The Fairest Beauty

“Try this,” he urged. “You’re too thin. You need to eat more.”

 

 

Sophie shook her head and ignored the way he was pointing at the food in front of her. She didn’t like him saying she was too thin. No man wanted a skinny wife. Will the stranger’s brother think I am too skinny?

 

She was being silly. He probably didn’t even have a brother.

 

She let down her guard a bit and stretched her arm behind her, leaning back on her hand. Her eyelids were heavy. If she closed her eyes she would go right to sleep.

 

“Tired?”

 

She snapped her eyes open. “I am well.” What came over me? She had to keep herself alert.

 

“You’re a very beautiful young woman, Sophie.” Lorencz had moved closer to her while her eyes had been closed. Now he sat close enough to put his arm around her.

 

Sophie sat up straight, smoothing her skirt and making sure her ankles were covered. Her thin shoes had slipped off her feet, and she fumbled to put them back on again. When she looked up, Lorencz was leaning so close his face was only a handbreadth away.

 

Her heart thumped wildly at his nearness — not because she was excited to be near him, she realized, but because she was afraid of what he intended to do next. Please, God, don’t let him be about to try to take advantage of me. I would hate to have to cut him.

 

His hand was suddenly touching her cheek. She scooted away, out of his reach, and he let his hand fall.

 

“I don’t mean to frighten you.” He lifted his hand again. “You are so beautiful.”

 

This time she slapped his hand away and stood up. The pained look on his face almost made her pity him. But that was a foolish sentiment that would get her in trouble. He’d only take advantage of her pity.

 

“It’s time we were getting back.” Sophie shot him a warning glare. “I have my work to do, and you undoubtedly have yours.” She bent to pick up their picnic leavings from the blanket, tossing them into the basket.

 

Lorencz took a step toward her, but Sophie looked him in the eye. “If you have impure ideas about me, Herr Huntsman, I’m afraid I shall be forced to frustrate you in your purpose.” She injected forceful coldness into her voice.

 

“It is you who are mistaken, Fraulein Sophie. I have nothing but the utmost respect for you.”

 

“If you respected me, you would keep your hands to yourself.” She gave him a piercing look before snatching up the blanket and quickly folding it.

 

Instead of looking angry, he laughed. He picked up the basket as she was reaching for it, so Sophie let him have it, turning and heading back through the dense forest of evergreens and beech trees.

 

They walked along in silence for a few moments. Then Lorencz said in a deep, low voice, “Sophie? Don’t you like me?” He walked so close to her side that his right arm brushed her left.

 

Sophie drew back from the contact. “I hardly know you.”

 

Lorencz said nothing. They were almost back to the castle, though still in the cover of the trees, when Lorencz grabbed her arm and spun her to face him, pulling her against his chest. Sophie clutched the blanket, which served as a shield between them.

 

“I can take you away from this demesne. If we leave now, we might be able to get away from her.”

 

“Why should I trust you?” She leaned her body as far away from him as she could, searching his eyes.

 

“I will marry you. We’ll go so far away she’ll never find us.”

 

He put his arms around her, pulling her more firmly against his torso — and the blanket.

 

“I don’t believe you.”

 

“Think about this when you’re deciding whether to believe me.” He kissed her so hard and so suddenly she didn’t have time to react.

 

The moment he relaxed his hold on her, she stumbled backward and stared at him, still holding the blanket up in front of her. He stared back at her.

 

Sophie’s cheeks heated. How dare he kiss me! “Try that again,” she said, her breath coming fast in her fury, “and you’ll get a bleeding even a barber cannot mend.”

 

He’d forced a kiss on her, and she hadn’t even been able to reach for her knife. Was the large meal slowing her down and fogging her brain? She was still alert enough to wonder if he would truly marry her and take her away from here. Hadn’t she thought just last week, when he visited her in the dungeon, that if anyone could help her escape it was Lorencz? But could she trust him to marry her? Besides, she wasn’t sure she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.

 

And there was the stranger, Gabe. What if he was telling the truth? She had to talk to Petra.

 

Lorencz smirked at her. “Meet me tonight, in the courtyard, and we’ll go for a walk.”

 

“No.”

 

“Then meet me tomorrow morning.”

 

“I have work to do.”

 

“Before breakfast, then, at daybreak.”

 

“Why?”

 

The skin around Lorencz’s scar turned a dark red. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. “Plenty of other maidens would eagerly accept the chance to walk with me tonight. If you don’t come, perhaps I will ask someone else.”

 

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