“You’re not exactly a guest. And you’re not unwelcome.” He hesitated, then cleared his throat. He felt a flush creep up his neck. “I hope nothing I’ve done has made you feel that way. I understand we’re both just pawns in a larger game. I should never blame the chess piece for losing the match.”
She smiled up at him. “Well, then, God bless you, Master Behaim—from one chess piece to another.”
God’s bones, but she had a smile. It was as though a ray of sunshine had been captured here on earth. He stared at her, drawn to those delicately full lips. A mouth like that could become an obsession.
Sabina suddenly blinked, and her smile faded. She bit her lip in a nervous gesture, and cast her gaze about as if searching for somewhere else to rest it. She finally glanced with curiosity at the door directly across from where they stood.
“That’s my chamber,” he said, reading the question in her gaze. “If you need anything in the night, just knock—I’ll assist you if I can.” Although what she could want in the night didn’t bear thinking about.
“I have few needs,” she said quickly, looking away.
“Which makes the ones you have even more pressing, I imagine,” he murmured.
Sabina whipped her head around to stare at him. “I—I would not wish to disturb you,” she stammered. “I am certain I have disturbed you enough as it is.”
He drew in a breath. “More than you might suppose.”
Why had he thought she was plain? It was true, she was no great beauty in the usual sense, but she had a radiant smile, her eyes reflected a fierce intelligence, and except for the color, hair like Venus arising out of the mist in a mural he had once seen on his Italian travels …
His eyes drifted to her throat and he watched her pulse gently beating there. The chamber suddenly seemed much warmer.
He forced his eyes away from her and made his expression as neutral as he could. “Still, do not hesitate to ask.”
Dismissing the subject, he turned from her then, and glanced around the room as though surveying its contents for the first time while he tried to catch his breath. His heart was pounding, and he felt as though he had just run a league.
Good God, get a hold of yourself.
“So, you have your bath. In addition, a bowl of hot stew—” he lifted the cloth off the trencher Bea had placed on the bed and sniffed appreciatively, “—as well as a few other treats.”
At the mention of food, Sabina hastened to the trencher and snatched up a handful of roasted chestnuts. She ate them quickly, and only at the last mouthful did she seem to remember he was there. She ducked her head, turning then to the tub before the fire. It was just big enough to sit up in, but small enough to fit comfortably. She carefully licked the sticky remnants of the chestnuts off her fingers, dipped her hand into the steaming water, and swirled it slowly back and forth, gazing into its depths.
Wolf watched the entire process, almost comically aroused at the unintentionally sensual gestures.
“Oh, it all is so wonderful,” she said. “The bread was superb, but I fear I could eat a small horse about now. I suppose it means Suleiman is safe.” She laughed nervously, and looked away when he didn’t join in.
“However, the bath appeals, too. The baron allowed me to bathe before the wedding, I think because he was afraid I would embarrass him, but it was just a basin of river water, and it was so cold—” She stopped.
He realized she had revealed more about her father’s treatment of her than she had intended.
“What I mean to say is, Sister Katie—she was one of the nuns at the convent? She said we only learn to appreciate the smallest mercies after they are withdrawn.”
He felt sympathy well up in him, and he couldn’t disguise it. He could tell it unnerved her. When was the last time anyone had shown her sympathy?
“Sister Katie sounds like a wise woman,” was all he said.
Sabina turned away, and
She smiled up at him. “Well, then, God bless you, Master Behaim—from one chess piece to another.”
God’s bones, but she had a smile. It was as though a ray of sunshine had been captured here on earth. He stared at her, drawn to those delicately full lips. A mouth like that could become an obsession.
Sabina suddenly blinked, and her smile faded. She bit her lip in a nervous gesture, and cast her gaze about as if searching for somewhere else to rest it. She finally glanced with curiosity at the door directly across from where they stood.
“That’s my chamber,” he said, reading the question in her gaze. “If you need anything in the night, just knock—I’ll assist you if I can.” Although what she could want in the night didn’t bear thinking about.
“I have few needs,” she said quickly, looking away.
“Which makes the ones you have even more pressing, I imagine,” he murmured.
Sabina whipped her head around to stare at him. “I—I would not wish to disturb you,” she stammered. “I am certain I have disturbed you enough as it is.”
He drew in a breath. “More than you might suppose.”
Why had he thought she was plain? It was true, she was no great beauty in the usual sense, but she had a radiant smile, her eyes reflected a fierce intelligence, and except for the color, hair like Venus arising out of the mist in a mural he had once seen on his Italian travels …
His eyes drifted to her throat and he watched her pulse gently beating there. The chamber suddenly seemed much warmer.
He forced his eyes away from her and made his expression as neutral as he could. “Still, do not hesitate to ask.”
Dismissing the subject, he turned from her then, and glanced around the room as though surveying its contents for the first time while he tried to catch his breath. His heart was pounding, and he felt as though he had just run a league.
Good God, get a hold of yourself.
“So, you have your bath. In addition, a bowl of hot stew—” he lifted the cloth off the trencher Bea had placed on the bed and sniffed appreciatively, “—as well as a few other treats.”
At the mention of food, Sabina hastened to the trencher and snatched up a handful of roasted chestnuts. She ate them quickly, and only at the last mouthful did she seem to remember he was there. She ducked her head, turning then to the tub before the fire. It was just big enough to sit up in, but small enough to fit comfortably. She carefully licked the sticky remnants of the chestnuts off her fingers, dipped her hand into the steaming water, and swirled it slowly back and forth, gazing into its depths.
Wolf watched the entire process, almost comically aroused at the unintentionally sensual gestures.
“Oh, it all is so wonderful,” she said. “The bread was superb, but I fear I could eat a small horse about now. I suppose it means Suleiman is safe.” She laughed nervously, and looked away when he didn’t join in.
“However, the bath appeals, too. The baron allowed me to bathe before the wedding, I think because he was afraid I would embarrass him, but it was just a basin of river water, and it was so cold—” She stopped.
He realized she had revealed more about her father’s treatment of her than she had intended.
“What I mean to say is, Sister Katie—she was one of the nuns at the convent? She said we only learn to appreciate the smallest mercies after they are withdrawn.”
He felt sympathy well up in him, and he couldn’t disguise it. He could tell it unnerved her. When was the last time anyone had shown her sympathy?
“Sister Katie sounds like a wise woman,” was all he said.
Sabina turned away, and
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