Lords of Honor

by K. R. Richards

  She walked with him to the door and closed it behind him. Grace waited at the door until she heard the pair take the stairs. She slipped out of her room and ducked into Lord Wincanton’s room where Owen had slept.

  She borrowed a shirt, waistcoat, coat and a hat. She realized as she looked at Lord Wincanton’s trousers and boots they would not do for her at all.

  She peeked out the window in Lord Wincanton’s room when she heard horses outside. She watched Gabriel and Owen leave as the first pale light of dawn began to show in the sky. St. Mabyn rode a large bay. Owen rode a big white gelding. She felt certain she might be able to persuade a stable lad to find her some trousers and boots. She packed Lord Wincanton’s clothing into a small sturdy bag she found in his wardrobe. She also included her reticule with her notes and coin. She threw a gown, a petticoat and a chemise from her chamber into the bag with a pair of half boots. She dressed quickly into an apricot colored morning gown and matching slippers and left the room. Dawn was just now breaking and soon the house would come to life. She needed to leave now.

  She was fortunate to find a pair of trousers closer to her size than those of Lord Wincanton’s in the back room of the stable. She also found a smaller pair of boots. Both items were faded and worn, and looked ridiculous with the fine quality items she removed from Lord Wincanton’s room. Grace cared not. She changed quickly and stuffed her morning gown into her bag.

  She was about to slip a medium sized gelding from his stall when she heard Matthias Halfknight, Lord Sinclair’s, voice behind her.

  “You can’t go, Lady Marston.”

  Grace turned to face Sinclair. As with Charlie and Owen, Sinclair was a close neighbor to her family and she had known him her entire life; just as she had Owen and Charlie. “Alice is my daughter, Matthias!”

  “And she’s Owen’s daughter too. He’ll find her. It’s far too dangerous for you to follow. There were Brown Coats watching the Hall. They followed them. They would take you as they did Libby, Grace. They would use you to get Owen. They might kill Alice once they had you.”

  “Owen knew I would try to follow him?” Grace huffed in frustration.

  Matthias nodded. “This is for your safety, Lady Marston. And Alice’s. Even if you caught up to Owen and Gabriel you would have slowed them down, Grace. It would have made it harder for them to lose the Brown Coats.”

  Grace nodded, but she couldn’t stop the tears of frustration and disappointment from coming.

  “The ladies are expecting you for breakfast soon. Come, you need to change, Lady Marston.” Sinclair offered his arm.

  Reluctantly, Grace took the arm he offered. Damn Owen!

  Micah and Libby walked hand in hand down the stairs to join the others for dinner. Sophia removed their stitches that afternoon and deemed Micah well enough to come downstairs for the evening meal. The flurry of activity at Horethorne Hall to prepare the household to remove to London began in the morning and continued throughout the day.

  The house remained in uproar the entire afternoon. The servants were set to packing. All the staff believed the entire party was moving to Lyon’s home, Shevington Chase, in Wiltshire. The ladies knew only they were going to London because the Hall was no longer safe; not the real reason. The only persons who knew about the meeting at the Jasmine Star in Limehouse the next Tuesday were the gentlemen. Micah prayed it remained that way. The men were to meet after the ladies retired, and Micah was to join them.

  He could not help but notice Libby’s scar appeared a little red and tender after the stitches were removed. He knew the scar bothered her. She did not speak of it, but he noticed she avoided her mirror unless it was absolutely necessary. When she did have to use the mirror, the sight of her scar seemed to upset her. She suffered a couple of nightmares since her return as well. Micah wished he could make his wife feel better about her wound. He still thanked God and Archangel Michael upon waking every morning that Libby was beside him, alive and well. He leaned down and kissed her temple before they entered the dining room.

  “What was that for?”

  Micah saw the happiness shining in her sapphire eyes as she looked up at him. “Just because I love you, sweetheart.”

  “I love you too, Micah.” Libby grinned up at him.

  The gentlemen sat in the large library at Horethorne Hall.

  “Sir John has arranged a meeting for some of us with two of the King’s advisors upon our arrival. We will be taking advantage of our country’s assistance from this point forward. Trevan agreed with me in the letter I received from Menadue this afternoon. I spoke with Micah, Lyon and Wyldhurst earlier. They agree as well. It is apparent the Knights of the Brown Order are a dangerous and powerful group. Even if we have to give up the scrolls, sapphire and cruets to the Crown in the end, nothing is worth the lives of our loved ones,” Harry began the meeting.

  All present agreed with him.

  He continued, “What is important presently; aside from finding the child, Lady Alice, and protecting our loved ones; is finding the identities of the leading members of the Knights of the Brown Order and stopping them. The King feels the same as we do. This organization is large, far-reaching, powerful and a threat to King and Country. Sir John told me the Brown Knights believe they are purging the world of heretics and harbingers of change that would alter their world and their beliefs. They believe they are the law of the land. They prefer the world remain a fearful place where a few men control the masses.”

  “They are not fond of the new King or at present, the Avalon Society. And though they would have the world see them as pious religious men, they own opium dens, gaming houses, brothels and deal in the slavery of women and children to make the money they use to carry out their violent schemes. They use the less fortunate in contemptible ways to further their own ends. They want to take and hide our treasures away, possibly destroy them. I for one feel I’d rather have our treasures locked up and hidden away in the palace than destroyed.”

  There were nods of approval and agreements.

  Harry continued, “Tonight, we will begin to formulate a plan to take them down, preferably before Tuesday next. A lot depends on Owen and Gabriel’s success at finding Lady Alice. We are fortunate that Gabriel was able to connect with the child.”

  Harry looked to his comrades and friends. “Give me all of your ideas, no matter how outrageous they seem. We need to find something that will work. For we have been crippled by these miscreants, and I refuse to let them win.”

  “Will the King’s advisors share the names of those they suspect with us, Harry?” Micah asked.

  “Yes.” Harry nodded. “We will receive that information when we meet with them.”

  “So, once we get those names, we send Wyldhurst and Lachlan to rough up a few of them. Perhaps we can find an informant like we did with Whitely in Glastonbury.” Micah offered.

  “Yes, let’s keep that in mind.” Harry paced between the tables in Micah’s library. “Pendarves and Carlyon are still in London and are helping Owen and Gabriel search for Lady Alice. I’m hoping they will unearth more information to help us.”

  “The servant situation. How can we get around that? No matter how we try to keep our location a secret while in London, they will surely find out we are at Wychcombe House at some point,” Lyon asked.

  “I’m already taking care of that situation.” Micah spoke, “Chilcompton has met with his staff and is offering very substantial rewards for those in his service regarding anyone attempting to find out information or asking questions. If the Brown Coats try to infiltrate Wychcombe House, we will then be aware of who they are and how they are doing it. If it works, we decide if we want to use their own system to lay a trap for them.”

  Harry smiled. “Good idea, Micah. And you’ve already stated that Chilcompton’s staff is known for their loyalty and trustworthiness. This could work. It will not hurt to try.”

  “I always believed my staff at Horethorne Hall was known for their loyalty and trustworthiness,
and see what happened here?” Micah frowned. “I’m not even certain which one of my staff gave the information to the Brown Coats on how to get to Libby that night. Simmonds and Mrs. Clarke will get to the bottom of it eventually.”

  “There is always someone able to be bought or persuaded.” Lyon remarked.

  “I’m going to go into the opium den,” Newt stated matter-of-factly.

  “Crow ordered Lyon followed all those weeks, and no doubt knows who you are as well, Newt. He saw you drag Lyon out of Madame Rosier’s and his Limehouse den. He was even having your house watched! You can’t do it,” Harry refused flatly.

  “He knows what Newton Lambrick, Lord Alloway looks like, Harry. He won’t recognize Captain Josiah Smith, a harmless, burned out, old sea captain who’s an opium addict. I’ll go in after our meeting Thursday. I’ll have three days to lie on the cushions in a stupor to listen and watch. In the event we can’t enact any other plan, and Owen and Gabriel do not find the little girl, we’ll have to go in to the Jasmine Star on Tuesday at noon. I’d prefer to do that knowing what we’re walking into, wouldn’t you?”

  Harry thought a moment. He nodded. “I think you are taking a great risk, Newt, but I do see the wisdom in what you are saying.”

  “We’ll put someone to watch outside the den in case Newt needs back-up.” Lyon reasoned.

  “It’s not foolproof. It would not be too difficult to kill a man inside an opium den and sneak his body out the back,” Jack posed. “So, I’ll watch the back while Newt’s inside. If I can’t get to you in time, Newt, I can at least make sure you’re not tossed in the Thames. Who’s going to take the front?”

  “Thanks, Jack.” Newt grinned. “Wyldhurst, and Lachlan are both too large and noticeable to blend in. Cleve, you’d make a believable piece of east-end riff-raff.” Newt turned to Cleve Griffith, Lord Templeton.

  “I can blend in well enough. I’ll do it.” Cleve gave his friend a broad grin. “I actually know someone in that area I can stay with. The place is right across from the den as happenstance would have it.”

  “Madame Claire?” Newt raised a brow.

  “The same.”

  “So that is taken care of. I still am not comfortable with us traveling in a group to London tomorrow,” Wyldhurst said. “This could be a set up. They might be forcing us into the open with the scrolls, cruets and sapphire so that they can attack us and take them.”

  The group fell silent. All eyes were focused on Harry.

  “We won’t be taking them with us,” Micah spoke after Harry gave him a nod of approval.

  “Are we leaving them here in a house where servants are suspected of aiding the Brown Coats?” Lachlan asked.

  “They are not at Horethorne Hall any longer.” Micah rose somewhat stiffly from his chair.

  “Did Owen and Gabriel take them?” Jack asked.

  “No.” Micah answered. He looked to Harry.

  “Where is Charlie?” Wyldhurst surveyed those gathered around in the library. “I know Matthias left to fetch his daughter from her grandparents with the new threat against children hanging above our heads. Did Charlie go with him? I don’t remember seeing him at all today, not breakfast, lunch or dinner come to think of it.”

  “No, Charlie did not go with Matthias. Just past dawn this morning, Owen, Gabriel and one of his men were seen leaving the Hall, as was Matthias, with two of Micah’s men. But, Charlie left last evening on foot, under the cover of darkness. He and two of Gabriel’s men went through the wood, past Templecombe and took horses from one of Micah’s trusted servant’s families. Gabriel’s men rode with him until they were certain no one followed them. At that point, Charlie went on alone.” Harry removed his watch and opened it. “He is probably near to his destination by now. He is hiding our treasures where they will remain safe until this is finished.”

  “What if we need them to trade for the little girl next Tuesday?” Wyldhurst asked.

  “We have decoys. We would never hand over the real thing, in any situation.”

  “So how do the Brown Coats know we don’t have the treasures with us when we leave tomorrow morning?” Jack raised a questioning brow.

  “They don’t. So, we are expecting one attack, maybe more,” Micah said solemnly.

  “And the ladies will be with us?”

  “They have to be. We will protect them. Lyon, Micah and I still feel they are safest with us. They are still very much in danger, but the three of us would die before we allowed someone to take our wives or Lady Marston. All three of us need to be in London. We can’t send our wives off separately without us. They are not safe here. They are not safe without us. So they travel with us.” Harry informed his colleagues with a heavy sigh.

  Harry continued, “We will number nineteen without Charlie, Owen, Matthias and Gabriel. We will all be well armed. There will be two carriages, one with the ladies, Micah and Lyon, and the other with some luggage and our extra ammunition. A second carriage might come in handy as a decoy if there is trouble. Once we meet with Sir John and the King’s advisors in London Thursday, we’ll be able to formulate a good solid plan before Tuesday when we are requested to appear at Crow’s den in Limehouse.” Harry exhaled loudly. “We leave for London at dawn.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Micah woke as Libby whimpered beside him, her arms flailing about.

  “Libby! Sweetheart?” He sat up and slid his arms beneath his wife and gathered her to him. “Shh, Libby,” he crooned in her ear as he held her close. “It’s just a dream.” This was her fourth nightmare since Owen rescued her from the Brown Coats. Micah rubbed her back, kissed her temple as she quieted and stilled. He leaned against the back of the tall, heavily carved headboard and just held his lady in his arms. She did not wake this time. He wondered what brought on the dreams. The fear from her experience? Her injuries?

  Even in the moonlight he could see the slash across one side of her face. When he looked at Libby he saw only her beauty. The light of her soul. He knew the long, jagged cut and the fact she would be left with a scar bothered her, though she never mentioned it. He could see it on her face when she saw her reflection in the mirror. She was not a vain woman, so far from it. Yet, something about being left with a scar bothered his precious wife. He wanted to help her through this, but he was unsure of how to go about it. Micah just held her until he knew she slept deeply. Carefully, he lay them back down, pulled the covers over them and held his Libby close. He decided he must talk to her about her nightmares.

  “Wake up, sweetheart. It’s time to go.” Already dressed, Micah shook his wife’s shoulder gently.

  When her eyes fluttered open, he bent and kissed her quite passionately. “Good morning, my beautiful wife.” He pulled her naked torso up and into his arms as he sat upon the side of the bed.

  “Good morning, my handsome husband.” Libby hugged him back. She sighed contentedly as she rested her head against his shoulder. She yawned as she nestled against his warmth.

  “I would very much like to make love to you at this moment, Libby. I fear Harry would have both our heads if we delayed our traveling party this morning. But tonight, once we are at Wychcombe House, Libby, you must prepare to be ravished.” Micah hugged her tightly to him.

  Libby smiled. Her eyes remained closed. “I’ll hold you to your word, husband.”

  “No force shall be necessary, my Lady wife. Now get up, I’ve left your wrapper here for you. I’ll ring for Martha. We must be down to breakfast in a quarter of an hour, sweetheart. We’ve a long day ahead of us.”

  Micah remained in the room while Martha dressed his wife and arranged her hair in a quick simple coiffure. He watched Libby carefully and saw her face fall when she glanced in the mirror by habit before leaving her dressing table.

  He dismissed Martha and took his wife in his arms as she walked toward him.

  “Libby, what is the matter? I’ve noticed you become appear downhearted when you look in the mirror of late, sweetheart.” Micah whispered softly as
he gazed into her large sapphire eyes. He placed a soft kiss to her temple.

  Libby couldn’t tell him about the dream; the nightmare that paralyzed her with fear and continued to frighten her. The dream always felt so real, as if she were there. She feared if she told Micah it would come true. “I don’t like looking at the scar Micah. It is so large and ugly. When I look at it, I remember that man. He wanted to hurt me, and he wanted to hurt you, Micah. I find that I can’t forget him when I see it. He frightens me still. There is something very dangerous and unbalanced about that man.”

  Damn Percy Davitt! “Libby, sweetheart, your wound will heal. It will get better. As for Percy Davitt, you never have to worry about him coming near you again. We’re going to find him, Libby. I’ll see to it.”

  “I don’t want you to go after him. He wants to kill you, Micah!”

  Libby tensed in his arms. He saw fear in her eyes. What had Davitt done to her?

  “Promise me you won’t go after him.” Libby put her hand on his arm. She could not allow him to go after Percy Davitt. He wanted to kill Micah. In the dream he tried to kill Micah!

  Micah could not promise her he would not go after Davitt; for he intended to find him. Libby was visibly troubled by the thought. He would not upset her further as they were about to leave for London. “Sweetheart, please don’t be upset. Do not think of Percy Davitt. Don’t worry about any of this, please. I love you, Libby. You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever set eyes on. I love you and I just want you to be happy. Let’s go down and have some breakfast, shall we?”

  Libby nodded slightly. She still wore a worried frown as she took the arm he offered her.

  Micah felt badly. In trying to question his wife, he caused her further pain. He only wished to make her feel better, to ease her mind. He entwined his fingers in hers once they were in the hallway. He leaned down, kissed her temple and smiled down at her.