The Fairest Beauty

After she finished the tale, Dominyk handed her necklace back to her, its face now marred by a hole shaped like a knife blade. Several of the men crossed themselves when they got a better look at the necklace, their faces pale. Heinric began crying again, tears streaming down his face until Bartel went to get him a cloth to wipe his face and blow his nose.

 

A strange feeling came over Sophie as she thought about the duchess drowning, refusing help, dying at the bottom of the river. The thought of her having to face God made her feel sick. But now Sophie was truly safe. Wasn’t she? Somehow it still didn’t feel real.

 

Gabe spent the rest of the evening waiting for Duke Baldewin to send for him. He prayed for a while in his room, then went out to the stable to groom his horse, making sure Gingerbread hadn’t suffered any bad effects from their hard ride to the monastery.

 

His feeling of uneasiness about being away from Sophie had increased. If the duke wasn’t going to talk to him today, perhaps Gabe should go back to the Cottage of the Seven and bring Sophie here to see her father. But that might not be a good idea. With Sophie riding along, he didn’t think they could make the trip as quickly, which would put him alone with her for too long … No, if he went to fetch Sophie, he’d have to bring Bartel and at least one of the other men with them.

 

The same little boy who’d greeted him two hours ago came running into the stable. “Sir, Brother Baldewin wishes to speak with you now.”

 

Gabe left his horse, who looked well taken care of, and hurried to the monastery’s main building.

 

The boy led him to Baldewin’s own small cell, the gray walls bare, with no furnishings except a narrow bed, a stool, and a bench. His face and hair looked newly scrubbed and clean and his expression was blank as he nodded at the bench in front of him.

 

Gabe sat. He waited for the duke to break the silence and start the conversation, but after several minutes, Gabe decided to broach the subject that had been on his mind since he’d arrived.

 

“Brother Baldewin, I know the news I gave you yesterday was unexpected, but I urge you to let me escort you to your daughter right away. We could leave now and be there in two days.” Please, God, let him say yes.

 

The duke’s hands were hidden inside the sleeves of his coarse woolen robe. He lifted his head, and his bloodshot eyes met Gabe’s. “Tell me everything. I’m ready to hear it now. How did you come to find her?”

 

Gabe took a deep breath. Not what he wanted to hear, but he had no choice but to be patient with Sophie’s father.

 

He told him of Pinnosa’s tale and her death, how he’d felt compelled to go find and rescue Sophie, and the fact that his brother Valten, Sophie’s betrothed, had a broken leg and couldn’t travel. He told of how he and Sophie escaped the duchess and how he had been shot by their pursuer, one of the duchess’s guards.

 

“So my daughter is with Bartel — with the Seven?”

 

Gabe nodded.

 

Baldewin seemed to hug his arms closer to his chest and stared down at the floor.

 

Just as Gabe was about to again suggest they leave to go to her, Baldewin spoke.

 

“So you’ve spent time alone with my daughter. What are your intentions? Do you love her?”

 

“Yes, Your Grace — Brother Baldewin. I have come to love her deeply, and I believe Valten will give his assent to allow me to marry her, if you will also give your permission.”

 

The duke gave Gabe a sharp look, then stared at the floor again. “What does Sophie want? Does she love you?”

 

“Yes.” He swallowed hard, his mouth suddenly dry. “She wants to marry me.”

 

“Even though she’s betrothed to your brother, the future Duke of Hagenheim?”

 

“Yes, Your Grace.” Gabe stared back defiantly while quaking inside.

 

“Do you think it is God’s will that she marry you and not Valten? Do you think your brother is so unworthy?”

 

Gabe’s breath shallowed as he fought to think of an appropriate response to questions he’d not yet been able to answer. What was the truth? He was in a monastery with a man of God and prayer. He felt the pressure to be as truthful as possible.

 

“Valten is not unworthy.” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Valten is … a good man. But perhaps there was a purpose in Valten breaking his leg when he did, and Pinnosa arriving while my brother was unable to travel. God knew what he was doing, surely. He put the urgency in my spirit to send me to Sophie. Perhaps it was His will for us to be together.” And the strange thing is, I believe that. Please let Baldewin believe as well.

 

But Baldewin didn’t seem moved by Gabe’s impassioned speech. He frowned. “Or perhaps you only want it to be so.”

 

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