Page 20 of Songs and Spun Gold
A voice in her head that sounded like Angelika argued for taking off on her own, but he was already walking back toward her, his brown eyes sparkling when the candlelight caught them. His mouth was still stretched in a smile, but it seemed more natural than the one he had given her earlier.
“Shall we, milady?” he said brightly, offering her his arm.
Pursing her lips, she stared at it. She’d already been rash coming down here; was it really wise to follow that up with letting him walk her back? Although, it wasn’t as if he could kidnap her more easily while escorting her than while following her down a dark hallway. If he was a scoundrel, she was already in trouble.
The arm didn’t move, so she let her eyes sweep up to hisface. “I’m not sure I should accept an escort from a nameless man,” she challenged lightly, one side of her mouth pulling up in a small smirk.
For a moment, he simply stared back at her, his smile a little wrinkled. Then his expression smoothed out, and he bowed over his right arm, sweeping his left out to the side in a grand gesture. “My apologies, madam. Gunther, at your service.”
Gunther. It didn’t ring any bells, not that she expected it to. He definitely belonged on the stage, though, Katy thought wryly as she gave him a shallow curtsy in response. “Katrin.”
Introductions over, he held out his arm again. It was probably a bad idea, but…she reached out and carefully placed her hand in his elbow, taking care to leave as much room between them as possible. She could feel the heat of his skin through the thin material of his sleeve. The texture was much finer than she usually had the opportunity to touch. The shirt Fritz had worn when she walked with him hadn’t had long enough sleeves to reach his elbow, but she knew that if it had, the fabric would have been rough beneath her hand.
Gunther might not be a noble, but he wasn’t a pauper.
She examined the rest of his clothing in the patches of stronger light as they walked down the hallway, taking care to appear as if she was looking at the walls rather than her companion; he didn’t need more encouragement. The slight sheen of his cloak, the perfect fit of his trousers, and the way the candlelight reflected off of his polished boots confirmed her original impression of wealth.
As they walked, a slight scuffle that didn’t seem to match the rustle of her skirts or the light thud of his footfalls caught her attention. Turning toward the sound, Katy peered into the deep shadow, but she couldn’t see anything. She gave herself an internal shake. Maybe it was time to be out of the basement; shewas starting to hear things.
“Do you live in the city, Katrin?” Gunther asked suddenly, disrupting the silence.
Shaking her head, she focused on a wall sconce instead of him and replied, “My friend and I live in a village near the border.”
“A village?” he repeated, looking at her in surprise.
“Is that a problem?” she asked. Twisting to look up at him, she raised an eyebrow in challenge. Charm and good looks did not give him permission to be a snob, but if he was one, she wasn’t going to let him walk all over her.
He broke into a grin, a common state for him, it seemed. “No. I once spent many happy days in a small village.” Placing his free hand over his heart, he sighed dramatically. “To return to that time in my life would be nothing short of bliss.”
She tried to hold it back, but a giggle escaped her. He wasn’t a snob; he was just ridiculous. “Are you sure you don’t spend your life in the theater? I feel like you might carry it with you,” she smiled, her laughter filtering through into her speech. Curious despite herself, she asked, “Which village? And if you loved it so much, why haven’t you been back?”
The smile on his face drooped, and he looked away as his eyebrows pulled together. “I…can’t remember the name,” he faltered, sounding unsure of himself for the first time. “But I haven’t been back since my sister died.”
“I’m sorry,” she said softly, feeling a surge of sympathy at the sorrow that she could hear in his voice. “You must miss her greatly.”
He nodded solemnly. “I do.”
The silence settled around them again as Katy pondered this new information. It seemed odd to be unable to recall the name of a place he claimed to love. But she didn’t have room to talk, she reminded herself. It was no stranger than mooningover a young man she’d known for years…but whose name was forever lost to the ether of her memories.
Whycouldn’t she remember?
Lost in her thoughts, she was startled when Gunther spoke again. “Would your friend be able to spare you this evening?” he asked in a rush.
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Possibly. Why?”
Pulling her to a stop, he gently grasped her hands. Katy felt her eyes growing wide, shocked by such a familiar gesture from a stranger. He looked intently into her face, eyes searching for she didn’t know what.
“Come walk with me.”
“E-excuse me?” Katy spluttered, her eyes now bulging out of her head. Her mouth dropped open slightly. He hadn’t—surely, this handsome, charming, like-her-old-friend-but-not stranger of an actor hadn’t asked her—
Towalkwith him.
“Unless…” He dropped his eyes, his face falling. “Unless there’s someone back in your village.”
Whether or not there was, Katy would have found it difficult to refuse him. She couldn’t deny that her heart still tugged at her, even though she knew Gunther wasn’t her old friend. And his downcast expression, bearing not a hint of the theatrical, increased her desire to say yes.
“Gunther, I—” She squeezed his hands, trying to communicate the things she couldn’t find the words to say. “I’m flattered, but you don’t know anything about me. I don’t know anything about you.”
