Suddenly Lord Thornbeck rode straight up beside her and grabbed the reins. “Hold on to me!”
While Lord Thornbeck forcefully pulled back on the reins and leaned on the horse’s neck, Avelina clutched Lord Thornbeck’s shoulders. His arm encircled her waist as he lifted her out of the saddle. He held her tight against his side until the stable workers were able to take the reins. Then he lowered her.
Her feet touched the ground and her knees crumpled.
8
MAGDALEN DISMOUNTED AND hurried to Avelina’s side. “Are you hurt?”
Avelina leaned on her arm. “No, I am well.” She was breathing hard and shaking.
“Hans,” Lord Thornbeck ordered, “check this horse. Check the bit and the bridle, then check the saddle. You”—he pointed to the second stable boy—“saddle the brown mare with the one white leg for Lady Dorothea.”
The margrave turned toward her. Their eyes met. His expression softened. But she was very fanciful, her father often told her. She was probably imagining it.
“My lord, here is the problem.” The stable boy, Hans, held up two large shards of pottery with sharp edges and points. “They were under the saddle.”
“How did those get there?” Lord Thornbeck’s expression was thunderous.
“I don’t know, my lord.”
“Someone knows. Who saddled this horse?” The margrave shouted, glaring at any stable boy who was foolish enough to meet his eye. “I demand to know who saddled this horse. When I find out who put these sharp pieces of pottery under this saddle, I shall have him beaten and placed in the pillory in the town square.”
An older man, possibly the stable master, came toward them.
“See that you find out who is responsible.” Lord Thornbeck held out his hand and the boy gave him the shards. “I will not tolerate such shoddy supervision. If I find you have been negligent, you shall be punished and sent away.”
The stable master looked quite ashamed as he bowed his head before Lord Thornbeck. “Forgive me, my lord. I shall do my best to discover who did this.”
Lord Thornbeck did not give the poor man another glance but placed the pottery shards in his leather saddlebag.
Avelina’s stomach felt sick, her heart beating hard and fast.
Meanwhile the other horse was saddled and a stable boy helped Avelina mount. She was still shaking after nearly being thrown from her horse. She closed her eyes for a moment and it flooded back to her—how Lord Thornbeck had rushed to save her, how he had pulled her off the horse with one arm, her body pressed against his as he carefully lowered her to the ground.
Instead of dwelling on that, she should be thinking about who might have placed those shards of pottery under her horse’s saddle. But why would anyone want to harm her?
Magdalen and Avelina set off, accompanied by Lord Thornbeck and the two guards.
Lord Thornbeck said, “Go on. I must speak with my guards, but I shall keep my eye on you.”
He slowed his horse and fell behind them. She heard his voice behind her.
“One of my guests was in danger,” he growled, “and you did not even look her way, talking and laughing as if you were at a wine festival. What do you have to say for your disgraceful behavior?”
The men mumbled something, then Lord Thornbeck warned them, “We shall speak of this later, and I shall expect a full explanation of what you were doing while someone was sabotaging a young lady’s horse with intent to do her harm.”
She imagined that angry scowl on his face as he rebuked his guards further, accusing them of nearly allowing an earl’s daughter’s death. The rumor that he had murdered his own brother darted through her thoughts.
They made their way down the castle mount on the road that led them through the thick forest. The trees were similar to the ones around Plimmwald, with oak, fir, and spruce, but this forest had more beech trees. It was late fall and a few of the trees still had their leaves, which were bright spots of color in the otherwise cloudy day.
After a quarter of an hour of riding, they came to the town gate.
When Avelina had passed by the gate on the way to the castle, it had been dark and she’d been too tired to even notice it. She stared up at it now. High and impressive, it was built into the brick-and-stone wall that surrounded the town. Two men stood guard, but they looked rather sleepy and dull—until they caught sight of Lord Thornbeck and his large party of about fifteen well-dressed guests riding toward them. They stood up straight and their eyes were suddenly alert.
Lord Thornbeck stopped to speak to them while the rest of the party moved through the gate and down the street.