Lords of Honor (13 page)

“I insist you join me, Libby.” He took her hand in his
and smiled
back at her
as
h
e
gently
caressed her fingers.

“May I help you research?”

“Absolutely
,
I would welcome your help
.”
He nodded
.
“What else do
you
want to know before you say yes, that you will marry me
, Libby
?
What other declarations will you have from me?”

“Do you have a large library?”

He
chuckled
.
“Oh yes, mine is very large, I am quite certain you will approve
.”
He paused.
He wasn’t
certain
, but he thought what he just said came out wrong
somehow
.
He quickly added, “Of my library
.
And you may add to it as you
wish
.”
He
placed a quick kiss to the back of her hand.

“Then I suppose the only other things I would require
are
a proposal and a kiss
.
If I am to be viewed as a fallen woman, I should at least like to
be
kissed
.
I have never been kissed
before
.”

“Never kissed
, Libby
?”
Micah asked softly.

“No
.”
Libby shook her head.

“We shall have to remedy that
.”

Micah
smiled as he
gazed
into her sapphire eyes
.
H
is expression grew serious
.
“Lady Elizabeth,
my dearest
Libby
, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

Libby
returned his smile
.
Her eyes became
teary momentarily
.
The only man she ever dreamed of marrying just
asked her to be his wife
.
Libby
knew how well suited
she and Micah
were for one another
.
There truly was nothing for her to think about
.
She smiled brightly
.
“Yes, Micah,
Lord Wincanton, I shall allow you the honor of being my husband.”

Micah laughed
.
He
brought her palm to his lips
this time
.
He
grinned at her
as he winked
.
“Thank you for
allowing me to be
come
your husband,
Libby.”

She
grinned
back
then grew serious
.
She reached out, smoothed an errant lock of dark brown hair from his forehead
.
“I would be so honored and happy to become your wife
, Micah
.”

Micah dipped his head
.
He f
eathered his lips against hers
at first
then
covered her lips
fully
. He
gently deepened the kiss
.
He b
egan to probe the sweetness of her mouth with his
tongue
.
She tasted of apple. Her lips were soft
, h
er mouth warm
and y
ie
lding
.
He inhaled her lilac scent
.
Tentatively, she returned
his
kiss
.
She began to match
the movements of his tongue
.
His hands moved to
cradle
her face
.
Her hands moved to his
arms
.

Libby thought
Micah
’s kiss to be
heavenly
.
She felt warmth surge through her
.
She l
oved the feel of his lips on hers
.
They were tender and warm
.
She l
iked the way his tongue sought hers
.

When
Micah
realized he could lose himself in her sweet kiss, he
lifted his head
.
He would not
allow
things
to
go further than kisses between them
.
He would not have it said he took advantage of her in their situation
.
He
smiled
as he looked into her eyes
.
“You have been proposed to and kissed, my Lady
.”
He wanted to kiss her again, more deeply and more thoroughly, yet he drew back
.
He didn’t want to frighten her
.
And he did not trust himself at the moment to just kiss her
.
Images of
all the things
he wished to do to
Libby
continued to
barrage his suddenly
over
active imagination
.

“Yes, I have
, my Lord
.”
Libby’s eyes sparkled
.
“I
like kissing you, Micah
.
It is
very nice.”

“
M
mm
.
I
like kissing you too
, Libby
.
Kissing you
is
especially nice
.”
Too nice. She tasted too
damn
good
.
He changed the subject
.
“
Now
, y
ou must
sip
more water
;
perhaps e
at another sliver of apple
.
The rain has let up a bit
.
Mayhap it will stop
and we can get to Salisbury
soon
.
I would feel better if
I could provide you
a proper bed to rest upon
and
decent food
to eat
.”
He offered her the cup after taking a drink himself.

“Yes
.
I will
try another slice of apple
.
I do hope we can get to Salisbury as well
.
I would love a bath.”

While she sipped the water, h
e moved from the bed and retrieved a
sliver
of apple from the table
.
He offered it to her
.
He chewed on a piece of it as well.

“Thank you, Micah.”

He leaned up against the headboard while she finished her apple
.
They talked about some recent Avalon Society acquisitions for a time
.
The rain picked up again
.
Libby
began looking
pale
.
Micah
urged her to lie down
.
“You need to rest a bit, sweetheart
.
I want you feeling your best if we do get a chance to go to Salisbury today.”

Libby nodded her consent
.
She realized
she
felt
a bit tired
.
She slid between the blankets
as Micah held the top one
up for her
.
He lay down beside her
.
He gently p
laced her head on his shoulder as
he
pulled her against him
.
His arms around her, t
hey faced one another, smiling, touching and exchanging soft
, sweet
kisses
.
His hand gently massaged her arm, her back, her shoulder
.
He drew her closer
, despite his awakening desire
.

Libby nestled her head beneath his chin
.
Her hands rested against his chest
.
She fell asleep listening to the sound of Micah’s deep, even breathing.

Micah was sleepy now
.
The rain continued
.
He thought he might take a short nap
.
With his free hand he removed his spectacles and set them on the table
.
Unable to sleep, h
e liste
ned to the rain
and
for
any
sounds of movement outside
the cottage
.
He r
easoned in daylight, Libby’s kidnappers might be searching for them despite the
weather
.
He tried to stay awake
.
He
feared
he’d sleep too long and miss the opportunity
to get Libby to Salisbury if it did stop raining
.
But lying with the lovely Libby in his arms, snuggled against her warm, soft body,
feeling relaxed and happy,
he
did
f
a
ll asleep.

He opened his eyes
and s
aw
weak
sunlight
filtering
in through the shabby, thin curtains
hanging
over the window
.
He hear
d
no rain
.
He eased his arm and shoulder from beneath the sleeping Libby
.
He put on his spectacles and rose from the bed
.
He slipped
his watch from his waistcoat
.
It was two o’clock
.
If it didn’t
appear more
rain was coming, he would have time to get Libby to Salisbury
before nightfall
!

He pulled
on
his b
oots and went outside
.
He
regarded the clearing sky toward Salisbury
.
The rain must have recently stopped,
and
the storm
passed to the east,
for it
still
appeared dark
with
rain heavy
clouds in the direction they traveled from last night
.
All the more reason to
leave now
!
If the Brown Coats were still waiting for the rain to pass and were behind them, it would be safer for
him and Libby
to leave for Salisbury now
.
He decided they
needed to
make a
break
for
Salisbury
immediately
.

He quickly
donned
his waistcoat and coat
.
He returned
his pistol
to the pocket inside his coat
.

“Libby, sweetheart
?”
He shook her shoulder gently.

“Um
m
?
Yes
?”

Libby stretched
.
She o
pened her eyes
and immediately s
miled when she
gazed upon him
.
Micah could have melted
.
She w
as so beautiful
.
And her smile
!
Her smile was like heaven to him
.
He smiled back at her and stroked her hair
.
“Sweetheart, the rain has stopped
.
I think we can make it to Salisbury
.
Let me help you sit up
.
Unless you feel absolutely too ill to sit
up
on the horse, I want us to try and make it
.
You won’t feel better until we can get you some food.”