Chapter 12

‘I shall myself take the bug-eater his breakfast,’ Claudia had volunteered. ‘The poor fellow is sad enough without having to look at you.’

Soberly nodding her approval, Fara had made off to the gloomy library, where she had closeted herself throughout the whole wretched day, now almost ended.

Because the great house had been for so many hours as quiet as a tomb, the shrill voice of Claudia, quite obviously excited, startled Fara out of her apathy. From the foot of the winding staircase Claudia was shouting some unintelligible urgency. Perhaps the villa was on fire. Bounding out of her chair, Fara rushed to the doorway and ran into Voldi’s open arms.

For a long moment their joy was too deep for any words of greeting. Utterly unnerved by her surprise, Fata leaned limply against him, snuggling her face into the folds of his tunic, while Voldi held her slim body tightly to him. After a time, she drew a long sigh, with something like a childish sob tugging at her throat, and softly patted his cheek. Voldi tightened his embrace, drawing her so close she was on tip-toe. Slowly raising her arms, she circled them around his neck and lifted her swimming eyes to meet his. He bent to kiss her parted lips and her instant response speeded his heart. It was not the first time he had kissed Fara, but always before it had been Voldi’s doing. She had received his kisses without reluctance; but they had been Voldi’s kisses. Now Fara was sharing them, eagerly, hungrily! Voldi was ecstatic, shaken, suffocated by his emotion. Again and again he kissed her until, breathless and trembling, she relaxed in his arms.

‘You are all mine now, darling!’ he murmured, huskily. ‘We belong to each other—for ever and ever!’

Pressing her cheek hard against his breast, Fara slowly nodded her head. Deeply stirred by her complete surrender, Voldi felt free to speak at once of their future.

‘We will forget all about this dangerous business of revenge,’ he said, gently caressing the tight little curls on her forehead with his fingertips.

‘I’ll take you home, sweetheart, and we’ll never be separated again.’

Fara made no response to this, and he continued softly while she listened with her pale face uplifted and her eyes closed. Impetuously he poured out the story of his grief, the agony of his relentless search for her on the mountain trails, the lonely days and sleepless nights, his despairing descents into deep ravines, calling, calling.

‘And now I have found you! We will go back to our beautiful mountains! Nothing can ever part us—ever—as long as we live!’