Free Love Beyond Time by Flora Speer Page B

“To your
suitors? To Clodion? I don’t think so. To Redmond? Do you love him?
Is he the one you want?”
    “No, no, you don’t understand.” Oh, Hugo,
how could I kiss another man ? How could I betray you so
easily ?
    “Perhaps I could understand if you would
explain,” Michel said. “I honestly thought you wanted me to kiss
you. I thought you enjoyed it as much as I did. You seemed to enjoy
it.”
    “Stop it!” She was on her feet, her hands
over her ears to shut out his words. It was true, she had welcomed
his kisses, but her pleasure only made things worse, only made her
feel more guilty and more disloyal to Hugo. She could not stay
where she was, not with Michel’s blue gaze probing into her heart
until she believed he must see what a callous, dishonest woman she
was.
    Danise began to run, dodging among the trees,
tripping, then catching herself so she could run on, run anywhere,
so long as it was away from Michel and the temptation he
represented.
    He followed her. She could hear him crashing
along behind her. And because he was stronger and faster it was not
long before he caught her. He grabbed her by the shoulders once
more and pushed her against a tree trunk and held her there.
    “Now,” he said, “you are going to tell me
what is wrong. You are too sensible a woman to carry on like this
without a good reason. You know we both wanted that kiss. Why are
you so upset about it?”
    “Not one kiss,” she said again, sniffing to
hold back incipient tears. “Two.” She saw laughter in his eyes at
her insistence on the exact number.
    “All right, two kisses. The first scarcely
counted. It was only to test if you wanted a real one.” As quickly
as it had come, the flicker of amusement vanished from his face.
“Your eyes are haunted, Danise. You speak of disloyalty because you
enjoyed my kiss – sorry, my kisses . Both of them. A few days
ago you refused to tell me why you are sad. I have a right to
know.”
    “What right?” She made the mistake of looking
into his eyes and found she could not look away. She could feel her
will bending to his.
    “You know what right,” he said. “You know why
I kissed you. Answer me, Danise.”
    Still she was captured by his eyes as firmly
as she was by his hands. She knew he would not let her go until he
had the answer he sought. She had to speak.
    “Hugo loved me,” she whispered, “and I loved
him. We hoped to marry. You are the first man to kiss me since –
since he died.”
    “I am sorry. I didn’t know.” Suddenly she was
no longer pressed against the tree. His arms were gentle, holding
her, and she did not protest the embrace. “How did he die? How long
has it been?”
    “He marched into Spain in May of last year
and died in August, at Roncevaux, on his way home to Francia. Many
others died there, too.”
    “Last August?” he repeated. “And it’s May
again now? Then it has been an entire year since you’ve seen him.
There’s no reason for you to feel guilty, Danise. Many women do not
mourn their lovers for so long a time.” She thought he could feel
the way she stiffened in resistance to that idea, for he released
her and stepped back a pace. Danise leaned against the tree trunk,
not sure she would be able to stand without its support.
    “Do you feel disloyal when either of your
suitors kiss you?” he asked. “Or is it only with me?”
    “They have not kissed me, not the way you
did. I just told you, you are the first since Hugo.”
    “Do you intend to refuse to marry both
Redmond and Clodion out of loyalty to Hugo? If so, you ought to
tell them now and not keep them dangling in suspense. Clodion,
especially. I have a feeling the man could turn nasty if he’s
thwarted.”
    “I have not decided yet whether to marry or
not.” She wished he had not asked those questions. Michel was
forcing her to think about a subject she had avoided since learning
of her father’s wish that she should decide whether to marry or
become a nun. She