Mina rolled her eyes; she could feel not only Effie but also Dot’s eyes on her, waiting for her to react. “I’m so glad you’re enjoying the view,” she said with the blandest politeness, hoping Effie would not fly out of her seat at any minute.
The blonde looked annoyed by her mild response, as though she had been hoping to shock her. “Of course,” she persisted. “The fighters would be very riled up after such a set-to. They require certain inducements to calm back down of which you would be entirely ignorant, you poor little thing.” She tapped her chin with one finger. “I remember when I travelled to Spain with my father, how the bull-fighters would send in a cow to calm the most savage bull.”
“I’m sorry,” said Mina sweetly. “Are you actually comparing yourself to a cow in this metaphorical scenario?”
Effie giggled and Dot let out a surprised gurgle of laughter.
Lady Faris gave a high, unconvincing laugh. “I must say, your attitude towards extra-marital encounters is quite refreshingly cosmopolitan for one of your ilk,” she said snidely. “Nye must be eternally grateful of the fact. I doubt very much you know in whose bed he spent the night celebrating or drowning his sorrows.”
Mina set down the milk jug she had just picked up with a thud, but even as she opened her mouth to speak Dottie forestalled her, lowering her knife.
“Every man Jack in that bar heard Nye resolve to take himself off to bed to his wife, at ten o’clock,” she said loudly. “So, there’s no mystery as to whose bed he slept in last night.”
“No one knows as well as I where my husband spent the night,” Mina said calmly, but with a hint of steel in her voice. “You have missed the mark, Lady Faris. I beg you will not embarrass yourself further in front of my guests.”
Amanda Vance’s color was exceedingly high in her cheeks. She gave an irritable shrug of her shoulder. “Oh, well, if you are resolved to be a dead bore over it, there is nothing more to be said.”
“I am not broad-minded and have never claimed to be,” Mina said as if she had not spoken. “My marriage is not a fashionable one,” she said scathingly. “Such as the ones I understand the nobility frequently partake in and neither would I want it to be.” She let that sink in a moment, pausing to see if Lady Faris would make some response, but when she only tossed her head, Mina turned back to her guests. “Is there anything I can get for anyone else. Dot – more kippers?”
“I don’t suppose you’ve any coffee?” Dot asked apologetically. “Only I’ve got in the habit of taking that of a morning rather than tea.”
“Of course!” said Mina, getting out of her chair. “Would anyone like anything?” Lady Faris only turned a cold shoulder and stared out of the window. Dot and Effie both demurred so Mina made her way through to the kitchen where she could hear someone talking in a loud jocular fashion to the accompaniment of boisterous laughter.
She had hoped to escape the tense atmosphere in the parlor for a moment to cool her heated cheeks. She had never felt so tempted to forget she was a lady and could only be grateful that she and Nye had discussed the question of remaining faithful to their marriage vows only that morning so she could answer Lady Faris with perfect composure.
As soon as she stepped over the threshold, the conversation fell quickly away, and she felt several alarmed gazes follow her as she walked to the kitchen range. She wondered what caused their expressions and could only hazard their conversation had not been fit for her ears. “Good morning, gentlemen,” she said in passing to Jeb and the Toome brothers who were stood about in various attitudes of relaxation, their shirts unbuttoned and their necks bare. Through the open door she could see Clem and Nat Jones smoking cigars.
“Morning, Mrs. Nye,” several voices chimed discordantly.
She nodded. “I trust you all slept well.”
“Aye, tolerable well,” said a Toome, she wasn’t sure which.
“Well enough,” concurred the other. “Though my head was fair ringing from the clout I received in the third. Fair cruel it were,” he said sadly and shot a meaning glance at Jeb who grinned.
“You’ll live,” he told him callously, but Mina could see they were all friends in here.
To her relief, she realized the overwhelming aroma in the room was coffee which meant they did have it. She never drank the stuff, but her father had used to be partial to a cup in the morning. She made for the range and poured a large cup for Dot.
Nye cleared his throat. “The boys have clubbed together,” he said. “To pay for us to spend a weekend at a fancy hotel,” he told her. “To celebrate our nuptials.” He scratched the back of his neck and Mina thought he reddened slightly.
“That is very kind of you all,” Mina marveled and meant it. “Only the other day, Nye said he would take me away for just such a weekend.”
“Seems the least we can do,” said Frank cheerfully. At least, Mina thought it was Frank.
“It was Nat’s idea,” admitted Jeb. “But we didn’t mark the occasion last time we were all here, so…”
Nat Jones came in from outside, and Mina noticed he was the only one dressed correctly in cravat and waistcoat. “Dear lady,” he cried. “Allow me to felicitate you. It is too bad of Nye not to have introduced us till now.”
Nye glowered. “This is my wife. Mina, this is Nat Jones who organizes the matches.”
Nat bowed gracefully over Mina’s hand.
“Quite the gent, ain’t he?” said a Toome brother, nudging Mina. “To look at ‘im, you’d never
