“Mildred told me you did not have a container for water. I have an extra flask.” He held it out to her.
Evangeline opened her mouth to thank him, but her chest emptied itself of air.
She had almost forgotten—I am supposed to be mute!
She thought she must seem addled as she gazed up at him, so she changed her expression to a sheepish smile.
“I filled it up for you.”
She nodded, enjoying the view of him, his brown hair lying in a perfect tousle across his forehead, framing his matching brown brows and thick lashes.
“May I help you up?” His large hand reached down to her.
The touch of his hand sent a sensation through her fingers and up her arm, and she let him pull her to her feet.
He was a bit taller than she was, and he was staring into her eyes. Did he think she was pretty? Even though she was wearing a plain servant’s dress and her hair was hanging down her back, having not been brushed since the day before. But the way he was looking at her . . .
“I did not realize you and your friend did not have a blanket last night. I would have given you one of ours.”
He did not expect her to answer him, of course, so she shrugged and kept smiling.
“As soon as you are ready, we will be on our way.”
Evangeline bent and picked up her bag. She was ready. Ready to follow him wherever he was going on this beautiful, perfect morning.
Chapter Four
Westley could not help looking at the red-haired beauty every time she came within his view. Her hair was a color that caught the rays of the sun and absorbed them, glowing and triumphant. Her skin was pale and yet vibrant and healthy, with only a sprinkling of freckles across her upper cheeks and nose.
She looked as if she might open her mouth and speak to him at any moment, but then he would remember what her friend had said.
His heart clenched every time he thought about her being hurt so cruelly by her mistress. No one deserved that, and certainly not this gentle, sweet maiden with the loveliest green eyes he’d ever seen. When he’d seen her red hair, he wondered for a moment if she was the woman in the window of the castle, whose heavenly singing voice was burned into his mind. But she was mute, so she couldn’t be the same woman.
They walked along the road, picking up another small group of travelers who asked to accompany them. But he made sure to keep watch over Eva and Mildred.
Eva’s eyes were wide and alert as she seemed to take in everything with childlike wonder, while Mildred wore a constant frown and grumbled under her breath.
They were passing a fast-moving stream only a few feet from the road. The bank was steep, and they could hear the rushing of the water as they traversed along the top of the bank.
Mildred suddenly sputtered, “E-E-Eva! You are too close to the edge.”
Eva glanced back. Westley’s heart stopped for a moment at her look of delight. She took one small step back, but she kept staring down at the water as if she’d never seen a river before.
Mildred marched to her friend and grabbed her by the arm, then returned Eva to the road to walk with the group.
A few minutes later, Eva was standing in front of a bush, staring down at it. She turned her head and motioned frantically to Mildred, who hurried over.
“It’s only a butterfly,” Mildred said.
Eva continued to watch it until it flew away. Her gaze followed its fluttering until it floated too far off the road to see.
Mildred smiled apologetically. “She was not allowed out of the house very much by her master and mistress.”
Perhaps the abuse of her past had addled her mind. But then again, if she had never been able to see these things that he had seen so many times before, her behavior was reasonable.
When they stopped to rest and eat some food, he glanced at Mildred and Eva. They were sitting close together, but they were not eating. And the only reason they would not be eating was if they had no food.
He and his men had plenty of bread and hard-boiled eggs, some nuts and dried fruit, since they had stocked up before leaving the castle. So he went to the cart and retrieved a provision bag and brought it to them.
Mildred’s cheeks colored. “We can pay you for it.” She motioned to her young companion, who seemed to realize what she was saying and grabbed their bag, rummaging through it.
Westley shook his head. “I do not need to be paid. Here, take the food.”
“No, no, we wish to pay. At the next village we can buy food.”
Eva held out a handful of coins. Where did two peasant women get so much money?
Mildred grabbed her hand, closed Eva’s fingers into a fist, and gave her a scolding look. Then she discreetly took one of the coins and thrust it at Westley.