Page 44 of Heart of Snow
My breath hitched in my throat, and I looked up to find him watching me. He stepped so close his shoe tips touched mine, while his thumb began grazing back and forth over my skin, the intensity of his eyes sending my stomach into a volley of flips.
I swallowed. This was all just nonsense anyway. Magics and fortune telling were not to be believed. “You’re not even looking at my hand,” I said, my voice wavering.
He kept his steady gaze on my face as he turned my hand over and brought my knuckles to his lips, his mouth parting to bestow a gentle kiss.
Though men had kissed my gloved hand in the past, their touch was nothing to the intimacy of Friedrich’s lips on my skin. I felt weak and exhilarated, heady and focused, simultaneously thrilled and terrified, and I wasn’t sure how to break myself away. Or that I even wanted to.
“Friedrich, I think—” Another swallow caught my words, and Friedrich took advantage of my silence, pulling my arm toward him and resting three soft kisses on the inside of my wrist.
“I-I had b-better go.”
“Am I not doing it right?” he asked, an impish grin betraying that he knew very well the effect he was having on my equilibrium. “You wanted me to teach you to woo. I’m only doing my duty.”
This was more than I’d bargained for. “I think it best we avoid anything so... serious.”
He reached up to tuck a stray hair behind my ear. “What if I am serious?” His gaze smoldered, making my head swim.
“Friedrich, I—”
The door sprang open, dumping icy reality down my neck. Friedrich and I quickly pulled apart, but the scrutinizing look on Belinda’s face told me she’d seen enough.
“We must go now, my lady.” She addressed me, but her eyes were on Friedrich.
I picked up my books from the chair, stepping past Friedrich as I hurried toward Belinda. Just before she ushered me out the door, I cast a backward glance to find Friedrich meeting Belinda’s stare with a steely gaze that looked much like a challenge.
Chapter 19
Margaretha
Captain Carrera sat on thelow platform of the dais, looking quite pleased with his honored place between Father and me. Spending occasional afternoon outings with the Spaniard was bad enough without dining with him too.
Picking up a cut of bread, Father turned to the captain. “Is it true the Elector of Saxony’s death sentence was commuted to imprisonment for life?”
“Yes. He had to sign away his electorship to get it.” The unmannered Spaniard scooped up his pork with all five fingers and shoveled it into his mouth. “His cousin Maurice is the new elector.”
Thank goodness no such sentence had been passed on Samuel yet. He wouldn’t have an electorship to trade for his life.
Sucking the juices from his fingers, Carrera added, “You’ve no doubt heard the Landgrave of Hesse is a captive now.”
“What?” Father dropped his bread.
“He traveled to Halle to give himself up.”
Father’s face turned red, and he balled his hand into a tight fist. “And the kaiser didn’t hesitate to take him prisoner?”
“Is the kaiser still in Halle?” I asked. And was Samuel with him there? It was only a day’s hard ride away.
Carrera shook his head. “The kaiser’s in the Netherlands preparing his territories to receive their future sovereign, Prince Felipe.”
“What do you know of the prince,mein Herr? What sort of man is he?” Belinda’s eyes darted to me, revealing that she still held fanciful hopes of me winning one of the most powerful men in the world, Catholic or not.
“The German accounts of him are always unfavorable.” Carrera frowned. “Either he’s too carefree or too cold, too learned inSpanish customs or too ignorant to rule.” He picked up another slab of meat, and it seemed that was all the answer we were to get.
Belinda tried another tract. “Does he hunt?”
“Not as well as I do.” He wiped his coat sleeve across his mouth. “Hasn’t the vigor for it.”
Belinda kicked me under the table, and I looked at her wide-eyed, unsure what I was meant to do. She gave a pointed nod toward Carrera, evidently expecting me to say something.
