Chapter 32
The sun had climbed well up in the midday sky by the time Kassandra neared the hunting lodge. She slowed her mare to a trot, shading her eyes from its bright glare as she searched for any sign of Stefan or Brand.
A low nicker drifted to her from the small stable, and she felt a rush of nervous excitement. That meant Stefan was here, just as Isabel had said he might be.
She dismounted in front of the stable door, opened to allow the spring breezes to waft in and out, and led the mare inside the darkened building.
It was empty but for Brand, who snorted and tossed his proud head in greeting.
She settled her mare into a nearby stall, then stepped out again into the sunlight, but not in time to see another horse and rider melt into a copse of trees a short distance away.
She walked to the lodge, a giddy tightness in her chest, her breath frozen in her throat. Yet when she pushed open the door and stepped inside, her gaze sweeping the sunlit interior, Stefan was not there. She couldn’t even tell if anyone had been in the lodge since the week before—
A dry stick snapped outside, startling her.
“Stefan?” she called out, rushing from the lodge.
She was greeted only by the chirping of birds, perched high in the swaying branches of the trees that encircled the log building, and the gentle rustling of new leaves, shimmering and waving in the sun.
Where could he be? Then she remembered something Isabel had told her once about a favorite place of Stefan’s, along an arm of the Danube River that served as the northeastern boundary of their land.
She had said he used to spend many hours there as a boy, fishing or dreaming.
Isabel had even caught him fencing at imaginary enemies, a wooden sword in his hand, one day when she had ridden out to meet him.
Kassandra smiled faintly, conjuring up the scene, then her thoughts returned quickly to the reason she had followed him here. But where was this river? She had never seen it herself, for she never rode this far north. She had no idea if it ran anywhere near the hunting lodge…
It must be close by, she reasoned. Otherwise Brand would not be in the stable. She walked determinedly around the lodge, searching for any sign of a path. She was rewarded when she spied a well-worn trail leading through the dense woods at the rear of the lodge.
She began to follow it, almost running, a sense of urgency spurring her on. The trail wound through the forest for a short way, skirted a wide clearing, and finally sloped back into the trees and down a gradual hill.
She could hear the sound of rushing water growing louder and louder, yet she was hardly prepared for the majesty of the river when she came upon it, a winding torrent of light and vibrant color. She leaned against a tree while she caught her breath, her eyes wide as she drank in the stunning view.
Sunlight sparkled upon the water, interwoven streaks of gold broken only by the white-flecked current, a splashing fish, or a gusting breeze.
Reflected in its depths was a sky of azure blue.
Lush green grass covered the rolling banks, like a velvet carpet falling into the water, and towering trees lined the shore—
Kassandra’s heart pitched as her wide-eyed gaze suddenly fell upon Stefan. He was sitting with his back to her almost at the edge of a grassy knoll overlooking the river, a short distance from where she stood.
Quelling a rush of apprehension, she pushed away from the tree.
She moved slowly behind him, her footfalls masked by the soft grass.
She could tell he was lost in thought, his arms around a raised knee, his other leg stretched out in front of him.
It was only when she laid her hand gently upon his shoulder that he started in surprise and jumped to his feet, whirling to face her.
“Kassandra! What the devil?” he shouted. He eyed her warily. “What are you doing here?”
She hesitated a moment. She had so much to say to him, to explain to him…she didn’t know how to begin. She took a tentative step toward him, her eyes locking with his own.
“I’ve come to meet the man who has won my love,” she murmured, ignoring the fierce beating of her heart.
Stefan winced, his face darkening. So this must have been where she would meet her lover, he thought angrily.
How ironic that she had discovered this particular spot on the river, his favorite sanctuary, for her liaisons.
How fitting. But, damn it all, why did she have to torture him?
Did she hate him so much she would now flaunt her lover before him?
He turned to study the shoreline. There was no sign of anyone yet. He looked back at her, consumed with barely controlled rage. No! He would not have it. Elsewhere perhaps, but not on his land, and not here.
“If the man is fool enough to trespass on my land,” Stefan grated, “he will surely face the sting of my sword.”
Kassandra couldn’t breathe, the force of his pain almost too much to bear.
She saw it reflected in his eyes, those gray depths that could stir her with only a casual glance.
She read it in the taut stance of his powerful body and in his expression, his ruggedly handsome features set, implacable, strangely pale despite his bronzed skin.
How she had hurt him. How they had hurt each other.
She had to choose her words carefully, oh so carefully…
“If that is so,” she said softly, “then you will be plunging your blade into your own heart.”
Stefan stood motionless, his blood roaring in his ears. When he spoke at last, his voice was a dangerous whisper.
“So you mock me even now, Kassandra. “
“No!” she exclaimed, rushing up to him and placing her fingers upon his lips. “Never.”
He flinched at her touch, seizing her wrist in a cruel grip. Kassandra winced against the pain but held her ground, her chin trembling as she shook her head.
“There has never been another man, Stefan,” she murmured. “Only you.”
He quaked at her words, shaken to the very depths of his soul. Ever so gradually, as the agonizing torment ebbed from his body, his grip loosened. His eyes burned into her own as he brought her hand to his mouth, his lips searing into her flesh as he kissed her open palm.
“Kassandra…” he moaned raggedly, his arm encircling her waist, drawing her close. “Kassandra…”
She lifted her hand to his bent head, her fingers stroking his thick black hair.
“I love you, Stefan.”
His mouth captured hers before she could draw a breath. He kissed her with all the passion he possessed, yet with infinite tenderness, saying without words what was etched indelibly upon his heart.
Nothing else mattered, no explanations, no apologies…only the kiss they shared. The past was forgotten, lost in the face of impassioned forgiveness, and there was only the future, shining before them.
With an exultant cry, Stefan picked her up in his arms, her feet dangling off the ground. They twirled around and around, a wild shower of kisses raining upon cheeks, eyelids, tips of noses, smiling lips.
Incredible joy, the sweetest rapture…they were drunk with it, giddy, and then it seemed the ground moved from beneath them, and they were falling through space—
Kassandra shrieked in shock as they hit the cold water with a mighty splash, her cry cut off when she sank beneath the sunlit surface. Then she was catapulted upward by Stefan’s strong arms, sputtering and gasping for air as she emerged from the shoulder-high depths.
Stunned, she gaped at him through spiky lashes, her chest heaving, her teeth chattering, her riding habit a sodden weight upon her chilled body.
He was as drenched as she, rivulets running down his face, his clothes molded to the rugged breadth of his shoulders and chest, and he was grinning from ear to ear.
“It appears, my lady, that I…misjudged…the shoreline!” he gasped, holding her close against him to prevent the strong underlying currents from forcing them apart.
He kissed her with a loud smack, a low chuckle rumbling in his throat.
Then he threw back his head and laughed uproariously, the deep, rich peals echoing all around them.
Kassandra thrilled at the sound and joined in, her bright laughter merging with his own. It felt so good to laugh, to love!
She entwined her arms around his neck as he lifted her easily in his arms and waded to shore against the tugging current, climbing onto the sloping bank, where he sank to his knees and set her gently upon the soft grass.
He fell beside her and rolled onto his back, wiping his hands across his face and through his hair. They lay there for a few moments, staring up into the wide blue sky, their panting breaths punctuated by short bursts of laughter.
Kassandra threw her arms above her head, luxuriating in the golden warmth of the sun through her soaked clothing. Yet the mid-April breeze was cool. She shivered, her teeth still chattering.
“I w-wonder what Isabel and…m-my…father…will think when th-they see us,” she stammered, glancing at Stefan with a quivering smile.
“They’ll be none the wiser,” Stefan answered enigmatically, sitting up. He bent over her and planted a warm, lingering kiss on her chilled lips, then drew away and rose to his feet. He held out his hand to her. “Come with me.”
With a puzzled look, Kassandra took his hand.
He pulled her up beside him, and they walked back to the grassy knoll where he had been sitting.
He picked up his light woolen cloak and wrapped it securely around her shoulders.
Then they set out hand in hand along the trail to the hunting lodge.
The walk seemed much shorter going back, despite numerous pauses for breathless kisses, and soon they were standing just outside the lodge.