The Captive Maiden (18 page)

“Run.”

Gisela took the boy’s hand and they ran down the stairs faster than she ever had before. She pulled Lukas along behind her as they headed for the back door. Tugging it open, she darted outside, and she and Lukas hid behind a bush.

Heavy footsteps resounded from inside the house, along with shouts and loud, indistinct talking. Footsteps pounded up the staircase. Instead of waiting to see anything else, she pulled on Lukas’s arm and they ran farther into the bushes and trees that separated her home from Ava’s.

Not knowing if Ruexner or his men had seen them, she kept running, praying she didn’t ruin the beautiful dress. Lukas ran along beside her, and once he even looked up at her and smiled. He was enjoying this little adventure.

If Gisela hadn’t been so out of breath, she might have laughed out loud. She
would
go to the ball, she
would
see Valten, and her stepmother would not get away with locking her away and selling her to Ruexner!

If only she could get to the castle before her stepmother told her lies to Valten. Clutching her voluminous skirts in one hand and her money pouch in the other, she and Lukas reached Ava’s house and ran through the front door without even knocking.

Ava was just inside, lounging on a bench piled on every side
with cushions. She sat up straighter, gaping at Gisela and Lukas. But Gisela was breathing too hard to speak.

“I saved her, Mistress Ava. She said I saved her.”

Ava raised herself up. “Gisela, what happened?”

Gisela grew able to talk and told Ava the whole story of being locked in her chamber, and of Evfemia telling her she’d sold her to Friedric Ruexner. “This boy, Lukas, came just before Ruexner arrived.”

“I thought I heard someone calling this morning,” the boy said, “so when Ernolf offered to finish my chores for me, I went to see who it was.”

“Good boy, Lukas.” Ava hugged him, then looked at Gisela. “We must get you to that ball.” She pursed her lips, her hand on her side, and propped herself up. She looked Gisela up and down and frowned. “That dress is beautiful, but it’s soiled and has a rip in it. Come.” She turned and started walked toward the back of the house.

Gisela followed her, and Lukas skipped away, no doubt to tell the other servants of his heroics.

Ava opened a large wardrobe and rummaged inside. “Here it is!” She pulled out a beautiful gown of shimmery fabric, a lovely shade of pale blue that was decorated all over with pearls and silver embroidery. It was a dress fit for a duchess, and it took Gisela’s breath away.

“Put this on.” Ava thrust the dress at her.

“But it’s too beautiful. What if I ruin it? Your husband would be upset, and so would you, I imagine.”

“Nonsense. He’s never seen me in it, it’s perfect for you, and I don’t think it will ever fit me again. I’m always either pregnant or too fat. And what do I care? He can buy me another. Now put it on. We don’t have any time to waste. You must get to Hagenheim Castle before the ball begins.”

She would be late. The sun was already sinking, and the ball would begin at twilight.

Ava sent a servant to tell her coachman to get her carriage ready. Then she began helping Gisela off with the red dress.

“Will you hide this for me?” Gisela showed Ava her leather pouch.

Ava took it and stuffed it inside the wardrobe, hiding it behind the clothes inside.

“I can never go home again, and that is the only valuable thing I own. I suppose I’ll never see my horses again.” Gisela’s voice caught and she didn’t try to go on. Ava didn’t like self-pitying tears.

“You’ll see one horse again. Kaeleb has been in my stable since you rode here two days ago.”

How could she have forgotten about Kaeleb! “Thank you, Ava! I’m so happy he’s safe.” God had saved her, and He even saved her favorite horse. When she ran away, she would not only have the money her father left her, she’d have her beloved Kaeleb too.

Ava pulled the dress over Gisela’s head, tugging at the bodice until it was straight and fluffing the material down over her hips. “It looks as if it were made for you.”

She stepped back and looked at Gisela. “You look absolutely beautiful. The Earl of Hamlin will lose his heart tonight, if he hasn’t already.”

Gisela felt herself blush.

“Oh, I heard about him choosing you to be the tournament queen.” Looking over her shoulder, she yelled, “Bridget! Come now!” Then she grabbed Gisela’s hand and led her to a stool and motioned for her to sit. “I know all about him dancing with you at the banquet. And how he couldn’t take his eyes off you.” She grinned gleefully and patted Gisela’s cheek.

Bridget, Ava’s maid, came running into the room. “Bridget, we must prepare Gisela’s hair for the ball.”

They began brushing and styling and discussing Gisela’s hair, while Gisela tried not to fidget too much. She was terribly thankful to God for helping her escape her chamber and for saving her from Ruexner, but if Ava didn’t stop playing with her hair and let her leave, she would be late.

Valten watched Evfemia Mueller and the two maidens who had called Gisela “Cinders-ela” make their way toward them through the courtyard. When she approached, she bowed low and presented herself and her two daughters to him and his sisters.

Valten was tempted to grab her by the throat and demand she tell him where Gisela was, but Margaretha spoke first.

“Frau Mueller, we were wondering why Gisela isn’t with you. Is she well?”

The woman scrunched up her ugly face, looking first at Margaretha and then at him. “I am sorry, more sorry than I can say, but I’m afraid Gisela has … well, I am so ashamed I can hardly speak the words.” The woman actually crimped up her face as if she was about to cry.

“What?” Margaretha said, once again helping him to forestall throttling the woman. “What has happened?”

“Gisela met a man, a wealthy merchant from Venice, a few days ago. I’m afraid she has run off with him. He promised to marry her, and she left with him early this morning.”

Valten felt the heat welling up inside him. Was she lying? Or had Gisela left with another man? If she hadn’t, then where was she?

His betrothed hadn’t wanted him either. It was the same thing all over again. She’d chosen another man over him.

Valten turned and stomped back to the Great Hall. He just might put his unbroken hand through someone’s face, if
given the slightest bit of provocation. Gisela. Could she do this? Would he look like a fool again?

“Ava, I must go!” Gisela’s patience was already gone. They had been fussing over her hair for more than an hour. “Please!”

“Very well. You are beautiful. See?” Ava held up the looking glass for Gisela to see for herself.

Gisela only saw an agitated face that desperately wanted to be at the ball with Valten.

“Thank you, Ava. Now I must go!”

“But you have no shoes!”

They all stared down as Gisela pulled the dress up a few inches to show her bare toes peeking out.

“I have the perfect ones.” Ava turned and pulled out of the wardrobe a pair of white leather shoes with pointed toes that curled up and over, with a jewel embedded on top.

She had never owned a pair of white shoes before—they were too impractical. These were obviously meant only for leisure parties and feasts … and for dancing at a ball.

Gisela pulled them on. Amazingly, they fit. Gisela straightened and hugged her friend. “You are an angel from heaven, Ava. Thank you.”

“Now go. Valten will be waiting for you.” Ava pushed Gisela toward the door, and she was only too willing to leave. She bounded through the doorway, across the marble floor, out the front door, and down the steps to the waiting carriage.

Ava yelled at the coachman, “Don’t let any harm come to her.”

Otto agreed to keep her safe, and the horses started forward. Gisela was on her way, but the horses seemed to move so slowly, Gisela thought about getting out and running the rest of the way. But she’d certainly destroy her delicate white shoes.

O God, please help me get there, and don’t let Ruexner find me.
She hadn’t even thought about Ruexner for the last hour. If he was riding along this road, he might stop her carriage and look inside. He would surely recognize her, and Ava’s coachman, Otto, would be no match for Ruexner and his men.

Chapter
16

Valten stalked through the Great Hall, where
the Meistersingers were readying their instruments and getting into place. He kept walking, out into the corridor, not sure where he was going. He came to the library and went inside.

It was dark and quiet, but perhaps not the best choice, as it brought back memories of the day his betrothed, Sophia, and his brother, Gabe, told him in this same room that they had fallen in love with each other. They had asked Valten to relinquish his right to marry her.

Valten ran his hand through his hair, the same anger, the same pain, shooting through his chest. Only this time was much worse. Gisela. He had chosen her. He had thought her the most beautiful, the sweetest, the strongest … She wasn’t afraid to stand up to Ruexner, and she’d saved Sieger from Ruexner’s attempt to kill him. She was no ordinary girl. There was no malice, no ugly pride in her eyes when she looked at people. He had even begun to see himself marrying her.

An invisible knife stabbed his heart at the thought of her choosing some other man over him.

Her stepmother had grabbed her in the marketplace. The woman was cruel to her. He’d seen her pinch Gisela’s arm. The thought came to him again: What if the stepmother was lying?

Why would the woman be bold enough to try to trick him?
She would pay dearly for lying to the duke’s son. Did she hate Gisela so much?

He spun on his heel, ready to look for the captain of the guard, ready to go look for Gisela himself. As he was walking out of the library, Margaretha almost ran into him.

“Valten, that woman, Gisela’s stepmother, is lying.”

“How do you know this?” Valten sounded like a snarling dog. He blew out a frustrated breath and purposely gentled his voice. “I’m sorry. Why do you think so?”

Margaretha put her hand on her hip and frowned up at him. “I forgive you. I know you’re upset, and you have reason to be. Evfemia Mueller is not telling the truth, because Gisela would never run off with another man. You can see it in her face. She would never choose another man over you.”

“You only knew her for a few hours, Margaretha. How can you be sure?”

“Trust me, Valten. I know these things. I could see her stepmother was lying by the way she spoke to you. And her two mean girls gave her away, besides. The plump one looked terrified and kept wringing her hands, and the skinny one was smirking and her eyes were twitching back and forth.”

“It’s not enough proof.”

His sister grabbed his arm. “Send someone to her house. I don’t believe she ran away with anyone, and she could be in danger.”

“That’s just what I was about to do.”

Valten sent for the captain of the guard, who didn’t keep him waiting long. They met in the library. His father, Duke Wilhelm, followed the captain in.

Valten focused on Captain Hartmann. “I want to know where Evfemia Mueller lives. I want to know everything you can learn about her, and I want men sent to her house now to search for Gisela.”