The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest (23 page)

“I am the margrave’s forester! You are holding two young maidens here against their will, and the margrave will not allow this to go unpunished.”

“Two maidens?” Agnes feigned surprise as she placed her hand over her heart. “I was not aware of that. I assure you I would never do such a thing. Can you tell me the names of these two captive maidens?”

“Kathryn and Odette.”

“Are you certain they are here against their will? Perhaps they choose to be here.”

A couple of chuckles followed her words. Every person in the room was staring at him.

“If you can prove that they did not come here of their own freedom and choice, then I am sure the margrave will have reason to throw me in the dungeon. But as they both came here freely . . .” She clicked her tongue against her teeth. “I believe the margrave might ask you what you are doing here.”

Jorgen growled deep in his throat as he struggled to loose himself from the grip of the guard. “If they came here freely, then allow them to leave freely.”

Agnes stepped closer to him and smiled. She touched a finger to his temple, then drew a line down his face to his chin. “You are too handsome to incite my ire . . . far too handsome. And far too passionate in your determination for me not to believe that you are in love with one of those young maidens you speak of freeing.” Her smile widened, showing two missing front teeth on the top. “Which one is it? Kathryn? Or Odette?”

“Let me go. I am the margrave’s forester.”

“You are the margrave’s forester. So why are you here? No, do not answer that again. I would never mistreat a man who is so close to the margrave.” Her words dripped with insincerity. “I shall allow you to go upstairs and free the maidens you speak of. I am tired of this game. Kathryn is no longer welcome to come back, and you may tell her I said so.” She snapped her fingers. The massive oaf holding on to his arms released him.

Jorgen ran up the stairs. When he reached the top, he called, “Odette!”

From somewhere on the other side of the door, someone was calling her name. “Odette!”

“It’s Jorgen!” How had he found them? How did he know she was there? “Here!” she yelled at the door. “We are here!”

“Where? Where are you?” His voice sounded strong and calm, but urgent.

Odette kept calling to him so he could follow her voice. Her heart beat fast and hard. Were they allowing him to release her and Kathryn? Or would the guards try to stop him?

His footsteps grew close. “Here! We are in here!” She heard the bar scraping, wood on wood, and then the door swung open. Jorgen’s face was tense, his brows drawn together and his fists raised, as if ready to punch someone.

He stepped one foot over the threshold and she threw her arms around him. She buried her face in his shoulder, but only for a moment. He held on to her arms as he stared down at her face. “Are you unhurt?”

“
Ja, ja,
we are well. But we should go.” She turned to fetch Kathryn, who stood behind her.

“Go on and leave me here.” Her face crumpled. “Go on.”

“We are not leaving without you.” Odette grabbed Kathryn’s arm.

“My things.” Kathryn pulled away and sank to her knees beside the bed. She pulled out a bundle, which she tucked under her arm.

“Come.” Jorgen motioned for them to follow him out the door.

Odette held her breath, waiting to see if Kathryn would go with them. She stepped forward, and Odette let her go out the door behind Jorgen.

Jorgen turned to the right, heading toward the front stairs.

“Are we not going out the back way through the kitchen?” Kathryn asked.

“No. They are going to let us go through the front door.” Jorgen’s voice was resolute.

Odette’s stomach sank. Would they have to fight their way out?

“They will never let me leave.” Kathryn’s shrill voice threatened tears. “Leave me here.”

“No. They will allow you to leave.”

Kathryn held on to his sleeve and Odette held on to Kathryn’s arm as they made their way to the other end of the corridor and the top of the stairs. Without hesitating, Jorgen started down.

Everyone in the large open room at the bottom of the stairs watched them. Kathryn kept her head down, but Odette glared at them all, meeting each person’s eye, including Agnes’s.

Agnes glared back. “None of the three of you are to ever set a foot in The Red House again. Do you understand?”

No one said anything for a moment. Then Jorgen said, “None of us will want to.”

“What about you, Kathryn?” Agnes’s voice was taunting. “Will you be back?”

Kathryn’s hands were shaking and she cringed, her shoulders bowed forward.

“She will not be back either,” Odette said stoutly.

Agnes merely smirked.

They walked out into the daylight, and Odette was never so thankful to leave a place in her life.

Jorgen said nothing as he set a rather fast pace down the street. But as Kathryn still held on to his sleeve, he reached toward Odette and clasped her hand in his. She moved closer.

He gazed down at her. “Thank God you were not hurt.”

Had she never noticed how inviting his lips looked? What would it feel like to kiss them?

Foolish, foolish girl to think of
that
at a time such as this
. “Thank you for saving us from that terrible place, Jorgen.” She felt breathless, and it had nothing to do with the way they were hurrying along.

He was no longer looking at her but was guiding her and Kathryn through the street, dodging horses as well as people. He glanced at her for a moment. “It was incredible good fortune that Anna happened to see me and that I happened to be walking that way.”

His voice seemed tight, controlled.

Anna was running toward them. “Oh, you are well, you are well!” She threw her arms around Odette. “Did they hurt you?”

“I am not hurt, thanks to you and Jorgen.”

Anna hurried over to Kathryn and embraced her too. “I thank God you are both safe.”

Jorgen was staring down at Odette. He seemed about to say something.

“I have your things from the market,” Anna said. She ran over to a chandler’s shop and came back out carrying Odette’s basket.

“I had forgotten all about it.” Odette took it from her. “I don’t even remember where I left it. Thank you, Anna. You are a godsend.” She hugged her friend again.

“Peter will be worried about me,” Anna said. “I should go now. Fare well.”

They started walking again. But Kathryn was looking uncomfortable and near tears again. Odette went to walk beside her, put her arm around her, and said to her quietly, “That part of your life is finished. You are free from Agnes and The Red House. She set you free when she said you were never to come back there again. I know you felt you owed her something, and there was some part of you that told you that you belonged there, but that
is a part of you that has no place in your future. Kathryn? Do you understand?”

She nodded and wiped at a tear on her cheek.

She only hoped Kathryn would take to heart the words she was speaking to her. If only she would cast away the broken part of her, the part that thought she didn’t deserve to live free and without someone using and abusing her. It had taken Odette a long time to stop feeling guilty that she had an uncle who was wealthy and who gave her everything she needed and wanted. For so long, part of her still thought she deserved to be despised as a lowly beggar child, forced to work like a slave and not allowed to have three meals a day. But that part of her was not welcome in her thoughts and her heart now. She simply had to convince Kathryn of that same thing—that her brokenness was a part of her past, not her present nor her future. It was possible to start anew . . . and to be joyful about starting anew.

Jorgen stopped, and Odette looked up to see that they had arrived in front of her house. Holding on to Kathryn’s arm, she turned to Jorgen. “Please come inside.”

Inside the first-floor room, Odette asked Jorgen to wait for a moment, then she took Kathryn to the kitchen.

“Heinke, I need you to prepare a bath for Kathryn. And, Else,” she called to the older woman who helped Cook in the kitchen, “will you take care of her and help her wash her hair?”

“Of course.” Else put her arm around Kathryn’s shoulders. She was a motherly type, exactly what Kathryn needed. “Come, love, and you can get a good scrub. Nothing like a warm bath.”

Odette hurried back to where Jorgen was standing just inside the front door. He didn’t see her come in. He still looked a bit angry, as if he was thinking of something unjust. He was so tall
and strong, and his hair looked soft, the way it curled around his ears. If only she could gaze at him forever. Tears stung her eyes.

Jorgen turned and reached out to her. Tears spilled from her eyes and she stepped into his open arms, pressing her cheek against his chest.

“My brave girl,” he whispered against her hair as he swept it away from her face. “Do not cry.”

How could she cry now? She made an effort to stop, taking deep breaths, but oh, how good it felt to be held in his warm, strong arms, to press her face against his broad chest. Concentrating on the warmth of his body made the tears dry up.

She had no right to let him hold her like this. She didn’t want to hurt him, and she could not marry him, so she should step away from him right now.

But she didn’t have the strength to push him away. She would stay like this for a bit longer. “Thank you.” She closed her eyes, memorizing how warm, how safe, how exhilarating it felt to be embraced by him. She breathed him in as guilt assailed her. “Thank you for saving us today. I do not know how we would have escaped had you not helped us.”

“I am pleased I was there, where Anna could find me. And grateful you were not hurt. You weren’t hurt, were you?”

“Not at all.” It was time to break away. She must. She took a deep breath, trying to make sure she remembered his smell—like evergreen trees, fresh air, and something else, something enticing—and let it out slowly.

With reluctance, she loosened her arms from around his waist and took a step back. But Jorgen did not let go. His hand stayed on her back, while the other came up and pressed against her cheek as he looked into her eyes.

The moment seemed frozen as they gazed at each other.
When his eyes focused on her mouth, her heart started to pound and her breath left her chest. Would he kiss her? Did she dare kiss him? It would be easy to rise on her tiptoes and pull his head down to hers. She did not think he would resist.

A door slammed, causing Odette to jump. Cook’s voice came from the back of the house and called for Heinke to come and help her. “Make haste! The milk will sour before you get here.”

Odette let out a nervous half giggle, and Jorgen mumbled, “I should not,” as if to himself. He was still staring down at her, but his expression had lost its intensity.

He pulled away, stroking her cheek so quickly she wondered if it was accidental. “I must go. Take care of Kathryn.”

“I will.”

Did he want to kiss her? Was he thinking about it? Or had she imagined it?

19

T
HE NIGHT OF
the margrave’s masquerade ball had arrived.

Two weeks had gone by in which Odette saw Jorgen only a few times when she gave her lessons to the children. And Mathis had visited her twice, to bring her flowers and to tell her about his costume for the masquerade ball.

“What are you wearing to the ball?” Mathis had asked her.

“I cannot tell you, or else, what is the fun of having a masquerade ball? You shall have to guess which maiden is me.” Perhaps it was not a good idea to tease Mathis, but she hoped he would not recognize her for a while and she could dance with Jorgen for the first few dances.

Rutger told her that many titled ladies and men would be attending the ball, as well as the most distinguished residents of Thornbeck. Odette and her uncle were invited, but she was sad that Anna and Peter were not. At least Jorgen would be there. Although she should not indulge her attraction to him so much, being able to talk with him would soothe the nervous flutterings in her stomach at being around so many highborn people.