Lords of Honor (90 page)

“Your wife, and
your
sister,” The surgeon
, Dr. Josephs,
nodded to each
one
of them, “is
fortunate
indeed
.
I chose not to stitch the gash on her head
.
It must be kept clean
, however
.
I stitched up the area on
her
cheek
wound
that
was
re-opened
.
She
must rest for the next several
days
.
Sh
e took quite a blow to her head
and another to her face
.
Do not be surprised if her eye is blackened tomorrow or her face darkens with bruises
.
Use a
co
ol
c
ompress
if
her face or eye should swell.
”

Owen prepared to lead the doctor out
.
“Do you need us any further, Micah?”

“No
, w
e’ll be fine, Owen
.
Thank you both.”

Owen and Grace both leaned down and kissed Libby
.
They left the room with the doctor.

“Right this way, Dr. Josephs
.
Tristan Chynoweth will be your next patient.” Owen said as he closed the door behind him.

Micah undressed
.
He slid into bed and gently embraced his wife
.
She fell asleep almost immediately.

Micah thought he heard the
draperies
being opened
.
He opened his eyes
.
He s
aw
that
Libby still slept
beside him
.
Sunlight poured into the room
.
He wondered who would do such a
cruel
thing
.
He’d
slept
a total of
three
maybe four
hours
.
He turned to see his Grandfather sitting in the chair next to the bed
.
He heard the door softly close behind
someone
.

“Good morning, Micajah
.
Fiske
helped me in
.
I have come to sit with my granddaughter-in-law while you clean up and go downstairs to join the gentlemen in the library
.
Harry said there is much
important
business to take care of
this morning
.
Breakfast shall be served there for you gentlemen
.
Sir John and the King’s emissaries have arrived
.
Your valet awaits
you
in the dressing room with your bath and clean clothes.”

“Um
.”
Still
lost
in the fog of sleep, Micah felt to make certain his lady was dressed in her nightclothes before he threw off the covers
.
She was, thank goodness
.
Micah rose to a sitting position
.
He
yawned while
lean
ing
over to pick up his trousers
.
He
stood
naked
and slipped
them on
.
He bent to gently brush an errant lock of
sable
hair from
his sleeping wife’s
face
and place
d
a tender kiss to her
temple
.
He made certain the covers were tucked about her.

“I see you still do not take to wearing the nightshirts I supply you with every year at Christmas.”

“
Sorry, no
, Grandfather
.
I don’t wear them.
”
Micah stretched and yawned
.
And he never would
!
“Thank you for sitting with Libby
.”

“You are welcome, Micajah
.
I have taken quite a fancy to your wife
.
I shall see that she stays in bed as the doctor ordered
.
When she wakes I’ll have her breakfast brought up to her
.
I shall keep her company as will her sister-in-law and niece, I’m certain
.
Fiske
is right outside
her
door.
”

“You will send for me if there is a problem?”

“Right away
.”
Micajah Wychcombe, the Earl of Chilcompton
lifted his
c
risp,
smooth copy of the T
imes up
close
so he could
read
it
.
He adjusted his spectacles
.
“And no need to worry, Micajah
.
I’ll protect your wife
.
I’ve my sword cane and m’pistol
.
I must say, it does my heart good to see how happy the two of you are together and how much you care for one another
.
I am thankful you have found happiness at last, my boy.
”

Micah grinned
.
“
I have, Grandfather
.
We are very happy
.
I won’t worry
about my wife
, Grandfather
.
I know Libby is in the best of hands.
”

“Micajah?”

“Yes grandfather?”

“
I am hoping y
our wife has nightclothes on or does she sleep in the
same
state of undress as you
?
I do not wish for her to be embarrassed by my presence
if she is not clothed
.”

“She has nightclothes on
this
morning, grandfather, don’t worry
.
Her wrapper is on the chair next to the bed.”

“
Very g
ood,
I’ll have her maid tend her when she wakes.
” Micajah Wychcombe, the Earl of Chilcompton nodded and returned his attention to the Times
.

Lyon woke with a start
.
He
gazed
into vivid green eyes.

“
How do you feel,
Sophia
?”
He reached out his hand to touch her
then stopped
.
“Oh darling, you’re so bruised, I’m afraid to touch you
anywhere
.”

Sophia managed a small smile
.
“I do se
em to hurt everywhere, husband.
”

Can I get you something?”

“
S
ome water
?
I’m thirsty.
”

“Of course
.”
Lyon hopped up and poured her a glass of water
.
He set it on the table beside the bed
.
Gingerly, he helped her to a half sitting position and brought the glass to her lips
.

She took a long sip
.
“Ouch.” She brought a hand to her lower lip.

“Your lip is split,
darling
.
Crow planted quite a facer on you.
”

Sophia nodded
.
“Crow is dead?”

Lyon nodded
.
“I got him, Sophia.”

“Good.”

“
My poor
Sophia
, yo
u’re bruised from
head to toe from being
hit and
pushed down the stairs
.”
Lyon gently lowered her to lie back against the pillows
.
“
Y
ou’ll be sore for awhile, Sophia, and you need to take it easy
.
When you’re feeling better, I’ll take you home, to Shevington Chase
.
There is the chance we may have to go to Cornwall first, but by this time next month I hope we’re home in Wiltshire.”

“Me too, Lyon
.”
She
sighed and
managed to give him a small smile
.
It didn’t matter where the
y went.
H
ome was
now
where
ver
her husband was.

Lyon
pulled on his trousers and
slid
back into bed
.
He turned on his side and
faced his wife
.
He wanted to hold her, but
feared
bring
ing
her
additional
pain
.
So he took her hand
and just talked to her
.
He told her all of the things they would do together at Shevington Chase when they returned
.
He told her about the house, about West Amesbury and Amesbury
, a
nd of Salisbury
.
He told her about their neighbors
, and
the hounds he raised for hunting
.

Lyon knew she hurt
.
He tried to take her mind off her pain
, t
o m
ake her smile
.
After about an hour, she finally closed her eyes and drifted off
to sleep
.
He watched her
sleep
.
He was
so thankful she
was
alive
.
He could tell
she would
heal
, s
he would get well
.
He knew it in his heart
.
He thanked God there were
no broken bones
or
any
major injury
to her
.

Lyon
drifted off
.
He
woke to a
soft
knock upon the door.

“How is she, son?” His mother
whispered as she stepped
in
side the chamber
.

“
She’s a little b
etter, mother
.
She woke for a little while
some hours earlier
.
She’s in a lot of pain
.
There is nothing I can do for her.”

“Harry wishes you to come to the library after you
bathe and
dress
.
Sarah and I will stay with Sophia
.
I’ll give her a little drop of laudanum in her tea when she wakes.”

Lyon looked warily at hi
s mother as he rose from the bed
.
H
e
was thankful he put his trousers
on earlier when Sophia woke the first time.

“Don’t worry, son
.
It will be just a drop, to take the edge off her pain
.
I won’t overdose her
.
I shall never make that mistake again.”

Lyon nodded
.
He did want Sophia to have relief
.
The thought of her being in pain nagged at him.

“I feel responsible for your laudanum addiction, you know
.
I just could not bear for you to be in pain,” Mary said tearily.

“Mother
!
That was not your fault
.
You had no idea I help
ed
myself to the laudanum and the brandy along with it
, i
n addition to what you gave me
.
There is no reason for you to feel guilty.”
Lyon placed his hands upon his mother’s shoulders
and
gazed
lovingly down at her
.