Amore

Chapter 6

A tiny man came in and served us some food. I ate slowly, watching my plate so I wouldn't have to see the stares trained on me. I could see Andrew's hand, it was in his lap and balled up in a fist. I could tell he was extremely tense. I reached down and took it, opening it up and running my thumb across the back in a reassuring motion. He looked over at me, his dark hair falling into his gray eyes. My heart clenched in an unrecognizable way when we looked at each other. I quickly looked away and looked out the window at the stormy sky. The sky was the same colour as Andrew's eyes. I looked back down at my now empty plate, still holding Andrew's hand. His thumb started to move across the back of my hand, making tiny relaxing circles on it.

I stood up, every man turned to look at me, jumping to their feet. I could feel their gazes on me as I made my way to the door. I felt heat rising to my face as I went around the table and left the room. I heard Andrew behind me as I made my way back to our room. I opened the door and walked to the window, looking out at the wild sea. It was getting darker outside. I turned around, looking up at Andrew. His eyes shone in the darkness. They were looking right into mine.

"Why?" I asked.

"Why what?" he asked, sounding confused.

"Why do men act like that when I'm around them. I'm not pretty, I'm not rich, I'm not outstandingly beautiful and tall and round. Why do they stare after me? Am I that ugly?"

Andrew frowned down at me, "You're wrong."

"About what?"

"About everything you just said."

I squinted my eyes up at him, waiting for an explanation.

"I've already told you, you're beautiful and irresistible. Every man wants you for himself because you're so 'outstandingly beautiful.' There's not an ugly inch on you," he said.

"Is that their opinion, or yours?"

He hesitated for a minute, then whispered, "Both."

"Everything you just said, you think about me?" I asked, stepping up closer to him.

"Yes," he said softly.

"Even about you wanting me for yourself?"

"Yes," he said so softly I had to strain to hear him.

We stared at each other for a moment, sizing each other up, then I said, "That's nice to know."

I headed past him to the bed. He turned around and gawked at me, "That's all you have to say?!"

I looked up at him, my hair falling into my eyes, "I don't know what to say. I've never been in this situation in my entire life. You say you want me, but I'm being forced to marry another man. You say you want me because you think I'm beautiful."

He kneeled down in front of me and took my hands, "It's much more than that. You're brilliant, funny, kind. I also feel like I need to protect you against the bad things of this world. You're so vulnerable and innocent and sweet, and I don't want that to change. I don't want you to get married to the nephew of those horrible men. I've met him and he's just as horrible."

"You've met him?" I asked, my eyes widening.

He sighed, "Yes, I know him. His name's George, and he's just as mean and ugly and fat as Bill and Mark are. That's how I found them actually. I was dropping off some game for him and he was talking about them, and you. He said you were a petty thing, but gorgeous."

"I've never met him in my entire life," I said, "How does he know what I look like?"

"Apparently Bill and Mark described you to him, and he found you appealing. But not because you're kind and caring and the sweetest person who has ever walked the planet, but because he wanted to sleep with you and show you off like a trophy," he said, bitterness in his voice, his hands clenching around mine, "I traveled here and found that miserable hut. You were outside singing to that cow. You're voice was hauntingly beautiful. You turned around and I knew George hadn't given you justice. You were more that gorgeous. Every lovely word in the world described you. Your dark hair was down in a braid, and you had white lilies in your hair. Your blue eyes shone in the sun happily. Although, I didn't know why you were happy. But, if I ever had to describe a perfect person, I would've described you. I went up and spoke to Bill and Mark. They agreed if I hunted and brought home food, I could live there. I saw the way they treated you and couldn't believe it. I wanted to stay around and watch over you, apparently, I didn't do a good job."