Page 90 of The Piper's Pursuit

“You do? Only somewhat?”

She laughed. Such a beautiful sound, even if she was laughing at him. He smiled back.

“I’m sure you’ve heard it before from other maidens.”

“Iamknown as one of Duke Wilhelm’s most handsome sons.”

She took a deep breath and sighed. “I think you are very handsome.”

Air rushed into Steffan’s lungs. Perhaps shewouldwant him to return to Hamlin. He had to tell her that he wanted her to wait for him, not to let anyone, like that Hans, get too close to her until he returned. But how would he tell her?

***

Katerina had always been honest. Part of her panicked at telling Steffan he was handsome, but she did think he was handsome. To say otherwise would be to tell a lie. And she had never been manipulative in the way other girls she knew would pout and tell a man one thing when the truth was something else.

“I must go visit my mother, but will you be glad to see me return?”

“How long will you be gone?”

“Three weeks? Maybe less.”

Three weeks was not a long visit when it would take him at least two days to get there and two days to get back. But it seemed like a long time for him to be away.

She gazed up at him, letting herself be captured by his blue eyes. It wasn’t often she even let herself look directly into them, for it was like looking directly into the sun—dangerous. And it was frightening how much she had grown attached to him. She had an urge to touch his cheek and feel the short stubble on his jawline, as the memory of their kiss swept over her.

He held out his hand, and she lifted her own and placed it in his. He held it gently. “Katerina, do you like flowers?”

“Yes.”

“I want to know everything you like, to talk with you, dance with you.”

“But there’s no music. And I don’t like dancing.” Had he gone daft?

“What I mean to say is, I want to be where you are, and if you don’t like dancing at festivals, we can just listen to the music, go hunting, have picnics. I want to know... if you want me to return to Hamlin.”

A bit of fear gripped her. If she said yes, what would that mean? But she would be honest with him. “I think I would like listening to music with you, going hunting, and having picnics, if you stay as you are now, kind and respectful, noble and good. As I know you are.” She leaned a bit closer to his broad chest as she said this. She wanted to kiss him, but she’d promised herself she would not, that the next time she would let him kiss her, if indeed he wanted to kiss her. But there were so many people around them, even in their out-of-the-way spot, more people were walking past them as the crowd grew in the town square.

He moved closer to her, and soon her forehead was resting against his shoulder as he wrapped one arm around her, loosely, casually. “Katerina.” He whispered her name. Her heart tripped.

He was still holding her hand. She felt him lifting it and then kissing it. She was so aware of his lips on the back of her hand, his breathing, his head bent beside hers, his chin now just brushing against her hair.

Someone was calling the crowd to attention. Duke Wilhelm’s name broke into her consciousness.

“Katerina Ludken?”

Kat stepped away from Steffan, who seemed reluctant to let go of her hand. A guard was standing behind her.

“Yes?”

“Duke Wilhelm would like you to hear the announcement.”

“Of course.”

She gave Steffan a quizzical glance, and they both walked toward the fountain, where his father was standing. The guard walked them through the hushed crowd right up to Duke Wilhelm’s side, who smiled at her just before he began speaking in a loud voice.

“I am here due to the bravery of two people. The town of Hamlin has had its children returned to their rightful parents, thanks to the good hearts, clever thinking, and determination in the face of danger of my son, Steffan Gerstenberg, and Hamlin’s own courageous Katerina Ludken.”

Many cheers went up from the crowd, both whoops and shouted words of gratitude and praise. Kat felt her cheeks growing hot. Even through blurred vision, she saw people she knew, women she’d bought things from in the marketplace, friends she’d played games with when she was a child, and men who had been friends with her father. And there was her mother, tears running down her face.