She was wiping her face, trying to hide her tears. “I understand if you don’t,” she said in a watery voice. “You don’t have to marry me if you don’t love me.”
Was she not listening to him? He closed his eyes, then sighed. To get angry with her would not help. He knew that from experience with his sisters. If he grew annoyed with them for crying, they just cried harder. Besides, Gisela was worth a hundred confessions of love.
He reached out and ran his hand along her arm until he caught her hand in his. She continued to wipe her face with her other hand and still wouldn’t look at him.
“Listen to me. I love you, Gisela.” He leaned toward her, as far as he was able. “I was falling in love with you almost from the moment I saw you, and had nearly made up my mind to ask you to marry me the night of the banquet.”
“Truly?” She turned her face to him, her mouth open and her eyes wide. Her lashes were wet with tears. “But why? I’m not a duke’s daughter, or even a wealthy knight’s daughter. I’m only an orphan, and one who’s related to your worst enemy, at that.”
“Why would I care if you were a duke’s daughter, or wealthy?”
“I thought a duke’s son would need to marry someone whose status was closer to his own.”
Valten sighed as he looked into her deep blue eyes, made even bluer by her tears. “I don’t need prestige or wealth,” he said softly. “I need you, and I want you with me forever.” He looked at her lips just above him, so sweet and tempting.
Her bottom lip quivered and she captured it with her teeth.
Valten went on. “I want to marry you. I haven’t been able to think about anything but you, and I could barely keep my mind on the tournament because of it.” He pulled her hand closer, placing it over his heart, forcing her to lean over him. “I love you and only you.” He looked deeply into her lovely blue eyes. “I’ve always been a man of action. I’m not like my brother, Gabe, who seems to know the right thing to say. And if I didn’t have my hand in a bucket of water, I’d come up there and show you how much I love you.”
Her eyes went wide again. “What?”
He gave her a wicked smile, but when she looked alarmed, he said, “I only want to kiss you.”
She climbed down off the bench.
“Be careful of your ankle,” he said, as she knelt beside him and slipped her arms around his neck.
She stared at him in a way that made him glad he was alive … very glad. Then she closed her eyes and the gap between them and pressed her lips to his so fervently it made him thank God again for protecting him so many times. He wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her just as fervently, hoping she could hear “I love you” loud and clear in his actions. But if the words “I love you” had this kind of effect, he could imagine himself saying them quite a lot in the years to come.
She pulled away, holding his face in her hands. “I used to sit at my window, when I felt alone, and stare at the towers of Hagenheim Castle and wonder about you—where you were, what you were doing. I wondered what it would be like to see you again. It feels like a dream to hear you say you love me.”
Touching her cheek with his fingertips, her skin was softer than silk. He slipped his hand behind her head and pulled her in for another kiss.
“I will always love you, and you will never be alone again.” He touched his forehead to hers. “When my brother asked me to break my betrothal to Sophie, I was angry. But now I’m grateful. I know God planned all along for me to find you and marry you.” Gisela was his damsel in distress, and she loved him. Even if he wasn’t good at thinking of charming words, now that he knew how she felt about “I love you,” he would say them every day. For the rest of their lives.
Chapter
31
She took a deep breath to keep the tears of joy from flowing. When had she become such a weepy person? Her stepmother had said horrible things to her, hurt her physically, and yet Gisela had rarely ever cried.
Gisela was grateful to Valten’s brother too. “I shall have to remember to thank both Lord Gabehart and Lady Sophie.”
Valten brushed his thumb over her cheek.
She sat on the floor beside him, letting him gather her to his side, and rested her head against his chest. She’d never felt happier, but thoughts of her stepmother invaded, and even though she’d rather just keep kissing Valten, Bartel would probably be back at any moment.
“What will become of my stepmother and stepsisters when we go back to Hagenheim?”