Besotted (The Fairest Maidens #3) - Jody Hedlund Page 0,18

both of them, their quirks and personalities and interests. My stomach gurgled every time she described the food Aunt Elspeth made. And I liked the no-nonsense attitude of Aunt Idony, who had an herbal remedy for every ailment under the sun. Clearly, Rory doted on the two women and loved them dearly.

She’d also talked of her friend Chester, who had been a companion while growing up and had taken over the charcoal kilns after his father died. She’d explained that Chester’s father had made great efforts over the years to capture weasels and then release them into the forestland surrounding the ravine. He’d strategically situated them along a wide perimeter, nurturing, feeding, and protecting the population so they’d increase in number. And Chester now oversaw that task in addition to wood burning.

As a result, the area was free of basilisks, for apparently the weasel was the only animal that could slay the deadly creatures. With the weasels living in the woods and forming a protective barrier, Rory and her aunts had never worried about the serpents. And as we’d traipsed about picking fruit or resting in the glade, she’d assured me we had naught to worry about either.

I found myself sharing more with her as well. Though I refrained from revealing my royalty, I talked of my past adventures—the cliff-diving into deep gorges, scaling steep mountains, and hunting for dangerous wild animals. She listened with rapt attention as though living out the escapades in my retelling.

Always in the back of my mind, Jorg’s warning nagged me: “A girl like her doesn’t deserve for you to toy with her.” The warning was valid. I’d had a history of breaking the hearts of many a young woman, and I wasn’t proud of it.

However, with Rory I was determined to be different, because I realized even more just how different she was from anyone else. She was humble and yet confident, shy and yet bold, lighthearted and yet serious, amiable and yet reserved. The dichotomy of her character resembled the rings of a tree, each one built upon the previous, lending her a depth that never failed to fascinate me.

“I shall not be back to see you anymore.” She halted at the edge of the clearing.

In the middle of eating another of the small crab apples, I paused. “No. We must meet again—”

“Chester will return from the market today.” She hefted her full basket higher on her arm, refusing to meet my gaze. “Once he returns, he will not allow me to wander off by myself.”

“Bring him along.”

“You do not know Chester. He would never approve of my meeting you here, even if he came to chaperone.”

“Once he meets me, surely he’ll see I’m a decent fellow.”

“He is very strict about where I go.”

“Perhaps I can come to your home instead—”

“No!” Her beautiful eyes widened with panic. “No, you cannot.”

“Then somewhere else? He can choose.”

“Please try to understand.” Her voice softened. “As much as I have enjoyed these past mornings together, I must not see you again.”

The bite of apple in my mouth turned bitter, and I tossed the remainder to the ground. She was putting an end to our being together.

“Why?” The question fell out before I could stop it.

The September morning was fair, and her cheeks were flushed from the cool air, making her eyes all the brighter and her beauty all the more radiant. With each passing day, I thought I would grow accustomed to how stunning she was and become less enamored with her. But I was only more besotted. All I could do was watch her, my longing for her likely starkly displayed upon my countenance.

“’Tis for the best, Kresten. We must go our separate ways now before doing so becomes more difficult.”

She was all but admitting she had feelings for me too. I ought to be glad of it, but I couldn’t abide the thought of going even a day without her. How would I go forever?

“I shall be miserable if you deny me the chance to see you again.”

She tugged at one of the crab apples in her basket, plucking off its leaves. “You will eventually forget about me.”

“Never.”

“You must.”

“I won’t be able to, so please don’t ask it of me.” My chest began to ache in an unfamiliar way. I pressed my hand to it. Was this what it felt like to have one’s heart broken?

“Forgive me, Kresten.” Her eyes turned luminous with unshed tears. “I knew I should not allow false hope to spring