“Who is coming?” I asked. “Do you have a guest list so I can send the invitations?”
“I’ve already done that. These are friends of mine from Rennes.”
Apparently, the family owned a house in the city of Rennes, and Sebastian enjoyed spending time there when possible. But I was taken aback that he’d sent out the invitations. Only the lady of the house sent out invitations for a formal house party.
I soon realized this would not be like any house party I’d ever seen.
As opposed to planning menus, Sebastian wanted great quantities of food prepared that could be laid out on tables. We ordered hams and cheeses. He told Ester to be prepared to make numerous fruit trays. He wanted a variety of breads, cakes, and tarts baked, so many that I joined in to help in the kitchen. Cora and Ester were somewhat discomfited at the sight of me in an apron with my sleeves rolled up, but then they welcomed my help. I was no cook, but I could peel and cut up apples and roll pastry.
When Miriam saw this, she joined in too, and we both rather enjoyed ourselves. I always preferred to be occupied with something useful.
Sebastian ordered casks and casks of wine and ale.
When the guests began arriving, my confusion grew. I didn’t know anyone, and none of them were from among the noble families. Most were in their early to late twenties. They laughed and spoke loudly and embraced Sebastian like old friends. They didn’t seem quite sure what to say to me. I felt the same.
“Who are they?” I asked.
“I told you, friends of mine from Rennes,” he answered. “Normally, I’d go to see them, but now they can come here. It’s wonderful, isn’t it?”
He was so happy that I tried to smile and agree.
A few hours later, a group of musicians arrived, and he told me I’d need to find rooms for them. I ended up housing them in the barracks.
That night, Betty and Matilda piled the table in the great hall with food. Casks of wine lined one wall. People in brightly colored clothing flocked in to eat and drink, but few of them sat down.
The musicians began to play.
Card and dice games spontaneously appeared, with a good deal of money exchanging hands. People danced and ate and drank and laughed. Sebastian laughed and danced along with them, and he was clearly the lord of the hall.
Kai and I were at odds among this company. He liked a card game at home, but he wasn’t a gambler. He wasn’t much for dancing with strangers, and he rarely drank more than a single goblet of wine or cup of ale.
As the hour grew late, the sounds grew more raucous, with people chasing each other, squealing with laughter. The spaniels who lived in here were either overexcited or frightened, and I decided we’d need to relocate them tomorrow.
Betty and Matilda worked hard to clean up dirty dishes and spilled wine, but I finally decided to find Sebastian and ask him if they could go to bed and see to the mess in the morning. Looking around, I didn’t see him and tried to press pass some of the people dancing. As I neared the far end of the hall, I spotted him talking with a blond man in a burgundy tunic. I recognized the tunic because I’d made it for Sebastian.
As the man turned, I stopped.
It was Daveed, wearing Sebastian’s clothing. The burgundy made his blue eyes glow.
He spotted me in the same moment and had the good taste to look abashed. What was one our house guards doing in Sebastian’s clothes? My husband had a goblet of wine in his hand, and I knew he’d already had too much to drink.
Walking up, I ignored Daveed. “I’m going to send Betty and Matilda to bed. It’s nearly midnight, and they’ll need to be up early to help Ester and Cora start breakfast.” There was so much noise around us that I had to speak up.
“By all means,” Sebastian slurred. He was drunk . . . but he also looked happier than I’d ever seen him.
“If you don’t mind,” I added, “I think I’ll go up too.”
It was the height of poor manners for the hostess to leave her own gathering, but I didn’t think anyone here would notice.
“Of course,” he said. “Don’t wait up for me. I may be late.” He appeared almost relieved.
With a nod, I headed straight for Kai. He stood by himself near a card table, pretending to sip at a goblet.
“I’m going to excuse Betty and Matilda,” I said, hoping he could hear me over the din, “and then go up to bed myself.”
His eyes filled with hope. “Is that allowed? Can I leave too?”
“Yes.”
We gathered Betty and Matilda, and the four of us fled the hall, said good night to each other and hurried to our respective rooms. I’d long since sent Miriam to bed, but I managed to unlace myself and step out of my gown.
Exhausted and troubled, I crawled under the covers. It took a while until I slept. Since my arrival here, I’d never gone to sleep without Sebastian.
The following morning, I woke up alone.
Miriam arrived soon after, and she dressed me for the day. Neither of us said much, but I caught her eye in the mirror and asked, “Have you been downstairs?”
She shook her head.
Together, we left the room and made our way down.
The great hall was in a shamble and several of our guests had passed out on the floor near the hearth. I called in a few guards to help take them to their rooms. The poor spaniels were sleeping in a pile in the far corner. Betty and Matilda arrived soon after, and we began the clean up.