Karin’s face warmed under the intensity of his stare.
Mother released Karin’s hand and stepped toward Father.
Stepan’s mouth moved, but words were not forthcoming. Was he so struck?
Karin stepped closer.
When Stepan did find his voice, he managed, "Forgive me, I find myself speechless in the presence of such beauty."
"You flatter me," Karin responded.
"No." He shook his head, closing the distance between them. "Karin, you are a vision." Taking her hand with fingers that trembled, he lifted it to his lips.
The warmth of her face deepened as did, certainly, the color.
"Come," Father said, a wide grin on his face. "We must have you announced."
Stepan nodded, offering Karin his arm.
She slid her hand onto it. Was he trembling still?
Father, with Mother on his arm, moved toward the grand stairway. As they closed in upon the stairs, the Viscount and Viscountess joined them. Had they been watching the exchange?
The Viscount delivered compliments to both Karin and her mother, as did Father to the Viscountess. Only then did the Viscount signal a servant to alert the manservant who was to announce them. He then led the Viscountess toward the stairs.
"Your hosts this evening, Viscount Vlastik Dvorak and his wife, the Viscountess Pavla Dvorakova."
As they made their way down the stairs, Karin’s parents took their positions. Mother stole a moment to lay a hand to Karin's face and smile.
"The Earl Petr Bornekov and his wife, the Countess Lenka Bornekova."
Both sets of parents remained at the base of the stairs, splitting off each to a side. She and Stepan were to come down and walk between them.
With her parents in place, the caller made his next announcement. "The esteemed Bornekovs and Dvoraks would like to celebrate the engagement of their children, the Lady Karin Bornekova and Lord Stepan Dvorak."
As Karin and Stepan descended, everyone applauded. It was thunderous.
Stepan paused halfway down so everyone had ample view.
Waving to the wonderful people giving them such laud, Karin found it difficult to breathe.
Stepan raised her hand to his lips once again, and the crowd's applause grew louder still.
Everyone was so happy for them. Could she lose herself in the merriment as well?
Stepan tugged on her arm. Was it time for them to continue down the stairs? How long had they stood there? As they set their feet on the floor, the musicians began playing. Another tug and a whirl and she was pulled into a dance.
Karin was truly happy. The people were happy for her. After everything, all was well. The world seemed right.
* * *
Karin and Stepan spoke with her parents. Was everything falling into place? She looked at Stepan, so kind, so compassionate. Wasn’t he what she needed?
Stepan’s eyes wandered toward the entrance to the great hall and they narrowed. Was something amiss? What had distressed him?
Karin glanced in that direction, opening her mouth to ask just that question. And then she saw.
The Constable from Hradec Kralove had entered the great room. Alone. What could be the matter? He scanned the space for some moments and then moved toward the Viscount and Viscountess.
Lowering his head, the Constable spoke to the Viscount, close enough to his ear that no one else could have heard.
"Excuse me. I am sorry to interrupt,” Stepan spoke the words to her parents before affording Karin a look as he lay his hand on hers. “But it seems as if the Constable has news. Perhaps about Luc."
As Stepan peeled away from their conversation, Karin’s eyes went to her mother’s. Turning, she moved off after him.
Stepping out of the great room, Karin saw the Viscount and Viscountess in a tense conversation with the Constable and two armed deputies.
As she moved closer, just a pace or two behind Stepan, she heard the Constable’s words. "I must speak with the Viscountess."
"Whatever for?" the Viscount boomed as Stepan and Karin joined them.
There were footsteps slowing behind her. Had her parents followed?
Karin turned. Indeed they had. Were they as concerned as she?
"For the attempted murder of the Lady Karin Bornekova."
The Constable's men came around the Viscountess. Was she being arrested? What insanity was this? Had they not found Luc to be the cause of these attacks? Why would the Viscountess…?
"What? You cannot do this!" Stepan said, his voice rising to a level Karin had never heard. "It is preposterous!"
The Viscountess stood in silence, smirking, and gazing, expressionless into the distance.
"I received information that she was indeed involved. And we have just completed a search of her rooms and found this." He held up a bottle. What was it? What did it prove? "It is the same kind of poison used on the Lady Karin."
"No, it can't be!" the Viscount’s voice seemed hollow, shocked, as he stared at his wife.
"What did you expect me to do?" she snapped at him. "Just sit by while you entertained thoughts of this...this girl?"
"What are you saying?" The Viscount’s eyes were now quite large on his face.
"I refuse to share my station with anyone, do you hear me? Anyone! Least of all a girl half my age!" She spat in Karin direction.
Stepan pulled Karin into his embrace. This was madness!
The Viscount’s eyes cut to the right. What was he thinking? Why would she have to share her station? Had the Viscount previously thought of entertaining a young woman? What had happened to them?
A chill shook Karin’s body at this thought. How many?
The Viscount’s face fell, his mouth agape. Hands balled into fists at his sides. "What have you done, Pavla?" His voice was not much more than a whisper.
"And you," she said, directing her piercing gaze on Stepan. "Do not be fooled. She is not what she seems. This girl is a manipulative snake. Believe me. You will see—you will all see!"
The Viscountess lunged at Karin, but the Constable’s men had her arms.
"You cannot do this to me!" she screamed.
They pulled her toward the large door.
"Let me go! Stepan! Trust me! Don't believe her!" she screamed as she was all but dragged out the door. And then she was gone.
Karin clung to Stepan.
He shifted to look at her and wiped at the moisture on her face. Tears? Was she crying? It had all been so frightful.
Could his mother know she was a Hussite? Was that what she referred to? Or was she simply lashing out in anger? Perhaps the latter.
Karin had no doubt the Viscountess would have exposed her had she known Karin's secret.
She looked into Stepan’s face.
His eyes moved between Karin and the door. Was he torn by what had just occurred? What would he do? Believe his raving mother? Or Karin? Dare she hope for his trust? For sure, she was bearing false witness to him.
Drawing her into his embrace once more, it seemed decided. Did he truly love Karin so much? That he would even turn his back on his mother for her sake?
How could she hold back the truth from him? A weight settled in her stomach. She buried her face in his chest and let the tears come.
"It is all right," he soothed.
She pulled back and looked at him. "I should be reassuring you."
"What?" Stepan’s brows met as they lowered.
"Your mother...it could not have been easy..."
"No, it was not easy to hear my mother say such things to the woman I love, the woman I am going to marry. But as long as I have you by my side, I can make it through anything."
She dropped her forehead to his chest once more. What was she going to do?
Stepan shifted.
Karin lifted her head to see that his eyes sought his father’s. She turned toward the man.
The Viscount still stood in the same spot, head hung. Could he not absorb it? It must be so difficult.
&n
bsp; Father stepped to his friend and put a hand to his shoulder.
Stepan gently pulled away and moved toward his father.
Her mother stepped in, wrapping an arm around Karin.
This would be a day forever remembered in the house of Dvorak.
* * *
Constable Borivoj breathed in a sigh of relief. His bluff had worked. The doctor’s direction on the type of poison had not given him much. Finding the bottle in the Viscountess’s room was fortunate. Then she had confessed to the whole thing.
He let his eyes close and pushed out another long breath. They had solved the great mystery of the chateau. Even more, the perpetrators were behind bars. All that remained was for him to fill in some finishing notes in his ledger.
By her own admission, it had been the Viscountess all along. But the only crime they could prove, and thus try her for would be those against the Lady Karin.
Borivoj’s heart sank at the realization that she may never be found guilty for her other crimes—the deaths of six young ladies, long since ruled accidents.
If there was a way to find poison in a person, he was certain the poison found in the Viscountess's room would be the same asin those bodies. From the look on the Viscount's face, Borivoj knew he realized it to be true as well.
Borivoj could now close these cases. Solved. Why did that give him so little pleasure? He would do everything in his power to see that she was punished to the full extent of the law.
Even now, the sounds of her shrieking and ranting filled the entire structure.
Jakub had been assigned to record everything she said in case they might catch her in something which could connect her to one of these earlier crimes. Who knew? They may be fortunate again.
Now, he needed to turn his attention to the happenings all over Bohemia. Hradec Kralove would not remain untouched for long. Since the execution of Jan Hus, there had been disturbances and riots breaking out.
Nothing of this nature had happened in his village, to be sure, but he had to maintain an ever-watchful eye. Perhaps it was time to take on another deputy or two.
* * *
"That is the last of them," Father said, motioning to the manservant as Mother’s large, ornate trunk was loaded onto the carriage.
But Karin cared not. She held her mother’s hands. Why did she have to leave?
"I cannot believe Father is being so stubborn." Karin wiped at a stray tear.
"Your father only ever makes the best decisions he can. He has business he must attend to, and you—"
"Yes, yes," Karin looked to the ground. "I know, I have wedding duties here."
"It's only for a week, then you'll be home."
"That does make this easier." Karin sighed. "But I am going to miss you, Mother."
They embraced. Heavy foot falls near the entrance to the chateau warned of intruders into their moment. But Karin did not wish to pull from her mother’s arms.
Mother leaned back, nodding toward the approaching owner of the steps. She turned and reached for Stepan’s hand.
"It has been a real pleasure to know the fine man you have become. Take care of my katka."
"Of course," Stepan said, wrapping an arm around Karin's shoulders. "Always."
And though Karin’s heart ached, she found comfort in Stepan’s eyes. She believed he would keep her safe.
Mother nodded and attempted to smile.
The Viscount stepped toward Father. He extended an arm, which Father grasped.
"I shall miss you, old friend," the Viscount’s voice boomed.
"And I you. But the next time we meet, we shall be family!"
The Viscount smiled and glanced at Stepan and Karin. "We did make a fine match, did we not?"
Father nodded, then leaned closer to the Viscount. "Please write if you need anything."
The Viscount bobbed his head. He had not been to the holding facility to see the Viscountess. Perhaps it was for the best.
"I wish you good travels and safe return," the Viscount said, clapping Father’s shoulder.
"We will do what we can," Father’s smile became crooked.
"And you," the Viscount spoke to Mother, "Keep careful watch on him."
"I always do." She smiled.
The Viscount took her hand and walked her to the carriage, assisting her to a seat.
Father followed in short order, and moments later the carriage was pulling from the portico.
Karin waved until the coach had disappeared from view.
The Viscount turned back to the house, tilting his head to Stepan and Karin as he passed.
But Karin wished to remain and watch after the carriage.
Stepan rubbed her shoulder that his hand rested on. "Are you well?"
Karin nodded, fighting more tears. She had to stop with all the crying. "I have seen my mother so little these last months. It was a breath of fresh air to have her here."
Stepan nodded.
"I am so sorry," she said, turning to look at him. She had no right to complain about being separated from her mother when he would perhaps never see his again.
Stepan shook his head, gazing into her eyes. "It is all right. I understand."
She leaned into him, rising onto her tiptoes and pressing a kiss to his lips.
He accepted it, deepening the contact.
Would she ever not think of Pavel when he kissed her?
* * *
Lord Stepan Dvorak,
If you have not been informed of the goings-on in Prague of late, allow me to enlighten you. For our lands have descended into chaos. Since the execution of Jan Hus, the people have become mad. Troubles have broken in many parts of our lands, these heretics driving priests from their parishes and the like. Sigismund has done what he can to stem the Hussite movement, but they grow in numbers every day.
Most recently, there was a procession of Hussites through the streets of Prague. As you can imagine, those who oppose them reacted to their presence—throwing stones from the windows of the town hall. The Hussites then took the matter too far. They threw the burgomaster and several town councilors, whom they thought to have been responsible for instigating the stone throwing, from the windows and into the streets!
Will this madness know no bounds? It is now reported that King Wenceslaus is rather ill from the shock of hearing these dreadful things. I only hope he can recover before these vile things get worse.
Regards,
Professor Evzen
* * *
Karin spent her days deep in thought. War had broken out. It still seemed unreal. So much had transpired in her time at the chateau. She still had not quite grasped that Jan Hus was gone. And now this? How could God have let such a thing happen?
Severe fighting between the Hussites and those royal to the crown continued. How she longed for someone to share her pain! But her companions at the chateau were all happiness. And calling for the deaths of all Hussites.
If only Pavel was here! Wiping at a stray tear, she recalled his words of warning: it was more important now than ever that she keep her emotions in check. Her loyalties were on the wrong side of this conflict to be so connected to the Dvorak family.
Did Pavel care of her predicament? Would he come for her? Her heart fell. Such childish notions. Of course he could not. Just as it would be disastrous for her to be found a Hussite, it would be too dangerous for Pavel to travel in these lands.
For certain, he was doing good wherever he was. Her heart ached for assurance that his thoughts were on her. And, as much doubt crept into her soul that they were, she truly knew that he cared and would come if he could.
Karin wanted to feel as if he was near, wanted to know once again that she was not alone, though all around her were those who celebrated each victory against the Hussites. There was still one place she felt Pavel's presence, a place where she continued to go for solitude and reflection—her old tree.
Should she allow herself to dwell on these thoughts of Pavel? Had she not committed her future
to Stepan? Yet she could not stop this yearning within.
It was a small matter to slip from the chateau. The walk to her place in the forest near the stream seemed briefer than usual. She paused to take in her surroundings, breathing in the scent of the natural world around her. How long had it been since she had come?
Her days had been filled with dressmaking appointments, Stepan, and wedding plans. Stepan all but consumed Karin’s every waking moment. He had thrown himself into the wedding plans since the Viscountess’s arrest. She could not begrudge him his need of her. What he was going through was unimaginable, and she would support him in every way she could. If that meant living and breathing wedding, so be it.
But living and breathing wedding was not as easy as she had anticipated. With each day that passed, with each decision made, a little more of Pavel slipped away. It was for the best, wasn’t it? She had made her choice.
Karin’s hand grazed the weathered wood of the sturdy oak, where she and Pavel had sat when his lips touched hers for the first time. Letting her eyes close, she sighed, a deep breath pushed out.
Her return to these memories must be her last. She would release Pavel so she might give herself fully to Stepan. That was right, and Pavel would agree. He had agreed, had he not? When he left, his very words spoke that he was removing himself and moving on with his life, so she could get on with hers. With Stepan.
Karin leaned against the tree, gazing down at her feet. Droplets of water bounced off the tips of her shoes. Odd, she had not seen a dark cloud in the sky. As she glanced up, moisture landed on her face. Was it coming from her? She wiped at the tears and returned her gaze to her feet. This would not do! Try as she might, she was unable to contain the emotions threatening to burst forth.
Sinking to the ground, she let it all come. No one was there to bear witness. What did it matter if she fell apart? And so she mourned the loss of what could have been, something she had yet to do, something she needed to do in order to forge ahead and make a life with Stepan.
How long had she sat in her sorrow? It ended as it had begun—in silence, with no one the wiser. She dried her eyes and rose, shaking off her dress and slapping her hands together to shake any dirt loose.
The Lady Bornekova Page 20