The Actor and the Earl (19 page)

“No, nor he for her.”

“Still, you accomplished what you wanted to achieve,” said Miriam, tying his roll in place and making him step first into the farthingale and then the skirt.

“Hopefully so. It cannot be said that the Hewel twins have never been seen together at Crofton Hall.” Sebastian stood still as Miriam tied his ruff in place and secured his bodice. “But tonight we have already agreed that we must act as if we have resolved a lover’s quarrel.”

“Oh, I see. His Grace will be flirting with his wife. How refreshing!”

Once his wig was in place and powder and rouge applied, Sebastian left Miriam still laughing to herself about her joke. As he descended the stairs, he saw Anthony, who held out his hand for him to take. “You are a sight for sore eyes,” Anthony said, and added in a whisper, “I do not think my sanity would have survived another evening with your sister.”

There were only six of them for supper. Matthew and Edward were present, and Lord and Lady Sennett. Lord Sennett was in his fifties, a shrewd-looking man with a pointed noise and high cheekbones. His wife, however, was easily twenty years his junior and olive-skinned with dark brown eyes and hair.

The seating at the table was different. Instead of being at the opposite end of the table to Anthony, Matthew was in Bronwyn’s usual place and the setting next to Anthony was free.

Sebastian curtseyed as he was introduced to the couple. “Lord Sennett, my husband has told me you have recently returned from ambassadorial duties in Portugal.”

“A fascinating country,” he replied. “And where I met my Rosa.”

Anthony pushed in Sebastian’s chair as they took their seats, and said, “It does appear that marriage has done you well, Peter.”

“And I can say the same for you, Anthony. I don’t remember seeing you so full of joie de vivre.”

“I have my dear Bronwyn to thank for that.” Anthony caught Sebastian’s hand as he was reaching for his goblet and kissed the back of it. “I never thought I could be so content with life.”

“You are singing a very different tune from when we first met at court. I would hardly recognize you as the man of the stories I heard.”

“What can I say, other than I am a very lucky man.”

Through the courses, Anthony was attentive, even playful at times, frequently touching Sebastian and feeding him. Rosa was also enjoying the attention of her husband, and Matthew and Edward were discussing the benefits of being out of London during the summer months. Peter was a man of many stories and obviously enjoyed an audience. One tale in particular, about how he was chased around a courtyard by a hissing goose, made Sebastian almost spit out his wine.

After a while, Sebastian excused himself, saying he needed something from his room and would be back directly. The others were all happily amused by Lord Sennett’s storytelling, and Sebastian slipped away upstairs. He knocked softly on Bronwyn’s door and let himself in. She was once more dressed in her ordinary clothes, ones more suited to the wife of a blacksmith than the wife of an earl, and had on a long brown traveling cloak.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

“Yes, my trunk was collected earlier. I cannot wait to be out of this house.”

“I wish you had got along better with Anthony. I had hoped you would visit again.”

She sighed. “The problem Anthony has with me is that I am not you, Sebastian. And my problem with him is that he has you trapped here.”

“It is not like that.”

“Yes, it is.” She looked him up and down, and Sebastian realized it was the first time she would have seen him dressed as Bronwyn. “Good lord, that is most disturbing. I know I am not a genteel woman, but do I really look so plain?”

“Cousin Claire says I am prettier than you.”

Bronwyn punched his arm. “She’s a little witch! Although she is probably right,” she added ruefully.

“You should go. The carriage is waiting.”

Bronwyn pulled the hood of the cloak up over her head. “Despite everything, it has been good to see you, Sebastian. Please let us not leave so long a time between seeing each other again.”

He hugged her warmly. “I will come down to Kent. After all, I need to meet the man who has taken you on as a wife.”

Sebastian led Bronwyn out of the hall, taking the back stairwell to the rear of the building. The carriage was waiting, and so, with one final embrace, he helped her aboard. The carriage trundled away, and Sebastian turned to go inside, back to their guests.

Chapter 16

H
IS
confidence on horseback now returned, Sebastian was eager to join Anthony on his next hunt.

“Have you hunted before?” asked Anthony, when Sebastian broached the topic.

“No, but I can ride a horse and fire a bow.”

Anthony did not look convinced. “But not necessarily at the same time.”

“I’m not really that interested in killing anything, but I’d love to come along for the experience.”

“I can see that you won’t give up until I agree, so very well.” Anthony gave a resigned sigh. “But you’ll need to pick a different horse. Star is far too timid for hunting.”

Sebastian hugged him, Anthony returning the embrace with one arm. “Which horse do you suggest?”

“Titan. He’s a bit sedate, and his top speed is nowhere near Star’s, but he’ll be perfect for your first time hunting.”

The next hunt was scheduled for two days later, and Sebastian was more excited than he thought he had any right to be. The morning of the hunt found him at the stables well before Anthony. He fed Star a carrot, patting her nose and promising to take her out later, and asked the groom to direct him to Titan.

The groom led out the horse. He was a couple of hands taller than Star and pure black. Sebastian took the reins while the saddle was fitted, and stroked Titan’s nose. Titan didn’t fuss in the slightest as Sebastian mounted, and moved over of his own accord when Anthony arrived and his horse, Zeus, was brought out.

“So what do you make of Titan?” asked Anthony as he stepped into the stirrup and mounted his horse.

“So far, so good.”

Anthony nudged Zeus with his heels. “Come on. We need to join the others on the edge of the woodland.”

Titan plodded after Zeus, and it took a bit of persuasion for Sebastian to get him to walk side by side with Zeus, but they made their way down the tracks, and Sebastian could already hear dogs in the distance. “Is this a big hunt?” he asked.

“Reasonably big. The weather’s pretty good, and the foliage is beginning to thin out, so we should be successful.”

There were a few familiar faces in the party—Edward, Matthew, and Simon Bresner among them—but there were many more Sebastian did not recognize. Each man was dressed in their finest hunting gear, and most of it looked new. Their horses were bred for speed and hunting, their weapons well cared for and ready to use, and the spectacle reminded Sebastian of being back at court with everyone preening and on show.

A cry went up from the front of the hunt. “Stay near the back,” said Anthony. “Don’t do anything stupid.”

The dogs raced off, horses and riders close behind, and they headed into the forest. Sebastian was happy to follow Anthony’s orders, sticking to the back of the pack. He hadn’t even bothered picking a bow, content to watch the hunt unfold. The dogs were barking excitedly, and there was a surge, and the hunt began to move. Picking up speed, Sebastian thought he caught sight of a deer up ahead, and urged Titan on, but his horse was setting his own speed, and it seemed he had no intention of going faster than a trot.

By the time Sebastian arrived in the clearing, the deer had already been shot, and two servants were binding the creature’s legs to make it easier to transport back to the hall. The dogs were being rounded up, ready to be sent out again, and Anthony was surrounded by several men, all congratulating him on his excellent aim.

Sebastian didn’t have time to catch up with Anthony before the hunt was on again, the dogs picking up another scent and bounding off into the trees. The hunting horn rang out, marking their charge, and again Sebastian found himself at the back of the group, and happy to watch at a distance.

Titan stumbled, jarring Sebastian in the saddle, but he managed to keep seated. But something was definitely wrong. With a distressed whinny, Titan reared onto his hind legs. Sebastian clung on, but whatever had upset the horse had not passed. Titan bucked and reared again and again, eventually throwing Sebastian.

Sebastian cried out as he flew backward, and the wind was knocked out of him, but he didn’t notice the pain and the blood as he quickly descended into unconsciousness.

H
IS
head throbbed painfully. Sebastian opened his eyes, but the brightness hurt, sending fiery bolts of agony into his skull, and he moaned in response, screwing shut his eyelids.

“He’s awake.” Anthony’s voice sounded taut and worried.

“Let me through,” said another voice Sebastian couldn’t place.

A hand was pressed to his head, and one of his eyes prized open. Sebastian flailed an arm in the direction of the annoyance. “Get off,” he slurred, and lapsed back into sleep.

T
HE
next time Sebastian woke, wherever he was it was dark, and his head, though still aching, was nowhere near as painful as before. He realized he was in a bed, and thankfully no longer on the damp floor of the forest. Sebastian wiggled his fingers and toes experimentally, trying to make sure he hadn’t broken anything, and although he felt like one large bruise, no part of his body refused his command to move. At that, he tried to sit up, but a hand pressed him down. A candle was lit, and the small patch of light illuminated Anthony’s concerned face. “Stay lying down,” he said, a whispered order.

“What happened?” Sebastian asked, ignoring Anthony and struggling to sit up.

“You were thrown by a horse.”

From the little light the candle emitted, Sebastian could tell he wasn’t in either of his rooms at Crofton Hall. “And where am I?”

“Highdall House. Matthew insisted we bring you here, as we were closer to his home than the hall.”

Anthony sat next to him on the bed and stroked Sebastian’s hair, his thumb catching a cut on the back Sebastian’s head. Sebastian hissed at the sharp pain, and Anthony snatched his hand away. “Sorry.”

“I thought you said Titan was sedate,” Sebastian said, fighting back a wave of nausea.

“We found the trampled remains of an adder; it looks as if it bit him.”

“That explains it.” Sebastian rubbed his hands over his face to try and wipe away the tiredness.

Anthony took his hand and laced their fingers together. “I’m not ashamed to admit that you have worried me greatly.”

“You need not. I am sure after a good night’s sleep I will be fine.”

“You’ve been asleep for three days, Sebastian. I doubt another night will deliver a miracle.”

“Three days?”

Anthony squeezed his hand. “When we found you, I thought you were dead.”

Seeing the distress on Anthony’s face, Sebastian reached forward, and with his other hand, cupped Anthony’s jaw. “Honestly, I am a little battered and bruised, and I have a few aches and pains, but I am far from dead, and nowhere near dying.”

“You were so pale, and not moving—only Matthew restraining me stopped me from making it very obvious that I care more for you than I should for my brother-in-law.”

“Then we should be grateful that he is a good friend. But I don’t remember anything after Titan threw me.”

Anthony nuzzled into Sebastian’s hand. “We’d caught the second deer, and were about to break out some refreshment in the clearing we had found, when I noticed you weren’t with the rest of the hunt. At first I thought that Titan was taking his time, but after a while I began to get worried. A few of the huntsmen went back into the forest, and a yell went up. By the time I got there, you were surrounded, and I tried to go to you, but Matthew made me hold back.” He cleared his throat and continued, “You weren’t moving. Matthew told Edward to keep me in check, and then he took over and ordered you brought back here.”

“And I’ve been here three days?”

Anthony nodded. “The physician said there was little he could do, and we needed to wait for you to wake up. He bathed your head wound in vinegar and made a poultice of herbs to lie on your brow.”

“At least he didn’t bleed me,” said Sebastian in disgust.

“He said he would try that if you did not wake in a few days.”

“Bloody charlatans—I swear they do more harm than good.”

Anthony gently pushed Sebastian backward so he was lying down. “I am glad that it appears no serious ill has come to you. Now sleep, and if in the morning you are more recovered, I will have a carriage sent to bring you home.”

For once Sebastian didn’t argue, and fell back to sleep as Anthony stroked his hair.

I
T
WAS
on shaky legs that Sebastian got out of bed with both Matthew and Anthony looking on, not disguising their concern. He’d already told them that he had no intention of spending another day bedbound, and they could help him to return to Crofton Hall or he would do so under his own steam.