Page 78 of A Storm in Every Heart
I ponder that, pushing myself far beyond the usual amount of effort I’d exert on anything, and really trying to see this from her point of view.
I suppose that anyone who looks like Odessa would have already encountered dozens—maybe hundreds—of men who are only interested in her because of her beauty. She’s probably already jaded and distrustful of anyone claiming an interest in her.
“Fine, I take your point,” I say.
She relaxes slightly. “Thank you.”
“So the only solution is for you to let me get to know you better.”
She stiffens again. “Excuse me?”
“Tell me what you want in payment for the horse race. Surely you can learn a lot about a person from what they’d ask for if they could have anything in the world.”
Her eyes narrow. “So you’ll be judging me? Will I get more points if I ask for something altruistic instead of gold or jewels?”
“There’s no point system. I just want to know what’s important to you.”
She looks conflicted, then sighs, her shoulders slumping. “Fine,” she breathes. “I want to see the ships.”
“The ships?” I repeat, uncomprehending. “The ones you were looking at the other night, you mean?”
She nods. “I want to go to the harbor and see them.”
“The masked ball on the last night of this summit is being held on a ship. You’ll get to see them then.”
She shakes her head. “That’s not what I mean. I want to go see them alone, but I can’t get out of the castle and go wandering around during the day. I'll be missed, and I’m not stupid enough to go alone at night.”
I nod. I’m glad to hear that, at least. I can’t imagine what would happen to a girl as beautiful as Odessa if she went down to the harbor alone after dark.
Actually, I can imagine it, and the idea sends a jolt of combined panic and anger through me, so strong that my knuckles turn white on the oar handles.
“I’ll take you,” I blurt out.
She looks down her nose at me. “You can’t take me to the harbor. People would recognize you. I was thinking you could send some of your guards with me.”
“I think you’d be surprised how few people would recognize me out of context. I used to escape my guards all the time as a child, I’m very familiar with the city.”
She smiles, a slightly knowing expression I can’t quite understand appearing on her face.
I jump on that smile like a starving animal on a shred of meat. “And if I don’t take you myself, how will I get to know you better?”
She presses her lips firmly together, looking as if she knows this is a bad idea.
I know it’s a bad idea too, but I think for entirely different reasons than whatever she’s worried about.
“Fine,” she says finally. “You can take me to see the ships.”
“Good,” I say, even as a warm elated glow washes over me.
“But that’s all,” she adds, “and I make no promises about being nicer.”
I grin. “I wouldn’t expect you to.”
I get the impression that Odessa is like the swans swimming around the lake—thorny and slow to trust, but infinitely loyal thereafter.
I’m looking forward to winning her over, because when I do it will feel like I’ve won something priceless.
Somethinginevitable.
