her gaze transfixed to him. And why would it not be? What female with a pair of eyes in her head did not want to look at him? “I’m Katherine, wife of Simeon, the tailor,” she said, finally remembering to introduce herself.
The captain nodded. “Morgann will carry these bags back to yer home. Sister Silene will accompany ye and yer children. I will return with more food.”
The children’s mother nodded numbly and smiled. She turned to Silene. “God bless you and these men, Sister.”
“And you, as well.
But Silene didn’t go to the children’s home. She hurried to keep up with the captain when he strode off.
“How did you come by so much?” she asked him when she caught up. She ignored his scowl at seeing her. “Morgann said you barely had enough coin for the five of you.”
He looked around at everything but her until he finally took hold of himself and lifted his gaze from the ground.
“I can get…more from female vendors by doin’ the …ehm…simplest things.”
“What kind of simplest things do you mean?”
He cleared his throat. “By lettin’ my gaze—” he paused for a deep breath, “—or my smile linger. If I…ehm show her attention, touch her hand.” He looked as if he wanted to crawl out of his skin. “Sometimes I dinna have to do anythin’ at all. They like to give me things.”
She stared at him, not knowing what to say. It took her a moment to realize he was serious. She fixed her gaze on his dark, golden hair falling over his temple, and then onto his mouth, and his chin. He certainly was handsome. She could understand why women wanted to get to know him better—but they gave him food without coin?
She slanted her gaze on him and then smiled and shook her head.
“What?” he asked. “Say what ye would.”
“You enjoy it.”
He shrugged his shoulders. “No, I dinna like bein’ given food at no cost when there are children ootside the doors starvin’.”
She wanted to say something, but what? “Aye,” she finally said in a low voice. “I agree.” There was more inside she wanted to say, but she held her tongue. She wouldn’t flirt with him, no matter how wonderful she thought he was.
“The thing is…” he began slowly, in a soft, deep tone that made her bones feel a little soft, “…people dinna realize that if they find me so pleasin’ on the eyes then mayhap others do as well. And the same compliments over and over again have become empty.”
“Hmm.” Her heart banged rapidly and she felt lightheaded. Was he telling the truth? Was he so vain that he thought everyone considered him so delightful? She knew Lucifer had been a beautiful angel before his fall. Mother taught all the novices that was why beautiful men, or even women, could not be trusted.
Silene didn’t believe it. That would mean the prioress and all the sisters were not godly. Of course, she’d never seen anyone as handsome as Captain Galeren. She prayed he wasn’t beguiling her.
“I know how that must have sounded,” he said after she remained quiet. “But I do hear it often. Even at my childhood home I am called Galeren the Bonny.”
“Truly?” she asked on the verge of another smile. She believed that all the compliments didn’t please him. And that pleased her.
“Aye,” he replied. “Everyone always has an instant opinion of me—whether good or bad.”
“Your men know who you are.”
He smiled. “Aye, but ye know what I speak is true. Surely ye hear the same.”
“Me?” She laughed. “Hear what?”
“That ye are beautiful,” he said and deliberately walked away.
Had she heard him right? Did he say she was beautiful? No. She would have laughed if she didn’t want to cry. She remembered hearing her father say she was no beauty and no man would likely want her anyway, just before her parents gave her up to God. She knew there was a different kind of beauty, the kind that comes from within. Mother had told her she possessed that kind. Is that what the captain saw? But what had she done to cause him to say such a thing?
She lifted her hand to the russet waves on her head and thought about it while the captain reached a vendor selling oils and spices. He left Silene to go inside.
From her vantage point, she could see him speaking to a pretty maiden, who was either the vendor or the vendor’s daughter. She watched the woman smile at him and touch