Part 17 (2/2)

They walked along an open path, saying nothing for a while. He kept a quicker pace than she would have liked, but she didn't comment on it. She didn't want to ruin his delight at being outside again.

After a while, they stopped to rest at a wooden bench nestled under a tall oak tree. The breeze wafted softly in the quiet afternoon, stirring the leaves above them.

”It's amazing,” Gabriel said, finally breaking the silence. ”All the things you can hear, when you're unable to see them.”

”What can you hear?” Liliana asked him.

”I can hear the wind,” he told her. ”I can almost picture the height and size of the trees just by the sounds alone.”

Liliana contemplated on what he'd said, closing her eyes and listening to the sounds of the surrounding nature. She listened to the soft stirring of the leaves behind her, trying to imagine how she would picture a nearby tree if she were blind to it.

”What do you look like, Lily?” Gabriel suddenly asked her. He'd finally come to say her nickname with ease.

The question had caught her off guard and she wasn't sure how to answer him.

”Why do you want to know?” she asked.

He shrugged. ”I merely wanted to form a mental picture of you.”

”Well,” she began. ”I'm afraid to say that I'm very ugly, as misfortunate as that may be. I have crooked teeth, two warts on my right cheek, a cleft chin--”

Gabriel chuckled.

”I'm serious!” she exclaimed. ”I'm as skinny as a beanpole; I have five moles across my forehead, a head full of frizzy hair, the same shade as dull wood. And I even have a lazy eye!”

Delighted by the sound of his laughter, Liliana began to laugh now, too. ”I should be thankful to my brother for marrying me off to some old codger,” she said between giggles. ”Because I would never be able to fetch a man on my own!”

Abruptly, Gabriel stopped laughing.

”What is it?” Liliana asked. ”Is something wrong?”

”Yes,” Gabriel explained. ”I feel I owe you my life, Lily. I realize you're only teasing, but I also know that you're upset with your brother's intentions for your future. I'm not usually boastful, but I want to tell you something.”

”What is it?” she asked, cautiously.

”I have plenty of money put away that I never really had any plans for. I could never truly repay you for what you have done for me, but I can provide you with enough money to get by. Your brother will have no need to marry you off.”

Liliana smiled ruefully. ”That is very kind of you, Gabriel. But it wouldn't make a difference. Though I love him dearly, my brother is a greedy swindler. I can only imagine he would figure out a way to take your money and still marry me off for the extra monies he would receive.”

Gabriel's brow furrowed. ”It isn't right,” he proclaimed.

Liliana took his hand, patting it. ”I do appreciate the sentiment.”

Her small touch ignited a spark within Gabriel he'd never felt before. Suddenly, he really wanted to know what the girl actually looked like. He took her face in his hands, cupping her cheeks beneath his fingers. She flinched at his touch at first. Her breathing also wavered, but she didn't move.

”I wonder what you really look like. I doubt there is any truth to your description.”

Liliana decided she was completely uncomfortable with his touching her, yet she still didn't move away. Something inside her stomach seemed to flutter. ”b.u.t.terflies,” she'd heard it been called before. She wondered if she were feeling these so-called b.u.t.terflies at this exact moment.

He traced her face with his fingertips, smoothing her skin from her forehead down to her chin. He traced the almond shape of her eyes, along to the arch of her brows and across the bridge of her nose. He traced the outline of her lips, pausing in the center of her mouth where her lips puckered. Then, he ran his fingers through her hair, caressing the silky strands with adoration.

”My G.o.d,” he finally spoke in a whisper. ”You are beautiful.”

”No,” she said, pulling away. ”I'm very plain, I a.s.sure you. Just a plain Jane.”

”I think you're lying.”

Liliana s.h.i.+fted uncomfortably. ”We should probably get going,” she announced.

”Hold on a moment.” Gabriel grabbed Liliana's arm, pulling her closer towards him. ”There is something I want to see.”

”Sir,” Liliana said, gulping. ”You can't see anything. And I should mention that you're frightening me a little with your close proximity.”

”You're right. I can't see,” he told her softly. ”That's why I need to feel.”

Before she could protest, Gabriel's lips pressed down across hers and he locked her into a tight embrace. Her eyes widened at first and she tried to push him away. But then Liliana felt something she never felt before. The warmth of his lips and tongue forced hers to open and he kissed her pa.s.sionately. She couldn't explain her reaction, but she began to close her eyes. And instead of pus.h.i.+ng him away, she moved closer until she clung to him tightly. She had never felt so ignited or so alive. Every inch of her skin seemed to tingle and melt beneath Gabriel's touch.

Eventually, he was the one pus.h.i.+ng her away. He slid away from her along the bench. She stared at him strangely as they both tried to steady their heavy breathing. Still shocked, Liliana lifted her fingers to touch her swollen lips. She couldn't manage to grasp what just happened. She wasn't sure if she even wanted to.

”I wish I could see your expression right now,” Gabriel finally said aloud.

Liliana didn't say anything. She couldn't quite get the words out. Not that she had any clue what to say.

”I'm sorry,” Gabriel said again. ”I shouldn't have done that. I simply couldn't help myself.”

Liliana found herself wis.h.i.+ng she could look into his eyes. She wanted to know if he were feeling the same pa.s.sion she had just felt.

”It's all right,” she told him tentatively. ”It's just that. . .I've never experienced anything like that before.”

Gabriel nodded. ”I forgot how innocent you must be. I promise it won't happen again.”

Oddly enough, his promise didn't appease her as it should have. She was beginning to believe she must have developed some feelings for Gabriel. Liliana didn't know if she never wanted him to kiss her again. She didn't feel at all guilty for enjoying Gabriel's kiss. She was still a woman after all, though she may be young. And Gabriel was very handsome. She was no harlot. She would never be made to take a tumble with the gaje for a coin, which many of the women resorted to amongst gypsy tribes. But would it be so wrong if she wanted to kiss him again?

TWENTY.

With each pa.s.sing day, Gabriel's strength grew. He was impatient to remove the bandages from his eyes. Strange as it was, his predicament seemed to cause him to start seeing things in his mind. It was almost like he could see people moving about in his head. He could picture the entire inn, the surrounding fields and gardens. He could envision faceless people walking around, working, sleeping, eating or whatever they happened to be doing.

”Were you in the garden just now?” Gabriel asked when Liliana returned from her afternoon walk.

”Yes,” she answered, surprised. ”I figured I would freshen up your room with a cheerful bouquet. How did you know I was there?”

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