Lords of Honor (23 page)

Owen nodded
.
He looked into Micah’s eyes.
“Do you love her
, Micah
?”
he asked softly.

“I think so
, Owen
.
” Micah nodded
.
“
I know I’m well on my way there
.
I care for her very deeply
.
If I am not now in love with her, I am certain I will be soon
.
I haven’t had much time to contemplate the depth of my feelings for her…
”

Owen sighed
and finished Micah’s sentence for him,
“
Because you’ve been protecting her
and caring for her
.
Thank you
,
Micah
.
Thank you for being there for my sister
.
Yes, you may marry her
.
I can think of no better man to be her husband
.
But you will understand if I wish to
speak
with
her first.”

“Of course, I understand perfectly
.
I’ll send her in,
”
Micah turned and left, he could not suppress the grin he knew to be on his face
.
Owen
gave him his
blessing to marry Libby
!

“Owen wishes
to speak with you
Libby
.”
Micah
said softly, as he came to stand beside Libby
.

Libby
turned to him with a worried look
marring her beautiful features
.
Micah winked at her.
“Go
in
.
Everything is
fine
,
”
he whispered.

Libby
sighed in
relief
.
She flashed
Micah a
quick
smile and
entered the bedroom
to talk to her brother.

“Yes, Owen?”

“Libby, Micah told me he proposed to you.”

She smiled
brightly as she n
odded
.
“Yes.”

“Do you want to marry him, Libby?”

“Yes
,
I do
.
We get along together very well
.
I like him very much, Owen
.
We talk about everything
.
We laugh a great deal
.
He treats me very well
.
I was ill, Owen
.
I could do nothing for myself, not even walk
.
He took care of me
.
But I never felt uncomfortable or
that
I was
a burden
to him
.
He makes me feel special
.
And he says he will never try to control me when we are married
.
That I ca
n be myself just like when I am
at Roseland with you
.
I have been attracted to Micah for a long while now, Owen
.
You and Charlie always told me h
e would never marry again
.
I never thought to pursue my interest in him because of that
.
Micah told me he
planned to visit us in
Devon
soon
specifically to see if I had
feelings for
him
, f
or he
was certain he d
oes
for
me.
”

Owen
grinned
.
It seemed a very fine match for both Micah and Libby
.
So Micah Wychcombe planned to spoil his baby sister rotten
.
Just
as
he had
!
He would never have to worry about his sister being mistreated
.
Micah was one of the wealthiest of the Avalon Society members, so she would be well provided for. It was clear to Owen
they both cared for one another.
H
e suspected
they were possibly already in love
, though they might not
yet
know it
.

Owen w
alked to his sister and
embraced her
.
“Then you shall marry him, Libby
.”
Owen
smiled and
hugged his sister tightly to him
.
He k
issed her
forehead
.
“I was so worried about you,
pet
.
Thank God you recognized Wincanton and he took you from those men.”

“I was worried too, Owen
, u
ntil
I recognized Micah
.
He told me everything would be fine
.
And it is.
”

“Send him back in, would you
?”
Owen asked her.

“
Owen?”

Owen grinned
when Micah returned
.
“I feel very
comfortable that my sister shall be marrying you,
Micah
.
She seems very happy
.
I just wanted you to know that
.
I just want to thank you again
, f
or everything you have done for her.”

“You’re welcome
, b
ut I did it all for her, Owen.”

“I
know
.
I’m a fortunate
man to know my sister
will have you for a husband
.”

“Can we marry quickly, Owen
?
I sent a message to Newt in London and asked him to procure a special license for myself and Libby to marry
.
I
am hoping we can marry once we arrive in Templecombe
.
Would this be acceptable to you
?”

“Under the circumstances, a quick wedding is best, I think
.
She has been gone
from Roseland Abbey
since
Monday
.”

Micah sighed in relief
.
“
Good
, t
he sooner the better.”

“We’re not going to talk about
why
you
want a quick wedding again
.”
Owen shook a finger at him
.
“I cannot even think about that
.
I w
ill not picture my baby sister…”

Micah grinned
and held up his hand
s
.
“Understood
, Owen
.
I apologize for
my remark
.
”

“Sleeping arrangements will have to change now that there are more here,” Owen said matter-of-factly
.

“I guessed as much.”
Micah nodded.

“
I shall put Sinclair and Charlie in rooms across or next to this one
.
We’ll have two
cots
or beds
brought in
to the
parlour
of your
room
.
I shall sleep in one
.
You will still sleep
here
in th
is
room with
Libby
.
For her protection
!
I do not feel comfortable allowing her
anywhere
by herself
.
But no one else shall know
, save you and I
.
T
wo of us
need to be in these rooms with her at all times
.
After she was taken from Roseland Abbey
,
from right under my
own
nose
-
if I can’t see her
and you can’t see her
, she’s not safe.”

“
I agree
.
Thank you, Owen.”

“I appreciate you being honest with me, Micah
.
Let’s get into the sitting room
.
We have to come up with a plan to get us all out of Salisbury and to Templecombe safely
.
I would have us return to Roselan
d Abbey for the wedding, but
it
is
a
much further
j
ourney
.
Charlie tells me you need t
o get to Horethorne Hall for three
of the scrolls are in your possession.”

“Yes
.
Well hidden
,
I hope
.
But I need to finish interpreting them
.
How is your Greek, by the way?”

“Mine is fair
.
But Libby’s is better.”

“Libby knows Greek?” Micah grinned
in amazement
.
She
truly
was t
he perfect woman to be his wife!
“What else did you teach her?”
he asked eagerly.

“Latin
and
Astronomy
for starters
.
She is adept at history, science, and she has also studied the Egyptian history and culture
.
That is one of her passions
, a
s is the Arthurian
.
Also
she’s partial to
studying
the Cathars
, along with the
Templars
.
She
has a keen interest
in the paranormal as well
.
Libby is quite a scholar
.
Actually,
Micah,
she truly
is the perfect woman to be your
wife
.”
Owen grinned at him.

Micah
nodded, smiling
with appreciation and admiration for his
future bride
.
“I believe so.”

Mrs. Bingington, the modiste, arrived with several
young women
carrying boxes
and some fabric
.
Micah sent them
on
to the bedroom
.

“Mr. Banfield said you w
ished for some items right away
my Lord,
”
Mrs. Bingington spoke to Micah.

“Yes
.
T
he rest can be sent to Horethorne Hall in Templ
e
combe
when you are finished with them
.
I would like for her to have at least two day gowns,
and
two
evening gown
s to take wi
th us
when we leave
tomorrow
morning
.
Nightgowns, wrappers, everything she would need
.
But
quadruple t
hat for the total order
.
She will need enough of a wardrobe to hold her until her own clothes can be brought from Devon
.
My lady requires w
alking dresses and a
riding habit also
, please
.”
Micah
regarded
Libby
, who stood
beside him
.
He smiled at her
.
“
She needs everything to go with them as well
,
down t
o
the undergarments
.
Can you see the
milliner and shoemaker send matching items
for her
as well
.
Oh, she needs gloves
also
.
”