Wait. Had he not said that he would not punish her? She could marry Jorgen and not have to worry about punishment? She didn’t have to marry Mathis!
But what about the children? What about Rutger? Mathis would not use his money to help either one of them if she married Jorgen. But God had provided for the children without her help for the past six months.
She gazed up at Jorgen, standing just beside her. His chest was rising and falling fast. He licked his lips. Was his mouth as dry as hers?
Jorgen turned to the margrave. “My lord, I do not wish you to force her. I—”
“No, Jorgen, let her decide,” Lord Thornbeck cut him off. “You deserve to have the woman you want to marry.”
Odette’s face went hot. Yes, Jorgen deserved the woman he wanted to marry. But did he still want her? And he also deserved a woman who wanted to marry him. Would he protest to the point that the margrave would become enraged at him? She couldn’t allow that.
“My lord,” she said quickly, “I must first ask a question. Why would you have your forester marry me? Should you not allow him to choose?”
“He has already chosen.” The margrave’s voice was cool and expressionless. “He wishes to marry you. And I wish to grant him his desire—if you are as worthy as he thinks you are.”
Jorgen was still red faced, but he was staring at her with that vulnerable look she could never resist, the look that was melting her heart. “Marry me, Odette.”
Her heart stuttered. She swallowed and pushed back the longing to throw her arms around him. “I do want to marry Jorgen Hartman”—she wrenched her gaze from Jorgen and turned to the margrave—“with all my heart, but I do not accept him to escape punishment or to escape marrying someone I do not love. I accept him because he is the best man I have ever known. He is good and kind and honest. He is exactly the kind of man I would wish to marry. I may not be worthy of him, but I love him.”
She was afraid to look at Jorgen, her insides trembling at the bold words she had just spoken.
“Very well. I see.” Lord Thornbeck cleared his throat. He gave a half smile and picked up some papers off the desk behind him and gazed down at them a moment. “And now I have some other problems to discuss with you both.”
Odette’s stomach fluttered. Other problems? Would he tell her that he had been in jest, that she, a poacher, would not be allowed to marry Jorgen, the best and most noble man in Thornbeck?
“Your uncle, Rutger Menkels, whom I have locked in my dungeon and from whom I have confiscated his property for his crimes . . . I have become aware that he was also wronged. Mathis Papendorp stole a large shipment of his goods.”
What? Mathis had stolen from Rutger?
“Mathis schemed to make him destitute in order to marry you. Although he planned to give Rutger his property back, this is not something I take lightly. I was not amused when I heard this story, and now I plan to free your uncle and force Mathis to give him back twice as much as he stole from him, with interest.”
Rutger would be released! Her shoulders relaxed as she let out a breath. And he wouldn’t be destitute. “I thank you, my lord.”
“I want to know”—he fixed Odette with a severe look—“why you were so determined to help the poor. Is this such a problem in Thornbeck that you, a young woman, would be bent on feeding them?”
She stared at the margrave. “Yes, my lord.” Odette blinked, trying to think how to answer the unexpected question. “There are orphaned children who live in rickety shelters they have built themselves just outside the town wall. They are forced to steal and beg and look through garbage heaps to keep themselves alive. I believe there are at least twenty or thirty of these children, besides the ones who live on the streets in town. They need our help. They are only children and unable to earn enough money to buy food or provide decent shelter for themselves. It is our Christian duty to help them, for anyone who is able to help them.”
“Odette teaches them to read a few days a week,” Jorgen said when she paused. “She also brings them food and helps them when they are sick.”
The margrave frowned again, his smile gone. “Jorgen has devised a plan whereby the people of Thornbeck might look after the poor orphan children of the town. I believe it is a plan you helped him with.” He glanced at Odette. “It is a feasible plan that might all but eliminate the problem of children stealing bread and other food from the vendors at the market, while the merchants exercise their Christian duty, as you say, to care for the poor widows and orphans. Jorgen has spoken to the Bishop of Thornbeck, and he has offered a certain portion of the church’s assets to this effort.”