It gave me a lot to ponder, and ponder I did. Once or twice, as the sun slowly began to rise above the clouds I looked toward the closed door and pondered escaping. Each time, I dismissed the thought, for one reason or another. I told myself that I was too weak, or that I would be caught, that I would only be returned to this room anyway. Perhaps the truth was, as I watched him sleep, I began to wonder what kind of man my captor truly was.
When he awoke, he seemed as startled to see me awake as I was by him. “Good morning. It is still morning, isn’t it?”
“Yes. The sun has not been out long.”
“You’re looking well.”
“Ah… thank you.”
I watched as he pushed the chair back and stood, wincing slightly as he did so. “You’ve no need to thank me. I was only stating the truth.”
I dropped my eyes and stared at the quilt that had been draped over me. “I do. I… I know it was you that took care of me while I was ill.”
“Yes, well, you were probably the most cooperative these last days than I’ve ever known you to be.”
I eyed him sharply, only to see that he was teasing me. “Yes, well, please don’t become accustomed.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
“Do we leave today?” I asked, turning away so that he would not see me smile.
“I’m afraid so. As much as I would like to stay one more evening to allow you to rest, I think we’ve lost enough time already.”
I nodded my acquiescence.
“We’ll leave as soon as we break our fast. While I’m seeing to our food, you should dress and ready yourself for riding.”
I said nothing, which he must have taken for agreement because he left the room without looking back. As soon as I found myself alone, I was on my feet. I wobbled unsteadily for a moment—it was to be expected after all the time I’d spent in bed—before I regained my footing and began to move with purpose. Though I’d only had seconds to think it over, I knew as soon as I saw his retreating back that this was my chance to flee. It might have been the only chance I would ever get, so I needed to seize it. Briefly, I doubted myself—after all, he had taken such good care of me; this was no way to repay him. But I pushed the thought aside and began to dress in haste.
I’d been left in my shift during my illness and I was able to find my dress in a pile of discarded clothing and quickly pull it over my head. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t have allowed myself to be so careless with my appearance, but things were far from normal. In fact, I had begun to wonder if I’d ever know any sense of normalcy again.
As I paced the room and pondered what to do next, something at the back of the room caught my eye. Momentarily distracted, I peered closer until I realized that it was a door. A door, at the back of the room! Why, whatever could it be for? As soon as the question crossed my mind, the answer supplied itself. It had to lead to a public bathhouse. And mayhap there was a way for me to bypass the bathhouse altogether and find the road that would take me home.
As soon as I’d thought of home, my feet began moving as though of their own accord toward the door. Once I’d opened it, I saw that my theory had been correct. Only a few short feet away was a stand-alone building where the common folk went. Turning my head, I saw that there was a path between the two buildings that surely must lead to the road.
Excited for the first time since my ordeal had begun, I closed the door behind me and walked around the inn to follow the road that had brought us here. I hadn’t the faintest idea where I was, but surely if I followed the road we’d traveled, I could find my way home. And if not, God might put someone in my path that could show me the way.
With hope in my heart, I walked as quickly as I dared, though I forced myself to try to act naturally so that I did not call attention to myself. Then again, how did one who had been kidnapped against her will act as though she wasn’t afraid, as though every step she took didn’t make her fear being caught again? I didn’t know, but I did my best.
I had to hurry, as there was no telling when my captor would return to check on me. Mayhap he was there, even now, finding the room empty. What would he do when he found me gone? Would he be relieved to be rid of me? Or would he charge the stables, saddle my horse, and come galloping after me? The thought made me quicken my pace, despite my fear of being seen as out of place.
I should have taken the horse, I thought, glancing back over my shoulder and wishing that I’d had the foresight to head in the direction of the stable. I hated to lose her, yet if I were to go back for her now, my chance would slip through my fingers, and well I knew it.
With each step I took, I began to feel more uncertain in my unexpected freedom. Surely, I should have been elated, and though I wanted to be home more than anything, the barrage of doubts that began to plague me overrode any joy I might have felt otherwise. I’d been too hasty, I realized with a sinking heart. What if I couldn’t find my way home? I’d slept a bit along the way, and though it had been a fitful sleep, still it had kept me from noticing if we’d made any twists and turns along the way to finding this inn. What if I got lost? Already, hunger was gnawing at me. If I should find myself in the woods, what hope did I have of finding nourishment? Had I foolishly stranded myself, trading one predicament for another? What about shelter? What about vandals on the road? I had been most unwise to think I could ever look like one of the common folk. Despite the dust on my gown, it clearly was fine cloth and like nothing these people had ever come across. My hair hung free and was not plaited as the women who worked in the fields wore it.
Never mind, I told myself, my lips coming together in a thin, determined line as I marched on. I couldn’t afford to worry about that now, not if I was going to have a chance at making it home. Somehow, I would find a family loyal to Hohenzollern and the princess, and they would see me safely returned to the castle.
With my resolution renewed, I clenched my hands into fists at my sides and picked up my pace. The sooner I saw my family the better. And what a tale this would make! I could imagine the entire dining hall listening with rapt attention as I told how I’d been abducted and forced to walk while my captor rode! Who’d ever thought such a thing could happen to a duchess?
A smile quirked at the corners of my mouth when I imagined my cousin’s reaction. I knew she’d be horrified and full of sympathy, yet the thought of me forced to live as a commoner would make her laugh and the thought of hearing her familiar peals of laughter made me smile, too.
“What’s a fair lil’ thing like yourself doin’ out here on her own?”
Oh, no! Fear rose like bile in my throat as my head jerked up at the sound of the unfamiliar voice. I’d thought that being caught and dragged back to the inn, kicking and screaming, would be the worst thing that could happen to me. As I took in the leering, gap-toothed man who’d pulled his horse over to speak to me, I revisited that assessment. He was thin, in clothes that bore more resemblance to rags, with stringy black hair and a long, crooked nose. I did my best to school my features so that I didn’t visibly wince. It was hard, since the sight of him—and the smell that soon followed—turned my stomach.
“Would you be needin’ a ride, miss?”
The way he looked me up and down with those narrowed, beady eyes sent a chill of revulsion along my spine. I swallowed hard to stifle the cry that rose to my throat the moment I realized I was being followed. Please, not again, I thought, trying to calm my racing pulse. “I am a woman wed, sir,” I said at last, hoping he didn’t hear the quaver in my voice. “I am the Duchess of Württemberg, if you please.”
His eyes lit with amusement at my tone and his smile widened, revealing a mouth full of dark gaps where teeth had once been. “Beggin’ your forgiveness, my lady.”
I didn’t care for the sing-song tone he used, and as he looked down at me with greed in every line of his expression, I realized I’d made yet another mistake. I never have known when to hold my tongue, I thought ruefully. Mother had always said so.
<
br /> “It’s quite all right.” I changed my tune, speaking gracefully with my head held high. “You didn’t know. Now, you can see for yourself that I am fine, just out for a stroll. My husband should be along any moment.”
“Husband, eh?” His grin stretched even further and I began to feel my heart pounding hard in my breast, certain that he must know that I was lying.
A frisson of fear ran the length of my body at the thought, but I did my best to hide it. “Yes. The Duke of Württemberg.”
“I’d be pleased to help you find your, er, husband.”
My smile froze, prickling like tiny shards of ice on my face. Somehow, I knew that he intended to do nothing of the kind. “Thank you, but—” I broke off as he swiftly dismounted from the downtrodden animal that had carried him.
“No, I must insist, m’lady.”
I backed away, my eyes darting from him to his animal, and I wondered if this was the chance I had been waiting for after all. He was a long, lean man, but even so I doubted I could win in a skirmish. If I could outwit him, there was a chance I could claim the animal as my own. It was clear that it needed a better master, and in any event, it would get me that much closer to returning home.
He stepped closer, his stride confidant as if he could smell my fear. He reached out to seize me, but I ducked, stepping out of his grubby grasp, which only made him laugh. “You know, now that I’ve had a proper look, your fair complex’ion and your fine clothes make me wonder if you really could be a duchess.”
“I am,” I replied in a voice that wobbled despite my efforts.
“Imagine that. Me, with a duchess.” He grinned, seeming well pleased with himself, and I chose that moment to act.
I darted around him as quickly as I could managed and sprinted for the horse. He made a grab for me, but I yanked my skirt away and kept running. I climbed atop the animal as quickly as I could, my heart in my throat the whole while. When I was astride, I kicked my heels, but to my surprise and disappointment the animal did not budge. I looked down in dismay and realized that the man had managed to take hold of the reins, which he clutched like a prize in his grimy claws.
He peered up at me, a mean smile on his face as he sniggered at my misfortune. “Thought you’d steal my horse, did ye? That doesn’t seem like somethin’ no royalty would do, now does it?” Which a sneer, he jerked the reins and the horse responded by rearing up on its hind legs, bucking me from its back so quickly that I hardly knew what was happening.
A scream lodged in my throat and I had mere moments to process what was happening, during which I became certain that I would break every bone in my body when I hit the ground.
When I hit, I slammed against something solid, and the air whooshed from my lungs. Only as I gasped, struggling for breath did I realize that I was being held by strong arms around my waist.
“Shh, it’s alright, sweeting. You’re safe now,” a voice murmured into my ear. When I realized that it was my abductor, come to fetch me after all, I could have wept. Whether those tears would have been in self-pity or relief, I wasn’t certain.
“May I ask what you think you’re doing?” he asked, directing his sharp, clipped words at the man who’d caused his horse to throw me.
“Oh, why, I was just trying to help your wife find her way home, sir. She seemed lost, walking out here alone, unescorted and all. A lady of her station, I don’t have to tell ye what could have happened. There are some unsavory persons in this part of the world, Yer Grace.”
Hearing the man who’d stolen me in the dark of night being referred to by my husband’s title was laughable. As if he could hear the giggles trying to burst free, my captor gave me a quelling glance before speaking.
“I believe you speak the truth on the matter, though it looked as though your intentions toward my wife were far from honorable.”
“Forgive me, Yer Grace, I’m jus’ a humble farmer. I certainly didn’t intend to frighten the lass.”
“The duchess,” he corrected coolly. “And in fact, I saw you make your horse unseat her. Had I not been present, she would have been severely injured.”
The man looked at the ground, shamefaced and stuttering.
“A lesser man would see you put to death, but as I am the forgiving sort and am sure it was nothing but an unfortunate mishap, I’ll take the horse and allow these transgressions to be forgotten.”
The man had gone pale, his ruddy complexion becoming whiter than a bed sheet when the possibility of death was mentioned. Had my kidnapper been royalty, indeed, he could have seen to it. “Thank you, sir. I mean, Yer Grace! Thank you. I’m terribly sorry, I am. Thank you for pardoning such a humble—”
“Very well, sir. You may be on your way.” As he spoke, his grip on me tightened the slightest bit. “And if we should meet again, I doubt it would go well for you. Understand?”
The humble farmer nodded again and again, giving a clumsy bow that made it clear that his knees were practically knocking together from fear. “I… o’course, Yer Grace. Forgive me, Duchess, I did not mean… well, that is… I’m very sorry. My humblest apologies.”
I nodded, which was all I could muster at the moment. My abductor walked forward and collected the reins from the farmer and led the horse away while the man watched. When he reached me, he signaled that I should follow him, which I did, ignoring the farmer who was bowing so low he practically scraped the ground.
“What in all hells were you thinking?” he asked when we’d moved a good distance away.
Straight from one captor to another, I thought wryly. “I was thinking of getting home, nothing more.”
“That much is clear.” He barked a laugh. “You certainly didn’t think of a horse. Did you think of provisions? Did you—”
“No, I didn’t,” I snapped, eyes blazing as I whirled on him. “The only thought I had was getting away, and if that man hadn’t come along—”
“There would have been another man, one that perhaps wasn’t as easily fooled. You need to use that pretty little head, princess, before you end up killed yourself.”
His words made me shudder. “How do I know that isn’t what you intend for me, once you’ve… done whatever you intend?”
He stopped short, facing my glare with his usual unruffled gaze. “As of now, I’ve done nothing to make you think I mean you ill, princess.”
“I’ve told you!” I practically screeched. “I am not—”
“And I’ll tell you another thing,” he continued as though I hadn’t spoken. “Right now, the only thing I intend for you is to understand the seriousness of your actions.”
“I was fine,” I snapped. “I was handling everything. I would have managed.”
“I see. Well, in that case, forgive me for trying to help you.”
The reply caught me off guard, as did the fact that he began to walk again, leading the horse alongside him. I glanced over my shoulder and saw that the farmer had finally left, presumably to return home. I gazed longingly at the road. I’d been so close—so close! Would freedom always elude me?
“Go.” The one word pierced my thoughts. “I won’t stop you, if you’re so eager.”
My heartbeat quickened at the thought, even as my eyes took in the sun dipping in the sky, shadows being cast by its dimming sunlight. Reluctantly, I tore my eyes away and began to follow him. We walked toward the inn for several moments, neither of us saying a word. My belly tightened at the sight of the building, but I knew that I didn’t have a choice. I didn’t have anywhere to stay, and for the present I had no other alternative than to make the best of an undesirable situation. I’d get out of it, somehow. I had to.
“I know that you’re frightened,” he spoke up at last. “Given the circumstances, that’s understandable. But what you need to know is that as much as you desire to return to Hohenzollern, there’s no longer a home for you there.”
I blinked in surprise, trying to make sense of his words. “What do you mean?”
He sighed and ran his fin
gers through his hair before turning to me with solemn eyes. “I hate for you to find out this way… I hate for you to find out at all, truth be told, but I can see no way around it. Hohenzollern has surely been attacked by now, and all within it will have been given to the Free Cities. That would have included you, had I not taken you with me.”
His words sounded distant and distorted. None of what he said made any sense. What did he mean, I did not have a home? Surely everything he said was nonsense, meant to make me accept my fate, meant to keep me from running away from him. “I don’t understand,” I said, speaking from lips that felt numb. “Attacked by whom?”
“The people of the Free Cities. It seems that the Princess Susanna—”
“No,” I protested, shaking my head. “Susanna is a good person, she—”
“Please, I know it’s very hard to accept, but you have me now, little one, and I intend to make you my wife.”
The more he spoke, the more I trembled. Surely nothing but lies tumbled from his full lips. It wasn’t possible. Hohenzollern, no more? What would have become of Susanna, of the other ladies I knew? It was unthinkable. He was only trying to unnerve me, but I was a duchess. I was made of sterner stuff than he realized, and I would not bend to the fear that he attempted to drum up in order to get me to fall in line.
“I shall always treat you fairly, with kindness. You have nothing to fear from me.”
Become his wife? What did he think of me that made him believe that I would consent to such nonsense? “Thank you, sir, I am sure you mean well,” I told him with frost in my voice, “but I already have a husband.”
He let out a long-suffering sigh. “Madam, I’m afraid your husband is most likely dead.”
The knots in my belly tightened but I forced myself to keep walking, to keep breathing evenly as if nothing was amiss. The thought of Wallace dead… oh, how my knees wanted to buckle, but I would not let them. Not for the sake of a lie.
The Conquered Brides Collection Page 49