nging at his sides, his face agonized.

_I cannot doom this young man._

She took deep breaths to calm herself enough to speak to him.

"Simon, I pray that God will bless and protect you." She stifled a sob.
"I cannot marry you. You must forget me."

He scrambled to his feet, his arms outstretched. "Do not turn from me,
Sophia. I would rather have you kill me."

"No!" It came out of her as a scream. She turned and started to run,
holding up the hem of her long skirt to keep from tripping. Her anguish
was like a giant's hand that had seized her heart and was crushing it.

She ran like a hunted animal, tripping on rocks, turning her ankle in
hollow places. She could only hope she was running toward the road.

"Sophia!"

She looked back over her shoulder. He was following her out of the
forest, but at a distance. He was walking, staggering like a wounded
man.

"Forgive me, Simon!" She ran on.

A pine branch struck her across the face, and she cried out in pain. But
she felt that she deserved it. She ducked under the branch and kept
running, seeing brighter light among the dark rows of tree trunks now.
The road must be that way.

She forced her way through a tangle of shrubbery and was out on the
road. Simon's scudiero, standing with their string of horses, stared at
her wide-eyed. The huge Riccardo, Sophia's escort, was with him,
talking. They were standing with their backs to a roadside statue of the
Virgin in a little protective shed.

At the sight of Sophia, Riccardo rushed to her, looming over her
protectively. "Madonna! What has happened to you? Dio mio! Did he--"

His eyes were wide with outrage, but there was anxiety in his face too.
He must be wondering whether he would have to fight a nobleman.

"I am not hurt--he did nothing. He did nothing!" Sophia babbled, choking
down sobs. "Mount quickly, Riccardo, and let us go from here."

He held her horse, and she threw herself into the saddle. She spurred on
without waiting to see if Riccardo was ready to follow.

When they came to a turning in the road, she looked back once. The
scudiero stood alone with the horses. Simon had not yet emerged from the
pine forest. She started to cry again. The pain in her chest was worse
than ever. She silenced Riccardo's questions.

"I cannot talk about it. He did no wrong to me. No harm. That is all you
need to know."

_I cannot talk to anyone about it, ever. I am going to betray David. I
pray God I never see Simo