Lords of Honor (77 page)

“Thank you, Trevan.” Libby
couldn’t help but give the Cornishman
a
warm
smile
.
“You must tell them I am eager to see them as well
.”
She took Micah’s hand and smiled
up
at him
.

“I will
.
Now, let’s get everyone back down the hill and
make haste
to London
.
We’re like sitting ducks upon the road
!
Lady Marston, if you’ll allow me,
”
Trevan offered
Grace
his arm.

Trevan
led Lady Marston do
wn the hill
as he and
Micah
conversed.

“Did some of the Brown Coats retreat
?”
Micah saw Trevan’s men picking up some bodies along the hillside and moving them.

“Aye, a good twenty five or thirty of them
turned and ran
.
We took about eight wounded as prisoners
.
There’s at least fifteen dead
, probably more
.
That’s just the number I counted on the way up the hill
.
We’ll bring the prisoners to Wychcombe House and lock them up in the cellar and question them
.
My only concern now is that the Brown Coats will wait along the road and
attack
again.”

Micah nodded
.
He m
oved his hand to the small of Libby’s back as she
turned to
him with
questioning
sapphire eyes
.
He led her down the hill.

Micah opened the door when they reached the carriage to find Lyon and Sophia already inside
.
They were locked in an embrace and sharing a passionate kiss
.
He
noted
Lyon’s hand
was
resting
on Sophia’s bodice
.
Micah cleared his throat
purposely
.
“Lyon, we’re coming in now.”

Lyon chuckled
.
“Sorry
.
We found ourselves alone and seized the moment
.
We’re still newlyweds!”
Lyon and Sophia righted themselves
quickly
as they grinned at one another
.

“
As
are we.” Micah handed
Libby
up
while Trevan assisted
Grace
.
Micah
remained
just outside
the carriage
to speak with Trevan
.

Trevan grinned at Lyon
.
He
scanned the area
as if searching for someone
.
“Where’s the little Pixie
?
Wasn’t she riding with you as well?”

“Yes
.
But no doubt she is with Harry’s family sharing their news.”

“News?”

Micah smiled
.
“
Rowena
is in the family way
.”

Trevan grinned
broadly
at Micah
.
His bright blue eyes twinkled with mischief
.
“I should
have put
money on that
wager I made back
in Glastonbury
.
I knew it wouldn’t take long
the rate Harry was going
.”
Trevan lowered his voice to a whisper, “
And you, Micah, are you keeping up with Harry
?
I’ve no doubt that Lyon is!
”

Micah’s only answer
before climbing in the carriage
was a crooked grin.

“I’ll find
Lady Glaston
and get her in
the carriage
.
We need to make haste
.
We need to get as far as we can while there’s daylight left
.
The closer we get to London, the better I’ll feel
.
Once dark
ness comes
, we’re in more danger
.”
Trevan walked off.

Libby and Sophia exchanged solemn glances while their husbands simultaneously put their arms about their wives and rubbed their shoulder
s to try and ease their worry
.
Grace
sat alone
.
She
wondered how Owen was faring, and if he’d found Alice.

Someone
kno
cked.

Owen and Gabriel both quietly picked up their pistols
and walked toward the door
.

“Who is there?” Gabriel asked.

“It’s Charlie.”

“Have to do better than that,” Owen wasn’t convinced
.

“Owen, it’s your neighbor
.
Open up
the damn door.
I’ve got news!”

Gabriel
grinned
.
He
opened the door.

Charlie
was
dirty and grimy
.
He
appeared to be
tired
.
“I was able to hide our items
.
Some
Brown Coats caught up to me and
follow
ed
me shortly after
.
I lost them and
managed
to sneak up on the three they left behind to
continue to
search
for me
.
I
surprised
two
of them and took them out
.
The remaining one talked
.
I am fairly certain I know where little Alice is.”

“Where?”
Owen asked.

“In a warehouse near the docks
.
I haven’t been there yet
.
I know the location
.
I came to get you
first
.
I suggest we
go have
a look and formulate a plan,” Charlie sat at the table.

“I’ll send for Pendarves
and Carlyon
.
While we wait, we’ll take a meal
and a pint
.”
Gabriel moved to the desk to write a note.

“There’s
six
of them.” Owen lowered himself from the crate he stood upon to peek through the high window.

“There
are
five
of us, so it’s even,” Deveril Pendarves grinned and shrugged nonchalantly.

“I’ll take out the big one outside the door,” Rheese Carlyon removed a long blade from his boot and tucked it into the sleeve of his coat.

Owen nodded
.
“W
e’ll slip in after you.”

“We’ll take the others.
Owen
, y
ou get your daughter.” Gabriel said.

Owen nodded
.
“You can count on that
.
I think she is sleeping
.
If it is her in the room I peered into first.
It is so dark
inside the room
I could not see very well.
”

“Now?” Carlyon
asked.

“
No
.
I’m going to contact Alice first,” Gabriel said as he removed the doll from his coat pocket
.
He held it, closed his eyes and slid through the veil
.

“
Alice
?
It’s Gabriel.
”

“Mr. Gabe-rell
?
It’s dark
.
I don’t yike the dark.”

“We’re
coming to get you, moppet
.
A very nice man named Owen will come for you
.
He’ll have your dolly
.
We will bring you outside and
take you
to your mama
!
D
on’t tell anyone, sweeting
.
It’s a surprise
.
Stay awake if you can.”

“Uh huh
.
Come soon,
Mr. Gabe-rell,
it’s dark.”

“I’ll see you very soon, Alice.”

Gabriel handed the doll to
Owen
.
“I told her you would bring her dolly.”

Owen slipped the doll into the large pocket inside his coat
.
“Let’s
go
.”

There was only one tense moment inside the warehouse
.
It was when they discovered there were
seven
men on guard instead of
six
.
Owen easily dispatched the
charging
newcomer
with a knife to the throat
.
He found a locked door in the location
he suspected
Alice was being held
.

He knocked
.
“Alice?”

“Y-yes…” came a small little voice
.

“I am Owen
.
I’m coming to get you so we can take you to your Mama
.
I have your dolly
.
Stay
away from the door
,
sweeting
.
I
must
kick it open.”

“Yes
.
I’m in my bed
.
I don’t y
ike the dark.”

“I’m coming to get you, Alice.” Owen
called
before he
gave a hard kick that flung the door wide open
.

“Mr.
Owen
?”

“Alice
?”
Owen allowed his eyes to adjust to the darkness
.
He saw a little figure huddled o
n the bed
.
He watched
her sit up
.

“
Is Mr. Gabe-rell here
?”

“Yes, Alice
.
Mr. Gabriel
i
s here, sweeting
.
I have your Dolly with me.”

“And my mama?”

“You will see your mama later tonight, Alice.”

Owen
bent and
scooped up the child
.
He p
ressed her close against him
.
He kissed her tousled hair
, a
nd turned to leave
.

He felt inside his coat with his free hand and produced her dolly.

He saw the face of his daughter for the first time as he stepped into the dim light of the main warehouse room
.
Despite the grime and dirt smeared on her cheeks he saw how very beautiful she was
.
He
look
ed into dark blue eyes that matched the color of his own
.
Owen s
aw perfect pearly white teeth when she smiled at her dolly
.
She had her mother’s oval face and her hair was neither as golden brown as her mother’s nor as dar
k as his
.
T
he color
was a rich, dark brown with
a
slightly
reddish cast to it
.
She did have her mother’s dimples
.
Her lips were more reddish than pink, as his sister Libby’s were
.
Alice gave him a wide, happy smile that almost reduced him to tears
.
“Where we going,
Mr.
Owen
?”

“Alice!” Gabriel smiled at her as he came up beside Owen.
“Keep moving Owen
.
We need to get far away from here.”