“I have not spoken of this enemy to anyone else. But when I saw your knife yesterday, I knew you were the one who could help train me.”
He glanced around again. “Then you are at risk even now?”
“No. I have two months.”
His attention came to rest upon me, and he studied my face as though seeking answers there. I couldn’t share the truth of my plans, lest anyone attempt to stop me.
“If someone sees you with the knife, you could be flogged.” He threw out what seemed to be a last weak protest.
“Likewise, for you.”
“I am willing to take the risk.”
“So am I.”
He pursed his lips.
“Please.” I infused my voice with as much pleading as I could muster. “You are my only hope.”
Seconds ticked by, and the town began to awaken around us—the clank of a cooking pot, ragged coughing, and low murmuring voices.
Finally, Vilmar released a short, tense breath. “The only way we can spend time together without rousing suspicion is if we pretend to be”—he paused as though searching for the right words—“enamored with each other.”
A strange flush rose into my cheeks. I knew exactly what he was referring to. Down in the mine pits, couples who wanted time alone would sneak off for short periods. Of course, they never wandered beyond the glimmer of torchlight and never stayed away for long. But no one questioned the need for the couple to have a few moments to themselves once in a while.
Even so, I hesitated at using such a ruse. It was one thing to sneak away undetected. It was another thing entirely to flaunt our leaving and allow people to believe we were courting.
In the world I’d come from, noble young ladies did not court without the benefit of a chaperone. I had no doubt Alice or Benedict would insist on accompanying me, and then they would know of my training and ask me all sorts of unwanted questions.
“I cannot lie to Alice or Benedict.”
“Then you shall have to work hastily at becoming enamored with me to prevent a lie.”
“One cannot force oneself to become enamored.”
His smile broke free. “No woman has ever had to force herself to like me.”
I could only imagine how true his statement was. He was not only good-looking, but he exuded a blatantly masculine aura that had drawn me in during our brief interaction, making me like him more, not less.
The truth was, his plan would allow for more training time. In fact, we would have much more freedom to be together if everyone assumed we were a couple.
“I must confess, I shall not find it disagreeable to become enamored with you.” His low whisper contained a note of intimacy that made my stomach flutter. “But first, you must inform Curly you are attracted to me and wish to spend time with me.”
“You expect me to deceive Curly as well?” My tone rose, and I quickly dropped it to a whisper. “You ask too much, my lord.” I straightened my shoulders and lifted my chin, needing to prove both to him and myself I had no attraction whatsoever. I simply admired him for his good and brave deeds. That was all.
He raised a hand as though to caress my cheek, but then apparently thought better of it and crossed his arms over his chest. “My lady, if what you say is true, that you really are in such peril, then allowing yourself to become enamored with me is the least of your problems.”
Without waiting for my response, he spun and disappeared as quietly as he came.
I could only stand and watch the early dawn mist swallow him. What harm could come of allowing some innocent attraction to develop between us? As he boasted, he would be an easy man to like. Even if I had to fabricate some of the feelings, surely God would forgive me for my deception, especially because as a result, I would finally be able to put an end to the most dreaded custom in the land.
Chapter
5
Vilmar
Curly knelt next to a young woman in the infirmary and spoke to her as he smoothed her hair away from her forehead. She must be Molly, the woman Lady Gabriella had mentioned, the one Curly cared about.
By the glow of the hearth, I watched from outside the doorway. I couldn’t deny I was more than a little relieved to discover Curly already had a woman and that Lady Gabriella wasn’t a pawn in the redheaded leader’s hands.
My relief had nothing to do with desiring the beautiful noblewoman for myself. Because I most certainly didn’t want her, and I couldn’t mislead her in thinking we had a future together or allow myself to become distracted from my Testing. I’d been hesitant to meet with her this morn for that very reason and had almost skipped.
My gaze touched on Lady Gabriella’s bent head as she finished bandaging the stump at Molly’s elbow. The golden red of her hair never failed to draw my attention, just as it had yesterday after she started working in the drift with the rest of us. She wore it plaited in a single braid that fell to her waist, but that gave full view of her delicate features, her smooth skin, and her graceful figure.
The other slaves claimed the lady had once been lauded as the fairest maiden in the land, and I could see why. Apparently, she’d also been one of the wealthiest, until her father died and Queen Margery pilfered the lands and wealth away from Lady Gabriella.
From the first moment I’d risked my life pulling her and Farthing off the bridge, I sensed she would upend my life. After resisting her since then, I should have continued keeping my distance. But I hadn’t been able to stay away from the clandestine meeting, no matter how loudly my internal warning had clanged.
When she’d pleaded with me to teach her how to kill her enemy, the anxiety in her eyes and the desperation etched into her face made it impossible to say no. And I still couldn’t, not when I imagined what danger awaited her.
Though she hadn’t wanted to reveal her enemy, I guessed she feared her accuser coming to silence her, probably the duchess’s steward who had blamed her for stealing. Of course, I’d easily learned about Lady Gabriella’s crime. The other slaves spoke freely and had been all too willing to tell me everything I wanted to know about the comely noblewoman.
Now here I was, waiting to begin our charade. But first, I wanted to make sure she followed through in telling Curly about us. Even if I had earned more of his approval after yesterday’s rescue, I couldn’t jeopardize our tentative peace and risk his wrath.
As Curly started to rise, his attention snagged on me, and he shot a glare my way before he bent to say something in Lady Gabriella’s ear. Her head snapped up, and l found myself looking into her expressive blue eyes, which were filled with an anticipation that made my stomach do a strange flip.
I gave her a curt nod, hoping she understood that if she hadn’t yet spoken to Curly of our relationship, she needed to do so now. If Curly didn’t approve of me for Lady Gabriella, then I wasn’t sure what we would do.
With a new rosy hue painting her cheeks, Lady Gabriella said something to the redhead. His brow wrinkled, and the two argued in hushed tones back and forth for at least a full minute.
Several other patients lying on pallets slumbered through the commotion. Finally, Molly raised her uninjured arm and pressed her hand against Curly’s face. At the touch, the frustration disappeared and was replaced with a tenderness that made me like Curly better than I did already.