“Well…” Marian continued to read while she spoke. “Apparently, there was a vicious plot to kill the mighty warrior, Royce Morgan and his new bride Beatrice on their wedding night. A plot conceived by a trusted member of the household. This, Royce foiled because, well… he was a mighty warrior.” Her eyes lifted and she looked at Colin then back down to her book.
Sibyl gasped before she asked, “They didn’t die?”
Marian shook her head.
At the news, a burst of energy flowed throw Sibyl, she surged off the couch and Bran flew off her lap with an angry mew. Sibyl, unable to contain her delight, did a happy jig and sang, “Hallelujah!”
Everyone, including Colin, watched her with a grin on their face.
Sibyl stopped just as abruptly and turned back to Marian. “What happened?”
Marian looked down at the book. “Let me see. Well, this writer is far more into history, the facts, as it were. It says Royce foiled the plot as he was a seasoned warrior and could easily fend off his five attackers. The author does hint that there was a great deal of talk that lasted through the centuries about magic and…” she narrowed her eyes on some words, “it says here, some old woman from the village, a friend of both the Morgans and Godwins, was riding home from their wedding feast, came upon the struggle and dashed in, dispatching one of the villains with her cane.”
A burst of laughter erupted from Sibyl before she cried with glee, “What?”
“That’s what it says here,” Marian tapped the book, her lips forming a smile.
“How delightful,” Phoebe murmured.
“Well, I’ll be,” Mags muttered.
Colin leaned forward apparently not ready to have Sibyl out of touching distance for more than a few moments. He pulled her down to the couch and settled her into his side again.
“I wonder if Japan has fallen into the sea,” Sibyl whispered under her breath.
Marian shook her head. “I don’t think so.” And then she smiled and stared intently at Sibyl. “The book says more, my dear.”
“What does it say?” Mags leaned forward eagerly.
Marian closed the book and continued to watch Sibyl. “There is more to this new legend. Apparently, a witch from another time watched over the doomed pair, coming to Royce before the terrible event happened, informing him of the plot and helping him to thwart the evil plan.”
Colin’s body stiffened and Sibyl immediately thought, uh oh.
“What?” Colin uttered that one word in a low and even voice.
“I think, and I’ll have to check the Book of Shadows because I’m sure Esmeralda will tell me more, but I think that Sibyl was destined to save Royce and Beatrice and this is why history has shifted without calamity for what was actually meant to be has now happened. They simply had to wait for her to be born so she could go back to Royce and warn him. Then they could live their lives together. Which, by the way, they both lived to be a ripe old age and Royce sired four children by his Beatrice.”
Colin, clearly not listening to these additional words, patiently repeated himself, “What?”
Sibyl felt the stirring of unease.
Marian turned her eyes to Colin. “What I mean to say is, they weren’t actually supposed to die but they had to wait for Sibyl to be born, for you two to meet and your love to bloom, so she could save them. I don’t think Japan has fallen into the ocean because that was not the way it was supposed to be, this is!” she finished triumphantly.
Colin was not getting the answers he desired. “I understand that but what I’d like to know, Marian, is more about the part where Sibyl goes to Royce to warn him. When did that happen?”
Sibyl tensed and Colin’s arm around her tightened significantly, pinning her in place by his side.
“The book doesn’t spend much time on specifics of the legend, just facts as they were known. The Book of Shadows will tell me more but the legend does say, rather romantically, the witch from another time came to Royce, inhabiting Beatrice’s body directly after Beatrice and Royce consummated their marriage.”
Colin’s arm became a steel band.
“Oh my,” Mags uttered, her voice filled with humour.
Sibyl shot off the couch and whirled and looked down at Colin. The muscle in his jaw was back to jumping spasmodically.
“Colin,” she said soothingly.
He slowly rose.
“Did you go back to him?” he growled.
She took a step back.
Colin took a step forward.
Then she admitted, “Kind of.”
He took another step forward.
She took another step back.
“Exactly what do you mean by ‘kind of’?” His voice was more than a little peeved.
She tried to smile at him.
He ignored her smile and took another step forward.
“When did this happen? Did it happen tonight? Did it happen after we’d –?”
She took another step back.
“Um… kind of.” She drew out the words as long as she could.
His eyes flashed.
He took another step forward.
She turned and ran from the room, thinking this was her best course of action.
Colin strode quickly from the room, following Sibyl and muttering distractedly to the assemblage, “If you’ll excuse us.”
“Not at all,” Phoebe told the space where his tall departing frame was only moments before.
The three women who were left in the room looked at each other and then they burst out laughing.
Then Colin came back into the room and their laughter died.
He strode to Marian’s chair and looked down at her.
She looked up.
Then, quietly he told her, “You should know, that thing had its blade at her throat, it glanced off, didn’t even come near it.”
Marian’s mouth parted in surprise. Even she didn’t know she was that good.
“Thank you,” Colin went on softly, his eyes on the woman warm and shining with gratitude.
Then without another word, he strode back out of the room.
“You’re welcome,” Marian whispered to the space where his body was only moments before.
* * * * *
Royce Morgan descended the stairs in the dead of night, leaving Beatrice exhausted and sleeping peacefully in their bed.
As he moved down the steps, he saw Esmeralda Crane stood in one of the semi-circular windows, staring thoughtfully out into the night.
Instead of her making the trip back to her cottage in the dark after the events of that eve, Beatrice had insisted the witch stay at Lacybourne with them. Also at Beatrice’s stubborn demand, Old Lady Griffin was there, Royce heard her loud snores as he walked by her chamber moments before.