Could it be true that she was going to marry this man? “Heaven.”
“What?” Valten looked over his shoulder.
“Nothing.”
He opened the shutters and pulled the glass casement open. Gisela hurried to his side and looked out too. It was a long way down. That side of the church faced the woods on the edge of town. No one was within sight.
There was no sign of the tenderness that came into his eyes when he had kissed her. Instead, his face was a picture of cold determination as he turned away from the window.
“Help me collect all the cloths and ropes they used to tie us.”
She and Valten picked up their discarded blindfolds and bonds, and Valten began tying them together. First he tied the two blindfolds together. Then he added the two cloths that had been around Gisela’s wrists and ankles, then the ropes from Valten’s ankles and wrists. He tied them carefully, testing each knot by having her hold one end while he yanked the other end.
Valten searched the room for any other bit of cloth or rope but found only one short piece of rope. After tying it on, he said, “Take this end.” They stretched it out between them.
“This will only reach halfway to the ground, if that.” Gisela frowned.
“It will be enough.” He went to the window and started tying it to the window casement.
“Do you really think so?”
“I’ll climb to the end of it and jump the rest of the way.”
“But what about your hand?”
“I’ll manage.”
Was he always so tough, so unflinching? How much abuse could his poor broken hand take? The bone would end up growing back wrong, or worse. Might his hand become septic? If so, he could die. Her stomach lurched.
He tightened the knot, then threw the other end of the makeshift rope out the window, watching it dangle high above the ground. He started to climb out the window.
“Wait.” Gisela held on to his arm, which felt as hard and solid as a tree trunk. But he wasn’t a tree. He was a man. And even trees could be cut down.
“Don’t worry,” he said, caressing her cheek with the back of his fingers. “Just climb to the end and I’ll catch you.”
“I want you to promise me something first.”
“What is it, liebchen?”
The term of endearment, and the tenderness that had returned to his eyes, made her knees weak. She wanted to throw her arms around him and kiss him once more, but she resisted. Just barely. “I want you to promise me we will seek out an experienced healer for your hand as soon as we escape, and promise you will follow all their instructions.”
“I promise.” He cupped her chin with his palm and kissed her so sweetly it stole her breath.
He pulled away, took a deep breath, then went out the window, holding on to the rope.
Gisela watched him go, flinching at how painful it must be for him to grip the rope with his broken hand. He looked powerful, in any case, as he maneuvered down. The sight of his massive shoulders made her sigh.
She didn’t know she could be so … shallow? Enamored? Just plain silly? But she didn’t care. She also didn’t know she could be so happy.
Valten made it to the end of the rope, then dropped the rest of the way to the ground. He looked up at her. “Just put one leg out the window and grab the rope.”
Gisela took the hem of her skirt and tucked it between her legs and into the belt around her waist, to preserve her modesty. She stuck one leg out the window, sitting on the edge, grabbed the makeshift rope with both hands, and pulled her other leg out.
She swayed a bit as she clutched the rope as tightly as possible. Her stomach flipped as she hung high above the ground.
“That’s good,” Valten said in a soothing voice. “You’re doing well. Now move one hand at a time down the rope.”
Carefully she shifted one hand down, then the other. Her hands slipped a bit and she clung tighter, terrified of falling the entire way and landing on top of Valten. Slowly, she moved one hand, then the other, and inched her way down. Would Ruexner or his men see them and recapture them? She forced herself to concentrate on her task.
“You’re doing well,” Valten assured her. “Keep coming.”
He was probably clenching his teeth at how slowly she was moving, but to his credit, he kept his voice calm and encouraging. He wants to marry me! Thank you, God!
Gisela’s hand slipped. She clung tighter, letting the rough cloth burn the skin on her palm as she clutched it as tightly as possible. Concentrate. He can’t marry me if I fall on his head and break his neck.
“You can do it,” Valten’s deep voice crooned below her. “Careful.”
Gisela inched down. All at once the rope ran out. She was at the end of it before she knew it. Her hands slipped off the end and she was falling.
She forced herself not to make any noise. Squeezing her eyes shut, she braced herself to hit something solid.
She landed in Valten’s strong arms. They held her like iron bands, one under her knees, the other under her back.
“You are so strong.”
“I have to find Sieger now.”