Jorgen looked all around. His breathing and heartbeat slowed to normal, but he still could neither see nor hear anyone. Even the birds were silent.
He became aware again of the burning sensation in his shoulder. He turned his head to see the torn leather and the blood oozing out, creating a dark patch on his mantle. Had the poacher been trying to frighten him? Or was he trying to kill him and missed his mark? The wound didn’t appear to be very deep, but it filled him with rage.
He didn’t care if the poacher was Rutger himself. Jorgen would do whatever he needed to do to stop this poacher once and for all. The moon would be full again tonight, and Jorgen would stay out all night looking for him. And he would not hesitate to shoot him.
Odette let her mind wander as she stared at her favorite tapestry, which hung on the wall next to her bed. The woman in the tapestry was obviously wealthy, as she held a falcon on her wrist and rode a sidesaddle on a beautiful white horse with a gray mane. Her head was tilted to the side, a tiny, secretive smile on her lips. Noblemen rode all around her, and dogs ran beside the horses’ legs.
Odette had often imagined what it would be like to be that lady. She must hold a high position, as she was allowed to go hunting with the men. She had her own falcon and her own horse, so she was wealthy. Confidence flowed from her posture and her expression. That lady never woke in the night worrying that someday she would be poor and would have to rummage through other people’s garbage to find food. That lady never felt betrayed by the one person she had depended on. That lady never worried that some helpless, innocent child would go hungry because of her incompetence. That lady was loved and protected and admired, and because she was married to someone with lots of wealth, her future was secure.
Heinke’s slippers came swishing up the stairs and she peeked inside Odette’s open door. “Fr?ulein, someone is here to see you. Mathis Papendorp.”
Odette stood and smoothed out her skirt. “Thank you, Heinke. I’ll be there in a moment.” She rinsed her mouth out with water and chewed on a mint leaf for a few seconds before spitting it out and hurrying down the stairs.
Mathis stood, fumbling with his large sleeves, which were all the fashion now among the wealthier townspeople. “Odette,” he said, smiling. “You look beautiful this afternoon.”
“Thank you, Mathis. You look . . . fashionable.”
“My dear.” Apparently her greeting had set him at ease because his smile grew larger and less wavering. He took her hand and kissed it. “Thank you for seeing me.”
“I want to know why you had a woman dress like me, steal my mask, and trick Jorgen into kissing her.” She hadn’t intended to blurt it out quite so bluntly, but she was glad to get it out in the open.
“Why, I . . .” He looked sheepish. “I don’t—”
“Do not tell me you don’t know what I am talking about. I know you did it. And Rutger probably helped you.”
“Odette, please forgive me.” He got down on one knee and gazed up at her. “I was so desperate. I wanted to marry you, but I was afraid you were in love with Jorgen. I know it was wrong, but I love you so completely, so madly.”
“You had no right to deceive Jorgen in that way. He is a good man.”
“You are right. If you can think of any way for me to make it up to him, I will do it. Only please end my suffering by saying you will marry me. You shall be my own pampered darling for the rest of your life if only you will say yes.”
Staring down at his pleading face, she had an unaccountable urge to laugh. She stopped herself. Would it be so bad to marry Mathis? She would at least have the joy of knowing she was able to feed the children, and she could do it lawfully, without risking her life. She would also have the comfort of knowing she had saved her uncle from losing everything.
With her skin prickling all over and a dreamlike fog around her, she asked, “Would you be willing to help the poor?”
“Would I be willing to what?”
“If I marry you, you will help my uncle recover his fortune?”
“Ja, ja, of course.”
“Would you also be willing to feed the poor, especially the poor children of Thornbeck, and make sure they do not starve?”
“My darling, if you wish it, I will. You have my word.”
“Then, yes, I will marry you.”
Mathis sprang to his feet and clasped her hand with both of his, kissing it passionately. “I shall have the banns cried this Sunday. We can be married in three weeks.”
Her face was still prickling like a thousand tiny blades of grass were touching her skin. She watched, as if she were still in a dream, as Mathis hurried from the room, bouncing and crying, “Hurrah!”