Lords of Honor (12 page)

“If you don’t mind my asking
, Micah,
did you love her?” she
asked softly
.
Then blushed, realizing just how impertinent her question was
.
Did he still love her?
So much that he could never love another?

“
Yes, Libby
.
I did love Lucy
.
I don’t think about her much anymore
.
Not like
I did
in the beginning
.
Right after I lost her, I was devastated
.
But I decided rather recently that it is time to move on
.
I want
to marry again
.
I want to love and be loved
.”
His eyes met Libby’s
.
He was already entranced by her beauty
.
He f
ound her personality endearing
, a
dmired her honesty, a
nd he desired her
.
He suspected he
could
easily fall in love with this woman.

“Oh.” Libby
turned her head
away
.
She realized she
was
star
ing
at Micah’s
handsome
face
and into his
warm,
silvery
gr
a
y
eyes
.
She
found herself
so attracted to him
.
“I don’t suppose I’ll find love in a quickly arranged marriage
.”
She shrugged
then s
ighed
.
“
I worry that a husband would not be happy with me for a wife
.
Aunt Priscilla says I’m a wild hoyden because I ride
along Hartland Quay
every morning and when I come back my hair has fallen out of its pins
.
But my hair is so heavy it always falls from its pins
.
She says Owen gives me far too much freedom
.
S
he does not like my bookishne
ss
or
my
spend
ing
time with Owen and Charlie wh
ile
they research
.
They let me help them
.”
She frowned again
.

“
I’m worried that I shall have to marry a man who will try to change me and not let me be myself
, one
w
ho
might
try to control me
.
I do not think I could be happy with someone trying to control me
, Micah
.”
She shook her head, sending sable silk
settling
about her shoulders.

She continued, “
According to Aunt Priscilla it is I who controlled Father and Owen, though I think that is not true
.
I think they both just let me be myself
.
There were plenty of times father did not allow me to do something, and the same
with
Owen.
I have never done anything untoward
.
I am well respected among our local society
.
I would die if I married someone who made me live in London
.
I could not
see myself
living
in Town
.
Do you like London, Micah?”

“No, I do not
much care for
London
.
Y
ou have beautiful hair,
especially when it is down
.
I agree that Owen and your father just allowed you to be yourself
for you do not act spoiled
at
all
, and I agree you should not have to marry a man who tries to change or control you,” Micah said
,
amuse
ment lighting his
features
.
He smiled at her.

Libby laughed
.
“Ah,
” she sighed, “
Aunt Priscilla says that another one of my faults is that I just say whatever comes to mind
.
I guess she’s
correct on that point
.”
Libby
giggled softly
and rolled her eyes
as she took another nibble of apple.

Her
laugh
ter
sounded beautiful
to Micah’s ears
.
He tried to recall Lucy ever laughing and he could not
.
“I like it that you say whatever comes to mind, Libby
.
It’s called honesty
.
Don’t ever change that.”

“I do not think I could
.”
She shook her head and
exhaled
heavily
as if it were a problem.

Micah
chu
ckled then grew serious
.
“Libby, I know you are worried about having to marry, and all the things that could go wrong for you in that situation
.
I would like to ease your mind, if you would allow me to.”

“How
?
Please do, Micah
.
I should like to not worry about it
.
It is rather frightening to think about.”

“If you decide whom you wish to marry before
you see Owen
, then you
will
not be forced to marry someone you don’t want to
.”
He knew full well Owen would expect him to marry Libby in any case
.
Micah, himself, now expected to marry Libby.

“I don’t know anyone whom I would want to marry, save maybe you, because you at least agree with me and understand how I feel
.
And I’ve always-“ Libby stopped
herself
. She
blushed crimson. Q
uickly
, she
thought of something
else
to say
aside from
admitting her attraction to him
.
“I’ve always enjoyed your company, Micah
.
But you should not have to marry
me
.
You saved me
!
You are the hero
in
this s
ituation
.
I am the unfortunate ruined maide
n
.
Who isn’t even truly ruined, o
nly my reputation is.”

Micah drew up his long legs and moved to sit cross-leg
ged before her
.
He reached out and
caressed her cheek
.
“It is not a matter of
having
to marry you Libby
.
I
want
to marry you
.
I think we suit very well
.
From the time we’ve spent together in Devon
and Cornwall
it
seem
s
we share
the same views on
many
things
.
W
e have interests in common
.
I will not try to control you
.
You may carry on
as if
you
were still living your
comfortable life of spinsterhood, with the exception
that
you’ll be
my wife, of course
.
” He grinned at her
.
“
You may ride
.
Y
ou may do the same things you do at your home
at
our
home,
Horethorne Hall
.
You will be my wife, and my equal, Libby
.
I think there is a very good chance we may
even
fall in love
.”
His hand
moved to rest
lightly
upon
her arm.

The corners of his mouth turned up
ward in a smile
.
“And if your hair falls out of its pins, it falls out
of its pins
.
I love your hair,
by the way
.”
He reached out to caress strands of the sable silk in his fingers
.
“
I will spend my life trying to make you happy
.
Will you marry me, Libby
?
W
e can tell Owen
that
we
simply
wish to be married, and you shall not be forced
.”
It was expected of
him
in this situation
,
in any case
.

Micah
preferred
Libby choose to marry
him
than feel forced
to do so
.
H
e did not feel forced
.
He wanted her
as his wife
.
He
didn’t
realize how much until that moment
.
“In all truth, Libby, I found myself very attracted to you during my last several visits to Devon, and I plann
ed
to visit you in the next few weeks to find out if you were attracted to me
.
I
hop
ed
to gain permission
from you and Owen
to court you
.
I’ve found myself wishing to marry again lately, and you were the only woman I could imagine taking to wife
.
Y
ou’re the only woman I’ve been attracted
to in all these years
.
”
Micah then added
softly
, “I found myself thinking of you quite often
recently
.”

Libby flashed him a bright
smile
.
“
Truly
?
I’ve been attracted to you too, Micah
.
For some time,” she admitted with a blush, “
But Owen always said you would never marry again
.”
She grinned
happily
then asked, “
And would you take me
with you
on your Avalon Society trips?”

“
Of course
, i
f they are not
too
dangerous
.
I can assure you that almost every time I leave Horethorne Hall you will be with me
.
You
will be
my wife, Libby
.
We shall travel together
.
Have you been to Rome?”

“No.”

“I will take you
.
Paris?”

“No
!
I’ve always wanted to see Paris
.
I’ve never been anywhere except England, Scotland and Cornwall.”

“Cornwall is in E
ngland, Libby,
”
he teased her
.
His eyes twinkled
.
He was certain
she knew better
.
He
was a guest
at Menadue
, the home of Trevan Chynoweth in
Bodmin
,
a few times
when Owen brought
Libby
along
.

“Not according to Trevan Chynoweth
,
the Duke of Penrose
, it’s not
.
He says
Cornwall is
his and they are a country unto themselves!
”
Libby giggled, a broad smile lighting her face.

Micah
laughed
.
“
T
rue
, Libby, h
e does say that.
”

“May I go to Cornwall with you in September
?
Owen already told me I could
go with him
and Charlie
,
” s
he
asked
with an
expectant
smile
.