His warm fingers on her skin, together with the gruff compassion in his voice, seemed to melt something inside her that had long been hard and cold. She looked down, unable to bear the kindness in his. He was rubbing her cheek with his thumb and sending a tingling warmth all through her, a warmth that seemed to be melting away all her anger and pain. If Valten loved her, truly loved her, and wanted to marry her, she could do anything, even stop hating her stepmother and stepsisters and forgive them.
He leaned toward her. Her eyes wavered closed just as his lips touched her forehead. His lips were warm on her skin. His hand slipped behind her neck, and he turned slightly and kissed her temple. She was afraid to move, afraid to breathe, for fear she would ruin the moment and he would stop.
Someone cleared his throat behind them.
Gisela froze. A low growling sound came from Valten’s throat as he pulled away, but he kept his hand behind her neck. Her face burned as she realized Friar Daniel had seen Valten kissing her.
Valten frowned and removed his hand from her neck. She ducked her head.
“I see there’s more cooking out here than the pheasant.”
Valten leaned over to turn the roasting birds on the spit and mumbled, “Not anymore.”
“That sure smells good.” Friar Daniel cheerfully rubbed his hands together. “Tonight we feast, then we travel, eh, brother knight?”
Gisela could still feel Valten’s lips on her brow and temple. She sat quietly, imagining what might have happened if Friar Daniel had not come out of the cave when he did. Did Valten love her? Would he have kissed her if he didn’t? She was afraid to believe it, afraid to hope.
Valten didn’t attempt to hold her hand anymore, but he stayed near her while Friar Daniel sat on the ground and told them about some of the people he had encountered in all his wandering. “My message is so simple,” he said. “Repent and believe in God’s goodness. Can you believe some people don’t know that God is good? That he will forgive their sins? No one had ever told them. They think God wants to punish them, not that he wants to forgive them. Imagine my joy at being the one to tell them the good news!”
Gisela couldn’t help smiling back at the friar’s beaming face.
The three of them ate both of the pheasants and the last of Friar Daniel’s bread. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was, either.
When they finished their meal, they dumped the bones and scraps into a hole Valten had dug, then filled the hole with dirt and heaped dirt onto what remained of their fire. Once all traces of the fire and meal were gone, they prepared to leave.
It was already dark, with clouds rolling in and threatening to blot out the moon’s meager light. Valten seemed anxious to be off. He lifted Gisela into Sieger’s saddle, then hoisted himself up behind her. Friar Daniel mounted his donkey and followed.
Chapter
24
Riding with Ruexner, Gisela had taken pains to try to avoid touching him as much as possible. The heat of his chest had made her feel clammy and disgusted. Even though he had behaved well and had not taken any liberties, she’d hated the feel of his arms around her as he held the reins, or put his arm around her waist to make sure she didn’t fall or try to get away.
But riding with Valten was a completely different experience. His warmth was reassuring. The feel of his muscular arms around her as he held the reins and guided the horse made her feel safe. He had said he wanted to marry her, and he had seemed about to kiss her more than once, so he must at least have some feelings for her. She wanted his love so desperately it was terrifying, but she was afraid to hope. After all, even her own stepmother and stepsisters didn’t love her. It would be safer, and less painful, if she could stop herself from caring whether or not Valten loved her.
They stayed off the main road, traveling under cover of the trees whenever possible. Gisela prayed they wouldn’t encounter Ruexner. She chose to believe Ruexner had missed their trail, that he had gone the wrong direction and was wandering around and would soon give up and go home.
After an hour or two of traveling, she allowed herself to rest her cheek against Valten’s chest and close her eyes.
Gisela couldn’t be thinking as much about kissing him as he thought about kissing her or she wouldn’t be able to fall asleep. With her in his arms, he was too restless to think about anything but her.
He had never felt this way before. He always assumed if he fell in love with a girl, she would naturally love him too. What made a girl fall in love? What could he do to make Gisela love him? He had no idea, and that complete lack of knowledge about women made him feel like he’d been punched in the stomach.
He was used to feeling powerful, to having the upper hand. But with Gisela, he often felt vulnerable. He knew he wasn’t particularly handsome, with his short hair and scars. Some children at one of his tournaments in Burgundy had taken to calling him “Goliath.” Not the most endearing biblical character. And though he’d had many women openly offer themselves to him, he’d never been interested in their brazen advances.