Wanderlove Part 16

She nodded in agreement, before realizing that he couldn't see her acknowledgement.

"Very well," she acceded aloud.

When she looked his way, she noticed that the man held his hands clenched at his sides.

He must be in such awful pain, Liliana surmised. In her opinion, burns were the worst sort of wound. The stinging was relentless. She could hardly imagine receiving one along the sensitive skin surrounding the eyes. It must be excruciating.

It suddenly dawned upon Liliana that she had stored some aloe in one of her trunks. She rifled through her belongings until she was able to find it, locating the bottle after a few minutes of searching, along with a few swabs of cotton.

Turning back towards Gabriel, she told him, "If you can hold still, I have something that may ease the pain."

He only nodded in response. She moved closer to him, taking in his spicy scent. Oddly, she thought he smelled nice, even though the man was covered in dirt and grime.

Liliana lifted a swab of cotton to his face, but he stopped her with his large hand, entwining his fingers through hers.

Liliana's breath caught in her chest.

"Thank you, lady," he whispered to her. "For saving my life."

Liliana stared at the hand that held hers, taken aback by the gesture.

"It's Liliana," she reminded him, slowly regaining her train of thought.

"Liliana," he corrected himself.

EIGHTEEN.

When he had been but a boy of ten years, Gabriel had fallen from an apple tree, resulting in an awful break of his right leg. Ten summers later, he had found himself in the midst of a drunken bar fight. A barrel-headed lunatic had landed on top of him with a knife, stabbing Gabriel directly below his shoulder blade. In the years that had pa.s.sed since then, he had been in many fights. Some with swords, some purely pugilistic. It was safe to say he'd come across his fair share of battle wounds. But out of every pain he'd ever endured, this had to be the worst.

Well, maybe not the most painful. The pain had dulled to a small ache in the back of his head and a slight sting he felt along his eyes and across the bridge of his nose. The bruises and sc.r.a.pes along his body didn't even bother him. Pain could be easily handled.

It was his lack of sight that was the awful part. The darkness was his true pain. Though he tried not to think about it, the blindness began to terrify him.

The woman, or the angel, he wasn't quite sure yet what she was, only that she had been his savior, had taken him to some sort of inn. Her people were clearly not happy about this decision. He had heard the one she called Zara angrily whispering when they had a.s.sumed he had been sleeping.

"What would your brother say to you, Lily? Do you honestly think he would approve of this?"

"I wasn't considering what he would say. Nor do I care what Kristoph's opinion would be on the matter."

Gabriel figured the woman- Liliana- was trying to tune this Zara woman out, trying her best to ignore her, but it wasn't working. Zara muttered a few curses before harping, "Your entire family would have a fit if they knew what you were up to. He isn't a sparrow with a broken wing, you know. He is a gajo, and some kind of refugee at that. He could be dangerous--"

"Enough!" Liliana cried. And then sighing, she breathed, "I've heard enough. Please just give me peace, Zara."

"You give no one peace," Zara tightly countered back. Gabriel could hear the sound of footsteps resounding as she angrily stomped away.

He wondered why the girl was helping him, especially when the rest of her people clearly disapproved. But she didn't seem to care. It dumbfounded Gabriel.

What was even stranger was that this 'Liliana Moori' woman was evidently a gypsy. He'd been nearly bowled over by that realization. Despite her obvious sheltered upbringing and the luxury of an education, the girl was most definitely of gypsy descent.

One of his own kind.

Of course, he would never tell her. He'd given up on gypsy life a long time ago. Aside from his constant need to wander, Gabriel didn't even acknowledge his heritage. In fact, he despised it. But the irony that a gypsy would come to his rescue was beginning to give him a new perspective, particularly on the people he had decided to leave behind.

A doctor finally arrived later on that evening. He looked over Gabriel's injuries carefully, taking his time. Gabriel heard him leafing through pages in his medical texts and scratching a few notes. Afterwards, he began to apply a salve to his wounds, which immediately cooled the sting of the burn. Gabriel sighed in relief.

But Gabriel eventually began to feel restless. The doctor was taking so long, torturing Gabriel by waiting to give his final diagnosis. He was most likely only being thorough, but Gabriel was impatient to know if the damage was permanent or not.

Curious as it was, he heard the girl in the background, pacing the floor, almost as restless as he was. He couldn't understand why she was behaving so strangely. It wasn't her eyesight at stake.

Eventually, the doctor spoke, although it wasn't directed towards him.

"Do you speak French?" he asked the girl in a low voice.

"Oui," she replied and, switching to the doctor's language. "Is he going to remain...the way he is?" She had a hard time asking the question.

"He'll be fine, mademoiselle," he rea.s.sured her.

Gabriel breathed a sigh of relief. This was followed by the sound of the girl's sigh of relief. It was foreign to him, a stranger caring about his welfare. The girl must be a different species of human, indeed.

"I've placed some bindings around his eyes," the doctor continued. "He needs to keep them closed. It is important that he does because this will allow his wounds to properly heal. A fortnight of bed rest should be enough time. Also, the wounds will have to be cleansed and treated daily to prevent infection. If an infection occurs, he could become permanently blinded."

"I understand. I'll tend to his wounds," she told him.

"I left an antiseptic you may use to treat him, along with a bottle of salve. The burns are not very serious. They may leave some scarring, but it will be faint. The salve should help with scarring, so make sure you apply it often."

Liliana nodded. "Merci, doctor."

"You're welcome, mademoiselle."

Upon the doctor's departure, Gabriel grinned widely. "So you will attend to me?" he asked her, suddenly feeling much better.

"I don't see anyone else here to do it," she pointed out.

"Neither do I," he rejoined in jest.

Shaking her head disapprovingly, Liliana warned him, "I wouldn't be so quick to make jokes. Just moments earlier, you feared your condition could have been permanent."

Gabriel ignored that. He tilted his head to the side as if he were regarding her. It was a ridiculous gesture as they both knew he couldn't actually regard her. "I think perhaps you might like me."

She scoffed at his bold statement. "I've only just met you. Your presumption is incorrect. However, I happen to pride myself in having a big heart. I don't mind helping a stranger in need. Especially one who so plainly needs my help."

Gabriel scowled now. She had taken a direct stab at his pride. And by the look of his indignant expression, it was quite obvious he did not favor the idea of needing anyone's help.

"You don't have to stay," he grumbled.

"I'm not going anywhere."

He paused for a moment, debating. Eventually, he said, "Then I will insist you receive payment for your trouble, lady."

"I really tire of hearing that t.i.tle. I am no lady, Gabriel. In fact, I am only a lowly gypsy, and you must know this by now. Aside from that, I couldn't even be flattered by the presumed ent.i.tlement because when you speak the word 'lady,' the tone of your voice does not quite hold the respect an actual lady would deserve."

A smile formed at his lips. "Please forgive me twofold, Liliana. I would hate to be under your ill grace. Particularly since I am so desperately in need of your a.s.sistance."

She laughed at that and moved to sit in the chair next to his bedside. "At least you are an amusing patient. And my first, I might add. I suppose we will have to wait to find out how skilled of a caretaker I am. But there is no need for your money, sir."

She had meant that last part. The one benefit of being under brother's rule was the heaps of money, which had been bestowed upon her. Her brother, Kristoph, was a skilled tradesman. He'd never had a problem turning a coin. And unlike most gypsies, Kristoph wasn't satisfied with earning enough money to simply get by. Ever since their father had pa.s.sed away, he had taken it upon himself to provide for their family, and their tribe for that matter. He became their barosan, their leader. And as it turned out, he could perform that task quite well.

"I shall pay you, anyway," he told her stubbornly. "I have some money in my coat pocket, I think. And I can render more of it as soon as I can get back to my s.h.i.+p."

Liliana's eyes lit up, but not from his talk of money. "You are a captain of a s.h.i.+p?"

Gabriel hesitated before answering. "Yes," he replied. "Sometimes."

"How exciting! I've always wanted to go to sea," she mentioned dreamily. And then, confused, she asked him, "What do you mean by 'sometimes?'"

The conversation made him tense. She could tell he didn't like to talk about himself, for whatever reason. She found herself wondering if Zara was right. What if Gabriel was some sort of refugee?

"I own the vessel," he eventually answered her question, interrupting her rampant thoughts. "Usually it sails without me, as it is intended for trade purposes. But when I need to travel, I take over duties as captain. However, my brother usually holds that responsibility."

"Oh, so you have a brother?"

"You seem to be asking many questions. . .Liliana."

She arched a brow, skeptical of him. "As I should be," she said a bit indignantly. "I found you near a blazing fire in the woods, nearly blinded. I thought since you mentioned a brother, I could find him for you, to let him know you are alright."

"It's no use. He is most likely in Barcelona by now. The Black Diamond was supposed to set sail tomorrow for the Caribbean."

"That's a shame. I'm sorry."

Gabriel shrugged.

"Where does he think you are?"

"He left me in Ma.r.s.eilles."

Liliana had presumed he intended to say more, but he simply stopped at that. It was like pulling teeth trying to get information from him.

"That's a creative name, Black Diamond," she mentioned, changing the subject. "Did you come up with it?"

"Your questioning does not cease, eh?" he chuckled. "Yes, I named her. She was traded to me in exchange for a very large and very rare black diamond I had been given as an heirloom. I thought it only fitting to name her after the price I paid to retrieve her."

"You must have wanted the s.h.i.+p very badly, to give up something so precious," she noted.

Liliana was very aware that she continued to ignore Gabriel's complaints about her questions, but she couldn't seem to stop them from leaving her lips.

"Not really," he said, surprising her. "I mean, I do like the s.h.i.+p. But the heirloom meant nothing to me. It wasn't much of a loss."

She wondered why he would feel that way of something given to him from his family and she really wanted to ask him why he gave the diamond away so willingly, but she stopped herself from asking that particular question. She wouldn't cross those lines, for she felt it wouldn't be respectful. It was his business anyhow, not hers.

A long, uneasy silence filled the room. Gabriel was the one to finally break it. "So how long will you and your companions be staying here for?"

"Until you are better."

Normally, they would take up camp or sleep in the caravans, but because she was only traveling with a small group and there was no healer among them, Liliana figured she would rent a room at the first inn they found in order to locate a doctor. Thankfully, the innkeeper had directed her to the small village nearby and they hadn't had any trouble finding the old man who examined Gabriel.

"Why are you doing this?" Gabriel's expression displayed his confusion. Liliana could see he had his doubts of her motives. She didn't blame him. Gypsies did not have the best reputations. When trouble appeared, the gaje tended to point fingers at outsiders first, as was their natural inclination. Liliana knew that because of this, her people often became the scapegoats of blame. Which is why Kristoph had made it a rule among their tribe never to stay anywhere longer than a week. Except for Redwood Forest, of course.

Redwood Forest was sort of a refuge for gypsy bands and tribes. It was a central meeting place for all fellow wanderers. It was also the place where one or more of the Royal families were guaranteed to be found at any given time. And it was the closest place to a home that Liliana had ever known. Redwood Forest was a magical place in her heart, always transforming, always welcoming and always serving as an escape from the gaje and the rest of the world.

"Why are you so quiet?" Gabriel's question broke into her thoughts. "Do you not have an answer?"

"I told you," she said. "I go where I am needed and right now, I believe I am needed here, with you."

There was a slight shake of his head. He still appeared...mystified.

"I have never met anyone so willingly benevolent. You are a rare person indeed, Liliana."

She chuckled at his compliment. "I suppose I do have one ulterior motive," she admitted. "Though I am anxious to be home, I am not as anxious to be back under my brother's command. I guess you are buying me a little time away from him."

"Why is your brother so horrible?"

"Oh, he's not horrible. Only very strict. He has plans to marry me off soon. I'm at that age, I suppose. I'm sure he'll sell me to whoever offers him the highest bride price. Our father is gone, so he has the control over whom I am to wed now."

"He let you come to France alone," Gabriel pointed out. "Is he really so controlling?"

"These were...special circ.u.mstances," she advised him.

"Ah, so now you are the one who doesn't like to answer questions."

Liliana was thankful he couldn't see the heat rise in her cheeks. "If you must know, I attended school in Paris. It was my father's wish for me to become a proper lady, as you coined me earlier."

Gabriel was now intrigued. "Strange, I always figured the gypsy people looked down upon that sort of life. Is it not considered disloyalty to leave one's tribe?"

Liliana shrugged before realizing he couldn't see her gesture. "My father lived in harsher times than these," she explained. "He has seen gypsies crucified for their way of life. He thought it would benefit me to know both worlds, to understand each existence."

Gabriel nodded. "Your father must have been very wise."

Liliana smiled. "Indeed, he was."

"So now you don't want to go back to your brother's tight rule, eh? I knew there had to be some reason for you to stay."