Page 69 of The Piper's Pursuit

Steffan and Katerina were the only ones at the table in the Great Hall for supper. He and Katerina talked about their journey thus far, about the children and how they might get back to Hamlin once they had defeated Hennek. And even though their kiss was never far from his mind, neither of them even alluded to it. He was too afraid of offending her in some way, or embarrassing her, or otherwise causing her not to want to ever kiss him again.

It was a pity he was seated at the head of the table and therefore he wasn’t close enough to Katerina to hold her hand. Would she let him?

Near the end of the meal, he asked for one of the guards to come so he could ask him some questions.

“How many guards did Lord Gabe leave here?”

“Most of his guard accompanied Lord Gabe and Lady Sophie to Poland to visit Lord Wolfgang. There are only six left here. Will you need us to accompany you and the lady to Hagenheim?”

“No.” He’d already thought about this. “Our enemy’s name is Hennek Grymmelin, the Bürgermeister of Hamlin. He could come here looking for us, and he will have many men with him. You need every guard to help defend the castle. You should warn all the male servants as well. There is no knowing what he might do if he thinks we have been here.”

“I understand. But perhaps you should take at least one soldier with you.”

“Yes, perhaps one guard would be good.”

“Very good. Our lord would want us to protect his brother and his lady.”

He glanced at Katerina. She kept her gaze on the table in front of her. Was she about to tell the man, most emphatically, that she was not his lady? He could certainly imagine her doing so. But she remained silent.

“We could each use a fresh horse and provisions.”

“Of course.”

Soon he and Kat were heading upstairs. They would need as much sleep as they could get before sunrise.

He walked her to her door, his heart thumping. She was so quiet and avoided holding his hand on the way back to their rooms. Was she sorry she had kissed him?

“Sleep well,” she said as she pushed open her door, not meeting his eye.

He caught her hand and kissed it. “Good night, my Katerina.”

She met his eye for the briefest moment, then disappeared inside her room and closed the door.

So she was being demure now. Perhaps that was wise. But he would not forget that she had kissed him. And his hope was strong that she would eventually kiss him again. And even though he didn’t deserve her, he was becoming a better man, was he not? And someday, with God’s help, he might come close to deserving her.

Twenty-One

Katerina was dressed and ready before the sun was more than a gray bit of light chasing the darkest part of the night away. A knock came at her door and she opened it to Steffan.

They walked side by side, so close their arms were touching, so she slipped her hand under and over his arm. He smiled down at her.

“Did you apply your healing salve?”

“I did. The healer came early to wrap the bandages.”

“That was kind of her.”

When they reached the stable, where people might see them, Katerina let go of his arm and kept her distance. Their saddlebags were full of provisions and the stable groomsmen were saddling their horses. Kat and Steffan mounted their fresh horses. Soon they were galloping down the castle mount with one of the Hohendorf guards.

It was a long, hard day. The new guard spoke very little, and his presence kept Steffan from talking very much either. But Kat caught Steffan staring at her several times with a look on his face that she had seldom seen—a slight smile on his lips and a softness about his eyes. Sometimes it made her blush, as it caused her thoughts to go to their kiss. And that made her wonder what the future held. Which made her think,How can this end well? It can’t. And then she chided herself into staying focused on what was important: rescuing the children.

They arrived in Hagenheim just before sunset, tired, hungry, and thirsty, as they hadn’t taken time to avail themselves of their provisions for the last several hours.

They rode their horses through the Hagenheim Castle gate. This castle was as broad and spread out as Hohendorf Castle was high.This is where Steffan grew up.Was he nervous about seeing his family for the first time in more than a year? But then... she’d also be meeting his family. The duke. The duchess. Would they be able to look at Steffan and her and know that she’d kissed their son?

She said a quick prayer and kept her eyes straight ahead.

***