Tabitha's Guardian (7 page)

“Is that a compliment?” She looked at him
quizzically.

“Most definitely.”

“Sir, Madam, the pilot has requested that I
tell you takeoff is imminent. I will implement the locks on your
safety harnesses now, and then seat myself. If you have need of
anything, please use the call light.”

“Thank you, Ushman.” Owen promptly replied,
and then he turned his attention to his bride. “Does this frighten
you, Tabby?”

“A little,” she confessed. “I have only done
this once before, when I was but a child. Daddy had to travel for
business and he asked Mama and me to accompany him. I sat on Mama’s
lap,” she admitted, smiling as she recalled the incident.

“I will hold your hand,” Owen said as he
proceeded to take her hand in his. The aircraft began its ascent,
and it was not long before the locks were released on their safety
harnesses. Ushman returned with chilled fluff, a combination of
wine and fruit juice, and a tray of cheese, crackers and fruit.

“I will have a late night offering for you
shortly,” the man promised before walking away.

“Goodness, I do not recall such amenities
when flying as a child.”

“I should hope not,” he answered, chuckling
with good humor. “This is a special honeymoon flight that I booked
as soon as I knew the date of our wedding. Besides, fluff is not
for children,” he teased.

“It is very good. Thank you for making this
flight so special.” Shyly she looked at him, wondering how he
managed to afford such luxuries.

“I wanted to pamper you today, wife.”

“I feel very pampered,” she admitted as
Ushman brought their late supper. It contained rare delicacies, and
a couple of Tabitha’s favorite dishes. “Oh, this looks wonderful,
Ushman. Thank you so much!”

“It is my pleasure, madam,” the young man
replied with a smile. “I will return shortly with dessert.”

“I am not sure I will be able to handle
dessert after all of this!”

“I warn you now, wife, I expect you to clear
your plate!”

“I warn you now, husband, that you may
regret your direction!” she returned with a laugh for his
teasing.

The food was truly amazing, as was the
dessert. The best part of all, by the time they finished eating and
having a sweet drink, it was time to land. “We are here already?”
Tabitha asked, genuinely surprised that they were about to land.
The locks fastened on their safety harnesses, and within a few
seconds they were on the ground. Ushman released the locks on their
harnesses, permitting them to move. He grabbed their luggage and
escorted them to a waiting vehicle.

“I hope you both enjoy your time on the
island,” he said with a smile and then hurried back on the aircraft
to get busy with his preparations for the next trip.

Their driver held the door for them, and
quickly drove them to their destination, all of which was still a
secret for Tabitha. Owen told them the wedding trip was to be a
complete surprise, and so far the surprises were all very pleasant
indeed. When the vehicle stopped, the driver jumped out and said,
“Welcome to the Oberlin.” The name immediately resonated in
Tabitha’s mind and she suddenly realized where they were.

“We are honeymooning in Hawaii?” she asked,
her voice a squeal of pleasure.

“We are,” Owen confirmed. “Let’s go and sign
in, sweetheart.”

The driver followed with their luggage and
they were greeted by another gentleman, who was dressed very
formally. “Mr. and Mrs. Patrick, welcome to the Oberlin. We have
your suite all ready. Janu will see you to your room, and if you
need anything at all, just ask for me. My name is Andrew.”

“Thank you, Andrew,” Owen replied. He and
Tabby followed Janu outside and down a well-lit path to a secluded
cabin.

“This is where you will be staying while
with us, Mr. and Mrs. Patrick,” Janu said as they reached the door.
He unlocked the door with a special key, and held it open for them
to enter. He then handed the key to Owen, and moved about the
cabin, turning on lights. He pointed toward a table with a bottle
of champagne chilling on ice, two glasses, along with a tray of
chocolate covered strawberries. “Please enjoy your time here, and
if you need help of any kind, please do not hesitate to ask. The
Oberlin prides itself on giving excellent service to our
guests.”

Owen thanked him, gave him a tip, and then
shut the door behind him. He stood as still as possible, his head
cocked to one side.

“What is it?” Tabitha whispered, looking
around the elaborate rooms for a clue.

“I think we are hearing quiet… and for the
first time in so long, we are all alone!” He smiled when Tabitha
giggled, just as he had intended her to do. “I think we need to get
into clothing that is more comfortable, and perhaps go for a walk
on the beach before we taste this lovely champagne, if that is
acceptable to you?” he asked.

“Yes, with the time change, it must be
nearly dusk, and I would love to see the beach. Oh, Owen, how did
you know I wanted to come here someday? I did not expect such a
treat for our wedding trip, but I am delighted. Thank you!” she
enthused, wrapping her arms around his neck and rising on tiptoes
to kiss him.

Owen kissed her back, and then gave her a
gentle spank on her sweet bottom. “Please change your clothing,
sweetheart and we shall go exploring.” Owen gave her his back as he
opened his bag and took out a shirt and pants that he could roll up
to enjoy the splashing waves.

Tabitha was delighted to get into her
suitcase and take out clothing appropriate for the beach. She put
on pants that came just below her knees, and a long tunic that hung
down over her bottom to protect her modesty. Then she removed the
modesty cap from her wedding, and replaced it with one that
proclaimed her a married woman. She checked her enhancements,
wanting to look beautiful for her new husband, and then turned
around to find him waiting for her, a smile on his handsome
face.

“You look lovely, sweetheart, and I simply
adore your new modesty cap. You made it yourself, of course?” he
asked knowingly.

“Yes, I did. I also made this outfit just in
case we went somewhere it would be appropriate. Do you approve,
husband? Is it modest enough?”

Owen knew the question was not rhetorical;
as modest as his bride was, she wanted his approval before she
stepped out of their room. “I doubt you could ever make or wear
something I would feel inappropriate, Tabby. I very much adore your
casual dress.”

“Thank you, Owen.” She put her hand in his
and they went for a stroll along the beach behind their cabin. “The
scenery is as breathtaking as I imagined it would be!” Tabitha
said, excitement in her voice.

“Just beautiful,” he replied, but he was
looking at her instead of the waves. The walk did not last long
since they had had such a long day. “I believe we have some
champagne waiting in our room for us, sweetheart,” he remarked as
he gently led her in that direction. “Get ready for bed, my love,
but do not take down your hair. I have looked forward to doing that
for the last year, and I shall not be deprived.” His smile was
meant to be reassuring, but it was easy for him to see how nervous
his modest wife was. “Do not worry, Tabby. You are truly safe with
me, I promise this to you.”

“I do trust you, Owen, but I cannot stop my
hands from shaking! I think that is what the champagne is for,” she
said with a grin, trying to make a little joke. She headed for the
bathing chamber for some privacy, and quickly bathed, making sure
her body was fresh for her husband. She was careful not to get her
hair wet, and when she dried off, she applied a delicate perfume
that she hoped he would find pleasing. Then she pulled on her
nightdress.

Owen turned down the lights, and he opened
the champagne and filled two fluted glasses with the bubbly liquid.
He looked toward his bride when she left the bathing room. She
looked adorable in her pretty white nightgown. She had done exactly
as he instructed and left her hair up and inside her modesty cap.
“Your gown is beautiful; did you make it?” he asked, and was not
surprised when she admitted that she had. “You should design
clothing for women.”

“Really? Do you think I would be
successful?”

“I think you make beautiful, yet modest,
clothing for young women. I think it would be good for you to
approach an established designer and ask if they would be willing
to buy some of your items.” He smiled, and then added, “But only if
this is your wish. I am not requiring you to do this.”

“I might be interested, Owen.” The
suggestion dispelled her nervousness, and she accepted the fluted
glass from Owen’s hands. She sipped and the bubbles tickled her
nose, causing her to giggle.

While she was in such a carefree mood, Owen
gently removed her modesty cap and took the pins from her hair. He
was amazed by how thick her red tresses were as they fell well
below her hips and almost to her knees. He picked up her hairbrush
and gently brushed her hair, thinking she looked absolutely
beautiful. “Tabitha Rose, you are a beautiful woman and I am so
thankful that it is me that you love with all your heart. I promise
I will cherish and love you always.” Owen’s voice was husky with
emotion.

His soft touch warmed her heart and Tabitha
was so thankful she had waited to share her hair with her husband.
Some of her friends had not done so and she wondered if they later
regretted it. But for Tabitha, waiting for her husband was worth
every moment of angst she had had on the issue. “I am thankful you
are first, husband. I love you well and truly.” Her fears were gone
as were her nerves and when her husband kissed her, she kissed him
back with months of pent up longing.

* * * * *

Tabitha woke to the sounds of birds and the
ocean and remembered moments of the night before. She was now, in
every sense of the word, a married woman. Owen had been so careful
with her the night before, and he treated her like a princess! He
was not only careful to take things slowly and not rush her, he
took the time to make sure her first time making love was
exceptional. Yes, there was a moment or two of pain, but Owen
soothed her and reassured her that the pleasure would quickly
return, and he carefully made that happen before proceeding to
bring them both to a shattering climax. Never in a million
kazillion years had she expected making love to be so glorious, but
it was, and she had to admit that she felt a bit smug this morning;
like she was in on the big secret that others before her had
discovered!

“What is that big smile on your face this
morning, my love?” Owen asked, looking at her with laughter in his
eyes.

“Ha! I know the secret now!” she told him,
and then giggled at the puzzled look on his handsome face.

“What secret is that, Tabby?”

“The secret of life, that is what secret!”
She giggled again, and then scooted closer to him to run her hand
over the dark stubble of beard covering his cheeks. “I like your
stubble, Owen; it makes you look even more handsome and definitely
sexier.”

“I love seeing your hair flowing about your
shoulders, Tabby. Waking up beside you for the rest of our lives
will be an adventure in and of itself. Now, what is this secret you
are speaking about already this morning?”

“The one you shared with me last night, my
darling. It is the biggest kept secret of pleasure there is,” she
whispered.

Owen could not help but laugh. Only his
Tabby would say something so silly, but the male part of him was
reacting to her words with pride. “Would you care to share our
secret with me again, my love?” he asked. “Unless you are
sore?”

“I do not feel sore, and I hope we share many
secrets during our marriage, Owen.”

* * * * *

“I am so pleased that you decided we could
take this tour, Owen. I want to see more of the island!” Tabitha
exclaimed as they boarded a large vehicle that would drive them to
points of interest.

“It is our honeymoon; I wish to please you,
wife,” Owen smiled as he followed her to a seat and sat down. It
was surprising to both of them to see how many vacationers were on
the tour, and he noticed that his wife was not too comfortable with
some people from other lands who did not adhere to the codes of
modesty that this country found suitable. Judging was wrong, but
Owen was thankful his wife adhered to a code of modesty.

“She is saying that her swimsuit is wet and
chafing her skin,” Tabitha whispered.

Owen was still amazed at how easily
different languages came to Tabby, but he was not pleased that she
was eavesdropping on the other couple. “It is not our business,
Tabitha Rose,” he stated firmly.

Tabitha rarely heard that stern note in
Owen’s voice, but when she did, it hurt her feelings. “Are you
trying to spoil this trip?” she demanded.

“Do not take that tone with me, wife, or we
will leave the tour and return to our room at the hotel.” It was
not what he preferred to do, but if Tabitha were in need of
discipline, he would see it done.

Tabitha scooted away from him and kept her
tear-filled eyes on the window. She barely heard what the tour
guide was saying as they rolled to their first stop. She got off
the vehicle with Owen right behind her, but when another man chose
to engage Owen in conversation, it was easy for her to go exploring
on her own, and she did. Tabitha was enjoying looking at the
historical site, and she made her way around the grounds, reading
the different plaques as she did so. She did not realize how far
she had wandered from the rest of the group when she was suddenly
grabbed from behind.

“Do not scream or we will slice your throat!”
a voice hissed in her ear.

“Let me go at once!” Tabitha demanded.

“We have a feisty one, little brother,” a
second man spoke up.