He wrapped his arms around her. Was she crying? She wasn’t shaking or making any weeping sounds.
“I know I have no right,” she whispered.
He stroked her hair and squeezed her shoulder. When she pulled away, he felt his heart wrench. But he let her go.
Odette took his arm, looking a little less pale as they went inside.
Odette and Jorgen were led into the margrave’s library. Odette held her head high and tried to hide her limp. She greeted the margrave with a curtsy.
The margrave remained seated. He was scowling, but she thought that was probably his usual expression. Though he was handsome, it was not a warm and friendly handsome, like Jorgen’s. It was a rugged, serious, intensely masculine handsome that made her shiver. He was the highest authority in Thornbeck and could do to her as he saw fit.
She and Jorgen stood in front of him. Her hands shook, so she clasped them together.
“Odette Menkels, I suppose you know why I have summoned you here.”
“Yes, Lord Thornbeck.”
“Do you deny that you poached scores of the king’s deer from this forest?”
She calculated in her head. Yes, it was safe to say it was “scores.”
“I do not deny it, my lord, but I am very repentant for what I did. I thought all the meat was going to feed the poor. I . . . I wanted to help the poor children whom I knew were going hungry.”
The margrave’s brows were still lowered. “So I have been told by Jorgen. But most of the meat was not going to the poor. Is that not true?”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Can you prove that you did not know what Rutger was doing with the meat?”
Odette opened her mouth, not sure what to say. “I do not suppose I can prove it.”
“You knew, did you not, that killing the deer in Thornbeck Forest is a crime against the king? And that the punishment for poaching is imprisonment, the loss of one’s hand, or even execution?”
Her chest rose and fell, her face burning and her hands sweating. “Yes, my lord.”
“The poaching of so many large animals was a grave loss to the king and may be the cause of wild boars, and therefore wolves, invading this area. Do you realize you are responsible for this?”
“N-no, my lord,” she stammered. Jorgen had not told her that. “But I am very remorseful.” Her lip trembled. She caught it between her teeth.
“Your actions were lawless and rebellious.”
She glanced at Jorgen. She was ashamed that he had to hear his lord speak to her of all her sins. By the look on his face, perhaps Jorgen had thought the margrave would be lenient to her and he hadn’t expected the margrave to berate her.
“You destroyed perhaps hundreds of the king’s deer, and all to help pay your uncle’s debt.”
“That is true. I did.” Her voice sounded breathy as she held back tears.
“You will leave your home by the end of the week, as it now belongs to me, in payment for the loss of these deer. In fact, all of your uncle’s property is forfeit to me from this day onward.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“You will be available to help control the population of dangerous predatory animals, such as wolves and wild boar, should that become necessary, by virtue of your great skill with a longbow.”
“Yes, my lord.” The air rushed back into her lungs. At least he did not intend to execute her. And he couldn’t mean to cut off her hand, since she could not stretch a bowstring if he did.
“For the sake of my forester, Jorgen Hartman, I will not punish you beyond the wounds you have already sustained by consequence of your poaching. However, I have one stipulation.” The margrave paused, looking from her to Jorgen and back to her, as if to make sure he had their complete attention. “Since I cannot have a lawless woman running around with only a weak-willed uncle to restrain her . . .”
Again he paused while Odette’s heart beat faster.
“You must marry—immediately.”
“Oh.”
“Mathis Papendorp has informed me that he is planning to marry you. However, I have another suggestion.” He glowered at her from beneath thick black brows.
Odette’s mouth had gone dry. She couldn’t even swallow. What would he say next?
“I suggest you marry Jorgen Hartman. In fact, I strongly suggest it.”
Odette looked at Jorgen. He looked back at her. By his wide eyes and open mouth, he had not expected the margrave to say that any more than she had.
She had heard of men avoiding execution if a woman, any woman, agreed to marry them.