“What do you think happened to him? And why was he alone? Owen had said that his men were needed at his home and that was why they had to leave us. But this area is not anywhere near Owen’s home, so where did those men who were with Owen when he found us suddenly come from?”
Her pale cheeks had brightened pink, her wit was quick, and her curiosity as strong as ever, and he was glad to see it. She had paled so badly when she had stared at the dead man that he had thought she might faint. He had kept a strong arm around her waist, her feet barely touching the snow when he had rushed her back to the cottage.
“He met with them in the woods the morning I stole you away from him,” Torr said feeling it was time she knew about what he had seen.
She sat up straight. “Why would he do that? Why not have them come directly to our camp and who are they?” She continued as if searching for the answers. “And why send his other warriors home—unless.” Her eyes turned wide. “The warriors who left were not his warriors.” She shook her head, as if trying to make sense of it all. “What were Owen’s intentions?”
“It would appear they were quite different than what he led you to believe,” Torr said, Owen’s deception a growing concern to him.
“My brother will see to clearing this up and see to Owen,” she said with confidence.
“He will at that,” Torr agreed.
She slipped her hands out of his and turned to stare at the flames.
Torr did not disturb her. He understood that she needed time with her thoughts, so he let her be.
He was surprised when only a short time later she turned and said to him, “I think it would be better if you took me home as soon as possible. There is no telling what Owen will do or say and without being there to defend myself, I fear what may happen.”
“As you wish,” he said thinking the same himself. “We can leave at first light.”
“How long until we reach home?”
“Five or more days, depending on the weather and our stamina.” He did not add that it also depended on whether they ran across Owen and his men.
She nodded and turned her attention back to the flames.
Supper was quiet, neither having anything to say, though Torr urged Wintra to eat.
“I do not know when we will have our next meal. You should eat more to help sustain your strength,” he urged.
“My stomach cannot abide another piece,” she insisted and shook her head. “My brother will be disappointed in me. I have made a fool of myself and that reflects on him.”
“There is no way your brother would ever be disappointed in you and, in the end, it is Owen who will look the fool.”
“You are a good man and you have been good to me, and I thank you for that. And I wish to say something, though I hope I am not making more of a fool of myself yet again, but since I find it easy to talk with you, I thought I could—” She shook her head, and then the words rushed from her mouth. “I think I may have fallen in love with you.”
He felt a squeeze to his heart, a punch to his gut, and he was struck silent, though it did not matter since she went right on talking.
“I do not know anything of love, but I do know that I miss you when you are not near me and I tingle when you are near me, and I love when you kiss me, whether it be a quick or a lingering one. And I wonder now if it will ever be possible to sleep without you by my side.
“You must understand that this is all so strange to me. I have only met you, so how could I possibly be in love with you? And yet I feel that love has struck me good and solid, and I have no idea what to do about it. And there, I have said what I have meant to and you—” She stopped abruptly as if words suddenly failed her or she ran out of them, or perhaps it was that she feared his response.
Torr stood and walked over to her, turning her chair around, with her still in it, and hunched down in front of her. “Marry me, Princess, for I feel the same about you.”
While her eyes turned wide with delight, her words were more cautious. “What if we are wrong? What if it is not love?”
“I do not want to live without you. I would miss your stubborn nature too much,” he said with a chuckle.