As they listened, the off-key whistling continued. Eden’s twittering was contagious. Eve pressed her fingers to her lips to try to stay silent.
Instead of moving away, the whistling came closer. Humor left her. She straightened away from the tree; her gaze swept the clearing, searching for the intruder.
As the whistling grew closer, she heard the crunch of footsteps echoing across the lake and she couldn’t tell where the intruder was coming from. She slowly rose, glancing at Eden to find her sister had vanished. That was not a good sign. Eve pressed her back against the tree, waiting.
And then, he emerged from the forest, onto the grass, to her right. He wore the clothing of a traveler, a brown cloak and hood which he dusted from his head to reveal shoulder length dark hair. He wore black boots that were soundless as he crossed the grass to the bank of the pond. From the back, the sword he wore in a sheath at his side was very apparent. He wore it beneath his cloak, which she imagined was open in front, tied at the neck.
He stood for a moment, staring out over the pond, much the same way she had. His hands were on hips when a gentle breeze fluttered by rippling though his hair and cloak.
Eve gasped at the teasing glimpse of power she spied beneath his cloak. She could gaze at him all day. He was mysterious and gorgeous. But, she didn’t know this man and it was dangerous. She was going to sneak away, better to be safe than sorry.
“Are you lost?” His thick, deep voice echoed through the air.
She turned back to him. Was he speaking to her? Maybe if she stayed silent he would not know she was there.
“I grow weary of rescuing maidens in this spot, so I hope you are not lost.”
She swallowed. Hewasspeaking to her. He must be. There was no one else here! She lifted her chin. “You rescue maidens here often?”
He dropped his head and turned toward her. “Every time I visit, it appears.”
He was still too far away for her to clearly see his features. But she wanted to see him. “How did you know I was here?”
“It is almost winter, and I smelled roses. I also saw your footprints.” He signaled the ground.
Ahh. That made sense. Come closer, she silently willed. “And why would a knight come to this spot?”
He came toward her. “Perchance to meet a maiden. Why would a maiden come to this spot alone?”
His walk was confident, the air about him more so. Tingles danced through her body, but she was not cold. “It’s peaceful,” she admitted.
“Dangerous.”
“Never in all my years have I felt danger here. Are you threatening me?”
“I do not threaten maidens. I was only pointing out the obvious. I could be a robber or a brigand.”
“There is nothing to steal here.”
He stopped before her. His gaze moved slowly over her. “I would dispute that.”
The way he looked at her sent tremors through her body. She scowled. There was something about him. She peered closer. His strong chin, aquiline nose. He was like a Greek statue, carved to perfection. “Do I know you?”
“I would remember if we met before.”
His eyes. So blue. Like the painting of oceans. Her mouth dropped open and she inhaled. She knew those eyes! She recognized them. It seemed so long ago, in a dream. “Who are you?”
“Sir Gabriel Bedford.”
Her heart did a little drop as she realized why she must recognize his eyes. It wasn’t as she thought. It had been no dream, no angel. Shehadmet him before. He was her betrothed’s brother.
A crest-fallen look claimed her bright eyes before she looked away. “That explains it.”
“Explains what?”
“I am Lady Eve. Betrothed to your brother, Michael.”
He took a step closer to her, trying to come to terms with the frozen child he remembered holding in his arms and the stunning woman who stood before him now. Perchance if he squinted and erased everything but her eyes… But no matter how hard he squinted, her full lips continued to distract him. She was no child. “Little Evie?” he asked in disbelief.
