Beloved Pilgrim (9 page)

As she reached her own chamber door Albrecht
stepped out from an embrasure. "My lady!" he cried with alarm.

"Don't touch me!" she shrieked. "Don't touch
me, you bastard!"

He saw the bruises Reinhardt's open palm left
on her face, the torn clothing, and the fury in her eyes. "I'll
kill him," he growled through clenched teeth. Putting his hand to
the hilt of his sword he started to stride down the hall.

"No!" Elisabeth called after him after a
moment's hesitation. "Come back. Please!" she wailed.

He slowed and stopped, turning to look at
her. The appeal in her eyes drew him back to her. He hesitatingly
put out his arms so she could, if she wished, enter them and
receive comfort. She stared at the floor, and then quietly walked
into his embrace. She could not prevent herself from shuddering at
his touch.

Reinhardt used her again every night he
remained at Winterkirche, seemingly oblivious to everything she did
to make herself undesirable. She tried to hide, tried to lock
herself in her chamber, and even attempted to escape him, but he
had men watching her at all times. Her loyal serving-woman, Marta,
tried to soothe her, to calm her, but her constant assurances that
Elisabeth would grow used to the rough handling only made the girl
withdraw further into herself.

The morning Reinhardt left she was forced to
attend him. She stood hollow-eyed and distracted, causing the man's
soldiers to elbow each other and laugh about how busy their lord
had kept the wench. Reinhardt himself was grim but with a subtle
air of self-satisfaction. He had made it clear to her that he
expected her to quicken with child and to make him wait no longer
for a son and heir. She nodded dumbly and watched him mount his
horse and ride out of the gates.

Elisabeth never wanted to return to the hall,
but she forced herself to do so the next day.

Over the ensuing days Elisabeth tried to go
through the motions of keeping house. She quickly discovered that
she had little to do. Reinhardt had informed her steward that if he
wanted to keep his position, he would now only answer to himself
and his representatives left behind to keep an eye on the girl and
her possessions.

Elisabeth went looking for her only remaining
ally, fearing that he, Albrecht, had decamped along with everyone
else in spite of his protestations, a decision for which she could
not fault him. She turned to go into the hall only to find herself
face to face with Hans, one of Reinhardt's squires who was posted
to keep an eye on her for his master. The young man's obscene smile
startled her so she stepped backward. "Hans, remember yourself!"
she demanded hotly.

The man stepped back and made a deep bow. "My
lady," he acknowledged in an ironic voice.

"Just exactly why did he leave you here?"

Hans stood up straight and inclined his head.
"I am to keep an eye on the feisty little bitch. Do not blame me!"
he snapped as she lifted a palm to slap him. "I am just answering
your question with the very words your husband used."

She scowled and passed him, not seeing the
amused look he cast after her, a look that slid down her back to
her rump, appraising.

"Oh good, you are here," Elisabeth whispered
as she stepped through the stable door and saw Albrecht with
Carlchen, his horse, currying his coat in a patch of sunlight.
Carlchen was smaller than a destrier, but still big and chestnut in
color.

The squire did not smile as he looked up,
though he did make a short bow. "My lady, how come you here?"

She went to the gate of the stall, pulled it
open and slipped in and alongside the horse. In the stall next to
them, Elias's horse Gauner, a huge gray, nickered and put his nose
over to be stroked. She went to him and put her hand on his
forehead. "Oh Gauner, you miss him as much as we do, don't
you?"

Albrecht continued to move along Carlchen's
side with the currycomb. He waited for Elisabeth to turn back to
him.

When she did at last, she seemed to be
thinking how to say something. Slowly she began, "Albrecht, do you
still mean to leave here?" Her eyes pleaded with him.

He sighed. Continuing his task he replied,
"Yes, I must, with your leave of course. I know the Baron's type,
same as most such. If he has any idea about Elias and me, I will be
dead in no time."

Elisabeth stared uncomprehending. "You really
think he would kill you?"

"It happens all the time."

"But you are from a noble family! They would
never permit it!" she protested, recalling Sister Magdalena's
words.

Albrecht's look was sardonic. "Perhaps, but
at the stake or on a gallows is not the only way to be killed. A
word in his guards' ears and I would be as good as dead. The best I
can hope for is that he says nothing of his suspicions to any other
knights."

Frowning, Elisabeth walked to the other side
of the horse, letting her hand trail along its flank soothingly.
"Could you go to the new crusade?"

He stopped brushing the chestnut coat of his
horse and leaned back against the stall. "I may have to, my lady.
Knights don't usually take on other knights' squires. You usually
spend a long time with a family. Just as I did . . . here." His
voice broke and he looked away.

She could not see him over the large horse's
back, but she heard the emotion in his voice. She too leaned back
against the stall, Gauner putting his head over to nuzzle her hair.
"Do you think you could find a knight on the crusade?" Her own lips
were turned down at their edges with sadness.

He paused, and then said desultorily, "I will
have to."

"I wish I could go with you," she began, but
a sound at the stable door made both young people look in that
direction.

A fair crop of uncombed hair appeared over
the top of the stall gate and then a supercilious face. "I wondered
if I'd find the two of you together somewhere. Just in time, from
the look of it." It was Hans.

Albrecht rankled. "You are speaking of a
lady, churl. Show some respect."

Hans pulled the stall gate ajar just enough
that he could stand in the gap. "It matters not to me, friend, if
you are fucking the wench. I am just doing my job."

"Albrecht is a good and chaste fellow,"
Elisabeth snapped back, earning nothing more than a derisive snort
from the squire.

"I am sure of it, my lady, as sure as the sun
will rise in the west."

"You have a filthy mind," Albrecht said,
advancing on Hans. His movements worried Carlchen who became
jittery. Albrecht stopped his progress and turned his attention to
calming the animal.

Hans's hands were up to ward off any assault,
but now he dropped them to his side. He glanced at Elisabeth. With
a small bow, he said, "As I said, I don't care if you spread your
legs for all the farmers in the valley, save that it would mean
hurt to me if his nibs heard of it. Frankly, I don't see what the
squire sees in you. You are not exactly what they call a toothsome
wench. The Baron wants the estates and a brat. Once he has those, I
think you can be sure he will leave you alone."

"Get out of my sight!" Elisabeth shot at
him.

He shrugged, turned at the door, not
bothering to close the gate. "Just remember, I will know if you two
are alone too long in a private place." He looked up and around
inside the stable. "This is too open a place. I think you will be
more circumspect than to rut on the floor in here." He ducked the
flying currycomb and went out.

Elisabeth came around Carlchen's head and
found Albrecht trembling with fury. She went to him and put a hand
on his shoulder, squeezing. "What a fool," she said angrily. "If he
only knew."

Albrecht looked hard at her. "If he only knew
I would be dead for sure. That's why I have to get out of
here."

Elisabeth had gone pale. "When will you
leave?"

He went out of the stall to retrieve the
currycomb, brought it back, pulling the gate shut behind him, and
responded, "In a few days. Just long enough to make sure the baron
is well on his way."

"Where will you go? To join the crusaders I
mean?"

He shrugged. "I suppose south to Italy.
Milan? Venice?" He averted his eyes and in a hesitating voice went
on, "My lady, I am loath to ask this, but I shall need some help. .
. . "

She looked up, eager. "Anything! What do you
want me to do?"

He turned his back to her. She had to strain
to understand his mumbled reply. "I need money, my lady. I have
nothing to live on."

"Oh, of course." Elisabeth shook her head. "I
can get some, though it will certainly be missed." She squared her
shoulders and said in a rebellious tone, "What do I care if it's
missed? It's yours, all you need." She put a finger to her chin.
"Or . . . ," she began. "What about Elias's armor? And the horse?
You could take them, use them, and sell them. Other than the horse,
they would not be missed. . . . " Her voice trailed off as she went
to where Gauner's muzzle overtopped the stall. She put a hand on
his nose and stroked. "You would be terribly missed, my darling,"
she said to him.

"Let me think about it, my lady. I thank you
for your generosity, whatever happens. I hate to leave you behind,
but what else can we do?"

Elisabeth turned her face back to him. Her
gaze was unfocused, far away. "I don't know." She paused. "Can you
meet me in Elias's chamber after all are abed tonight?"

Albrecht eyed her warily. "What about
Hans?"

"No, we don't want him there. Just the two of
us," she said absently, too absent to have taken his meaning. She
was deep in thought.

Hans had a guard on Elisabeth's chamber door
that night. The man sat in the window embrasure across the
corridor, but when her chamber door opened he leaped to his feet,
at attention.

Elisabeth in her night robe looked out at
him. "Here, man, come here!" she demanded imperiously. "The lazy
maid forgot to fill this with water. How am I supposed to wash? Get
me some water!"

"But my lady, I am not to leave my post," the
man protested.

"Nonsense," she said, dismissively. "I am not
going anywhere. I am half asleep already. Just go and get it. Or I
will make your life hell."

He looked about but no help was at hand, so
he stepped forward to take the pitcher she held out. He scowled but
bowed to her and rushed down the corridor.

She was still standing at the door when he
returned. She yawned deeply and took the pitcher. She looked into
it and made a disgusted noise. "Where did you get this? The horse
trough?" She thrust it back into his arms. "Go to the well by the
kitchens. I am not going to wash in filthy water."

"B-but, my lady, it does come from the
ki-"

She gave the man a furious glance and turned
to go into her chamber. "A liar as well as incompetent. Just do it.
Knock on my door when you get clean water."

He heard the bolt fall into place as the door
thumped shut. Sighing he went back down the corridor.

When he returned he knocked on her chamber
door. He got no answer. He reached to the latch and thought better
of simply walking into his lady's chamber. He fumed, and then put
the pitcher on the floor. He knocked again, and getting no answer
went back to trying to stay awake in the embrasure. After a short
while he dozed.

Albrecht was already in Elias's chamber when
Elisabeth slipped in as quietly as she could. She put a finger to
her lips to advise silence and leaned her ear to the thick wooden
door. After a moment, she stood and went over to where he stood.
She gestured to the settle, and they sat down together.

"I have an idea," she began without any
preamble. "Why can't I go with you when you leave for the
crusade?"

Albrecht stared at her, speechless. He
finally managed, "How can you? You would be missed."

She smiled smugly. "Yes, but if I am not
caught, what matters if I am missed?"

The squire stood and started to pace. "But
Hans . . . "

"I have a feeling he can be dealt with," she
said with conviction.

After a few turns around the chamber,
Albrecht stopped his pacing. "You are probably right. He is as
venal as I have seen a man." He started walking again, then
stopped. "You aren't planning actually to go on crusade . . .
?"

"Of course not. I'm a woman, and a noble
woman at that. I can hardly be a camp follower, but there's got to
be some way to get out of Reinhardt's clutches. I will enter a
convent before I let him touch me again."

"You would make one hell of an abbess,"
Albrecht said, "begging your pardon."

"Hmm, well, yes, but that's only as a last
resort. Frankly, I don't know what I will do. I just want to get as
far from here as possible."

Starting to pace again, the man considered.
"How will you get away? You can hardly saddle up and ride off."

"Well, you need Elias's armor, right? You
would have to carry it away, and that might be rather difficult to
conceal. But what if someone wore it out of the manor?" She waited
his understanding eagerly.

His pacing stopped abruptly. "You mean?"

She nodded. "I will wear it out. Then you can
take it after we get wherever we go."

Albrecht sat down hard on the edge of the
bed, so rapt with her idea he did not realize where he was sitting.
"You would have to be disguised anyway to travel without being
known. I don't know if any of the guards Reinhardt left behind
would recognize Elias's armor, if we take the insignia off. Or you
could wear a cloak over it."

Elisabeth forgot her fear and grief in the
excitement. "I have an even better idea." She waited for him to
look back up at her. "I will go to stay at Sister Magdalena's for a
few days. You will leave before me. Then once I am there, you will
come. You will transport the armor before that. Once you come I
will put on the armor and leave. No one will see us leave
together."