Saving Sabine

Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

William Sebastian Aubrey was born a month later, and a month after that, in the middle of April, Sabine, Daniel and Jane all left Ethridge for Nottingham. Two months away from home was truly trying for Sabine. She was ecstatic for Kitty as a new baby was blessing, but it was also two months that she had been away from Connor and Puissant.

She’d received five letters from Connor, and she was able to read them whilst imagining his accent. She’d concealed them safely inside a books and had folded that in between several gowns in her trunk. She hoped that when the maids came to unpack her trunk that they would just place the book on the shelf, it would be rude of them to go through her things.

She and her mother sat opposite her father in the carriage, and Sabine had taken to lying down horizontally as best she could, using her mother’s lap as a pillow. She enjoyed the familiar jostle of the carriage, especially when she knew the final destination.

“Will is a lovely little baby, isn’t he?” her mother commented happily, running her fingers through Sabine’s hair softly. “Emilia and Sebastian are so lucky to be grandparents.”

“Is that a hint, mama?” Sabine said, bending her head back to look at her mother.

“I know Mr Rochester isn’t exactly your cup of tea, but there are plenty of other nice, young gentlemen in town that could give me a grandchild,” Jane encouraged.

Sabine didn’t want to have the same conversation with her parents again so instead she chose to remain silent.

“Janey,” her father groaned. “Sabine can marry who she wants, when she wants.”

Sabine’s eyes widened. Did her father really mean that? Would he really be that understanding? Perhaps she had underestimated him. With a slight smile on her face, Sabine closed her eyes and slept for the remainder of the journey.

When they arrived back at Southerby House, the entire staff had gathered outside to welcome them home. The entire staff. Connor stood with a rigid posture on the end of the line of maids. She smiled subtly at him as she was helped down from the carriage by a footman.

“Welcome back your Lordship, your Ladyship, and Lady Sabine,” Mr Martin said cheerfully as he stood in front of the staff proudly.

“Thank you,” Daniel replied, smiling at their old butler. “Mr Martin, I’ll need the accounts, the mail and some tea sent to my study immediately,” he instructed.

Catching Connor’s eyes, she noticed that he was almost gazing at her. His blond hair had grown even longer, his curls reaching halfway down his Little did he know that she was about to make both of their dreams come true. Seeing him gave her the confidence she needed. She was going to tell her father, and he was going to approve – he’d said she could marry anyone she wanted after all.

She followed her parents into the house calmly rehearsing what she was to say in her head. Her mother and father started up the stairs, so she too hurried up them.

Once on the landing, they walked over to Daniel’s study, not realising that Sabine was following them.

Her mother happened to look behind her and furrowed her brows. “Oh, darling, we would have thought that you’d be in the stables already,” she chuckled. “Did you need something?”

Sabine nodded nervously. Daniel held the door open for his wife and daughter and they both sat down on the settee. Closing the door behind him, Daniel looked at Sabine with a concerned expression. “What is it?”