The Secret Healer (4 page)

Chapter Five

“So would you like to make a statement, miss?” The sheriff scrutinized Madlen, now sitting on a chair in front of his desk. She calmly returned his fixed gaze, though she was surprised that he had addressed her so politely. High-ranking people like the sheriff usually didn’t address commoners this way. Madlen was happy that the sheriff seemed to appreciate her willingness to testify.

She straightened her spine and sat as tall as she could. “Yes, my lord, I do.”

“All right then. Begin.”

She nodded obediently and began with what had happened when Barbara showed up unexpectedly at her house that day, begging for help. As she moved on to the Trauensteins’ estate, the sheriff stopped her. “How did the maid know that you were able to help women with their problems?”

Madlen hesitated. The sheriff’s voice was tinged with suspicion. Still, she had no desire to deceive him, even though he no longer seemed very sympathetic toward her. His skin looked addled from too much wine. His face was flushed, and his cheeks and nose were especially discolored. His eyes were dull with a tinge of yellow. It took all her willpower not to advise him that if he wanted to live a long and healthy life, he had to give up wine, at least for a while, so that his body could recover.

“You don’t want to answer me?” he said, ripping her from her thoughts.

“Oh, forgive me, lord. What was the question again?”

“How did the maid know that you had these abilities?”

“Yes, of course. Well, I worked alongside Clara, the midwife, for many years. Barbara is the same age as my brother, Kilian. We’ve known each other for a long time.”

“So, would you refer to her as a confidant?”

The question surprised her. Barbara a confidant? She shook her head. “No, my lord. I know who she is and where she works. That’s all.”

“And she came directly to you because her mistress wasn’t well.”

At this point, Madlen decided not to go into detail. “Yes, she came to me.”

“Then what happened?”

“We went to the Trauenstein home together,” Madlen continued. The sheriff listened carefully. She told him that when she found Adelhaid Trauenstein, she was suffering from a high fever and bleeding profusely.

“So you claim that she started bleeding before your arrival?”

“Yes, of course. That’s the reason Barbara came to me.”

The sheriff raised his eyebrows.

“Why do you ask?” Madlen was starting to feel very uncomfortable. Slowly, it began to dawn on her that she wasn’t brought in as a witness, but as a suspect.

“Tell me more.”

She hesitated. “No,” she said. “I want to know why you’re asking me if Adelhaid Trauenstein was bleeding before my arrival.”

“Can’t you imagine why?” The sheriff raised his voice, looking skeptical.

Madlen’s heart began to race, but she did her best to keep calm. “No, I can’t,” she said defiantly.

“Well, I just wanted to hear your declaration, but if you insist.” He pointed to a parchment on his desk. “The town scribe recorded this statement. It says that the bleeding and subsequent miscarriage experienced by the noblewoman Adelhaid Trauenstein occurred after you treated her with an herbal concoction.”

Madlen turned deathly pale. “What?” She looked down at the document on his desk. What kind of nonsense was this? She couldn’t read what was written there. Her body went ice-cold as wild thoughts raced through her head. “So, that’s why I’m here?” She was so scared that she could barely whisper.

“This is an extremely serious matter.” The sheriff shot her an icy glare.

Madlen bowed her head. “That’s why I’m here?” she repeated.

“Well, since you apparently insist on hearing the words straight out of my mouth: you are accused of killing the unborn child of the Trauenstein family with the administration of toxic herbs.”

All the color drained from her face. “That’s not true,” she said softly.

“Oh no?” The sheriff stood and paced the room. “Then why did the maid confirm it?”

“Barbara?”

“Correct. What do you have to say about that?”

Madlen remained silent. Blood rushed loudly in her ears; only the sheriff’s deep voice dampened the noise. Her breathing was fast and shallow. She put her hand on her bosom; she couldn’t seem to get enough oxygen into her lungs.

“Don’t pretend to be an innocent little weakling,” the sheriff roared. “We both know that you’re not.”

Madlen gasped, swallowed, tried to breathe, her pulse racing.

“Stop with this play acting!” He grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her. Madlen stared at him, aghast, unable to free herself from his grip. “Now, come on, just admit it.” He shook her again and stared into her eyes angrily. Then he let go and pushed her back into the chair. It was a moment before Madlen could gather her thoughts. His chilling accusation echoed through her head. She was being charged for the death of the Trauensteins’ child. She shut her eyes and took several deep breaths to gather strength, just as Clara had shown her.

“I did not trigger her bleeding,” she whispered, raising her head. The sheriff sat down again, now calm and collected. Had he pretended to be enraged simply to elicit a confession from her?

“Why are the Trauensteins accusing you of this?” He sneered.

“So that there’s no need to confess what really happened.”

“And what would that be, girl?”

It occurred to Madlen that he was now addressing her like the commoner she was, abandoning any pretense of respect.

“I came to the Trauensteins’ home,” Madlen continued, determined to make her statement. “Adelhaid Trauenstein was in her bedchamber. She had a high fever and was bleeding profusely, which had started the night before. I asked the maid for some herbs, to make it easier for her to bear the pain of her contractions.”

“So you admit, you did use herbs?”

“Medicinal herbs, found in any household.”

“And which ones did you use, if I may ask?”

“Arnica, sage, chamomile, oil, and honey.”

The sheriff rubbed his chin. “Isn’t sage used to expel the baby from the womb?”

“No,” Madlen declared, though sage often created this exact effect. But if she’d omitted it from her list, it would have seemed more suspicious. “Sage has a calming effect when applied externally and mixed with oil. I rubbed her body with it to relax her muscles.”

“I understand.” It was clear such details made the sheriff uncomfortable. “What happened next?”

Madlen regained her confidence. At least she now had his ear. Her challenge now was to convince him of her innocence.

“As I already told you, the maid came to me because Adelhaid had started bleeding the night before. It was a stroke of luck that the poor woman hadn’t already bled to death when I arrived.”

The sheriff was silent, waiting for her to continue. His eyes seemed cloudy. She wondered whether he was even listening or just impatient to guzzle down his next bottle of wine.

“I tried to listen for the baby’s heartbeat, but the child was already dead—hence the bleeding. Her womb was trying to expel the baby.”

Madlen could see the sheriff’s obvious discomfort with her description of this gruesome event.

“And what do you believe was the reason for this, miss?”

Madlen noted with satisfaction that his respect had returned. She hesitated, not knowing whether she should say what was on her mind. “I asked Adelhaid what happened. She told me that she’d fallen down the stairs.”

“Hmm.” He rubbed his chin again. “I would like to believe what you’ve said. There’s only one thing that doesn’t seem to make sense.”

“Yes?”

“Why would the maid report you?”

Madlen shook her head. “Believe me, I have no idea.”

“Hmm,” he said softly and fell silent for a while. “Could it be that the maid, this Barbara, had something to do with the mistress falling down the stairs? And now she’s trying to make you responsible for the miscarriage?”

“No,” said Madlen evenly. “I can’t imagine that.”

“It’s to your credit that you didn’t immediately seize the excuse.” He rubbed his chin again, which now looked raw and red.

“May I ask you a question, my lord?”

“Of course.”

“Did Barbara come to you with the dead child and accuse me?”

“No, no,” he blurted out. “The maid was caught trying to bury the dead baby in the forest. Someone saw her and turned her over to the constables, at which point she said you were responsible.”

Everything started to make sense. Matthias probably came home and forced Barbara to bury the child. When she was caught, she sought only to avoid punishment by her master.

“If you’re looking for the true culprit, you needn’t look any further than the Trauenstein house.” Madlen fixed the sheriff with a steady gaze.

“What are you trying to say?”

“If you really want to find the perpetrator of the crime, I recommend that you go to the Trauensteins’ house and speak with Adelhaid yourself. Look at her injuries. You will see straightaway that her injuries have nothing to do with the administration of herbal concoctions.”

The sheriff’s face turned beet red. From anger or shame, Madlen couldn’t say. “I can’t very well examine the noblewoman myself,” he grumbled.

She forced a smile. “No, I didn’t mean that. Adelhaid’s injuries are obvious to all; her poor face, her whole body is black and blue. These wounds were not caused by one or more severe falls. They were . . .” She hesitated briefly. “Brought on by something else. When you see her, you’ll know at a glance that I speak the truth.”

The sheriff looked at her for a moment, then made a decision. “You stay here. I’ll assign a guard to the door.”

“Of course, I won’t go anywhere,” she promised.

“Good.” He stomped out and barked orders at a guard before disappearing around a corner.

As she went to the window, she felt the guard’s eyes staring at her. She could see the sheriff hurrying down the street toward the marketplace. It would take him only a few minutes to reach the Trauensteins’ estate. Madlen smiled. In her silent prayer, she thanked God for the idea of sending the sheriff to see Adelhaid. She could tell by the look on his face that he at least wanted to believe her. Certainly, the sight of Adelhaid would suffice to confirm her story. Again, she turned quietly to God to ask Him to help her through whatever might happen in the next few hours. So far, she’d avoided accusing Matthias of raping and beating his own wife, but surely it would be obvious that the death of the child was due to her husband’s abuse. With a sigh, she turned away from the window, paced the room for a while, and finally settled in the chair. The guard didn’t let her out of his sight for a moment.

It took longer than she’d expected and Madlen dozed off. When she heard the pounding of feet on the wooden stairs, she awoke instantly, standing as the sheriff entered the room.

“Did you see her?”

He nodded. “You can go for now, miss. I will appoint a constable to accompany you safely home.”

“Thank you.” She nodded obediently and considered whether to ask him about Matthias but lost her nerve. She was simply glad to have survived the whole ordeal in one piece. For a sheriff to take a commoner’s word over that of a rich nobleman’s was more than she could expect, especially since the sheriff’s job and salary depended on those same wealthy citizens. “Please, one more thing.”

“Yes?”

“You said that I could go for now?”

“That’s correct. I’m sorry, but it’s not over yet, my child.”

“Why not?”

“Adelhaid’s husband, Matthias Trauenstein, insists on filing charges against you. He grieves deeply for his dead child.”

It took every bit of will she had not to spit on the ground. “He insists on filing charges?” she echoed.

“Yes. Some of his fellow noblemen have heard about the death of the child. He thinks that they might get the wrong idea if there’s no guilty party.”

“If someone is to blame for the death of this child, then . . .” She broke off.

“Yes?” The sheriff threw her a challenging look.

“Then, at least it’s not me,” she finished.

“For your sake, I will try to persuade Matthias Trauenstein to drop the charges. I will send word as soon as something happens.”

“Thank you, sir,” she said politely and curtsied daintily. Then she lifted her head and looked him directly in the eyes. “I do not give thanks lightly, sir. I hadn’t dared hope that I would meet a man of such honor in the office of the law.”

“I take my duties quite seriously.”

“I know that now.” She nodded. “I wish you well, my dear sheriff.” With that, she left the room.

Chapter Six

Two days later, Madlen received a message saying that Matthias Trauenstein had refused to drop the charges. Anger and despair changed to fear and hopelessness. She had heard of such legal processes, and the outcome was always the same. The accused was always convicted, especially if it was a commoner’s word against a nobleman’s. Kilian thought that Madlen needed a lawyer. Madlen was torn. This unbelievable injustice made it almost impossible for her to think clearly. How dare this bastard do this to her? In the meantime, she’d heard some rumors floating around the city about him. She knew now why this cowardly dog Matthias wanted to hang this on her. In a few weeks, Matthias hoped that he would be elected to city council. It was common knowledge that this nobleman was moody, temperamental, and often completely out of control. Many people proclaimed that Matthias was behind Adelhaid’s miscarriages. The city council would never allow anyone in their ranks with such a tainted reputation. Matthias needed a scapegoat. And Madlen, who hadn’t done anything but save his wife’s life, had entered the picture just in time. Still, she couldn’t figure out how he’d persuaded Adelhaid to lie for him.

Madlen’s thoughts churned. She decided to use the money she’d received from Adelhaid to hire a lawyer, but Andreas von Balge wasn’t even a real attorney, not yet anyway. Though he studied law at Heidelberg University, founded just last year, he was far from done. But Madlen couldn’t afford anybody else, and even if she could, it was doubtful that an experienced attorney would accept the case. Andreas von Balge, who’d moved from Bremen to Heidelberg to study with the famous Marsilius of Inghen, a professor at Heidelberg University known for his brilliance, seemed quite happy to help a young woman in whose innocence he firmly believed. At least that’s what he told Madlen. He was Kilian’s friend. Madlen didn’t yet know whether the young legal advocate could actually help her, but he was her only hope. Upon his appointment, he immediately explained that the ongoing war between the Swabian League and the Bavarian dukes was to her advantage because her case could only go before the sheriff and six appointed members of the council. Andreas had already spoken with the sheriff, who told him that if it were up to him, the case would never go to trial. The sheriff had believed Madlen. Now the only thing left was to convince the council members that she didn’t have anything to do with the child’s death. The proceedings would start in two days. In exactly three days, Heinfried, her future husband, would arrive in Heidelberg. Jerg was exceedingly uneasy. He warned Madlen that her advocate better not draw out the trial longer than necessary. If Heinfried heard about the accusation, he would withdraw his offer to marry her. Jerg had already mentally allotted the money Heinfried would pay him for Madlen’s hand in marriage. For Jerg, it meant security for many months.

“I’m not terribly worried about Matthias Trauenstein’s lies,” Andreas von Balge explained, as he took a sip of the beer that Madlen had placed on the table in front of him. Jerg went to the workshop during their conversations, but Kilian remained.

“But he’s not the only one accusing Madlen,” Kilian said.

“Exactly. Matthias wants to make Madlen look guilty.”

A cold chill went up Madlen’s spine.

“I’m more concerned,” he continued, “about this maid, Barbara. It will be difficult to get her to admit that she lied because she’s frightened. She has much at stake.”

“But isn’t that obvious to the sheriff?” Madlen asked.

Andreas shook his head. “That’s hard to say. Even though the sheriff may see through the lies, there are still six other men that must be convinced, too.”

“Do you already know who these six men are?” Kilian asked, taking a sip from his own beer mug.

“Unfortunately not. We’ll only know who they are when the trial starts. The names are kept secret so neither side can have undue influence.”

“I seriously doubt that Matthias won’t find a way to learn their names. He has many powerful friends.”

Andreas nodded at Kilian. “I agree with you on that, but that doesn’t mean he’ll succeed in convincing them of Madlen’s guilt before the trial.” He thought about it for a second. “You know many young men in the city, don’t you?”

“Yes, of course. Why?”

“Go to the tavern this evening,” Andreas suggested. “Listen carefully. The trial has attracted much attention. Everyone will be talking.”

“And everybody knows that Madlen’s my sister.”

“Exactly. Talk to the young men, the boys, the guards, or groomsmen that serve the noblemen. Believe me. This will be talked about in the council members’ households. And then you spread rumors.”

“What kind of rumors?” Madlen tilted her head.

“Kilian can simply throw a name around and claim that he heard that he’s one of the six chosen to sit at the trial. This will loosen the tongues of those who have actually heard a thing or two in their masters’ houses.”

“We definitely won’t be able to ascertain all six of them, though,” Kilian insisted.

“We don’t have to. We only need two.”

“What are you planning?” Madlen rubbed the goose bumps on her arms.

“We need to learn as much as possible about them. For example, maybe one of the members has a daughter the same age as Madlen. I’ll comment on Madlen’s character and attempt to highlight similarities between her and the young women they know and love. They will realize that the speech could be about their own daughters and be more sympathetic toward Madlen. Do you understand?”

Kilian nodded slowly. “And you believe this would influence their decision?”

“Yes.” The advocate seemed quite confident. “Madlen is innocent. We just have to convince them that this Matthias Trauenstein has no scruples so we can defeat him without a long, drawn-out fight.” He emptied his mug, satisfied. Madlen fervently hoped that he was right as he said his good-byes.

A few hours later, Kilian pocketed a few coins and made his way into the city, determined to find out as much as possible to help his sister. The advocate’s plan of action seemed quite clever, but Kilian doubted it would be so easy to win the case. Matthias Trauenstein was known throughout the city for his angry outbursts and brutality. It was common knowledge that he punished his servants with a whip. Why would he spare his own wife the same fate? But would his battered servant testify about his treatment, or would the noblewoman, his own wife, who was beaten so badly that she lost his child? If not, Heidelberg citizens would be more likely to believe Matthias Trauenstein’s allegations. After all, it was widely believed that Matthias wanted a legitimate heir even more than Adelhaid. These thoughts plagued Kilian the entire way to the Red Oxen tavern, where carpenters, plumbers, and other craftsmen as well as merchants met to drink their troubles away.

Kilian felt the looks when he walked into the tavern, and all conversation ceased. He was relieved when he saw Berthold, an apprentice plumber, who immediately raised his arm. “Kilian! Come sit with us over here.”

The other guests apparently took this as a sign to continue their conversations. Kilian walked over and sat down at the only open spot on the bench. “Greetings, everyone.” Some looked skeptical but eventually loosened up and included him in their conversations. Soon the forthcoming trial came up. “Don’t get me started,” Kilian complained. “Whatever anybody claims, my Madlen wouldn’t hurt a fly, and certainly not a baby. But let’s not talk about it.”

“I hear she has a lawyer?” Berthold remarked.

“Yes, and we hope this will all be over soon. From what I know, all the members of the council have to agree. I heard that Remigius from Hollen is one of them, so I’m not worried. Madlen helped his wife with the birth of his baby daughter last year. There were complications. But thanks to Madlen and Clara, they were able to bring a healthy child into the world.”

“Remigius from Hollen? How do you know?” asked one of the younger men, a servant whose name Kilian didn’t know. He worked for Bernhard, the cloth merchant who was under consideration for the council.

Kilian shrugged. “I have it on good authority. Of course, the names of the jurymen aren’t supposed to be common knowledge. But gossip travels fast in our quaint little city of Heidelberg.” He laughed throatily, as his drinking companions nodded. He beckoned the waiter. “A round of beer for me and all my friends. And keep our mugs full.”

The men at the table happily took note of his generosity, and when the beer came, they raised their mugs with Kilian.

“To my sister!”

“To Madlen, to your sister!” they all toasted together before gulping down their brew.

It was difficult for Kilian to wait for the trial to come up again, but he had to be patient. If he pushed the subject, he could fail in his quest altogether.

“And we were all warned to keep everything to ourselves before the trial,” complained Bernhard’s servant as he took another sip of beer.

“What’s your name?” asked Kilian.

“Sebold” was his terse reply.

Kilian’s heart beat faster. Was it time to advance his agenda? “And you work for Bernhard Stickling?” he said casually. “Isn’t he one of the jurymen?” He carefully measured the reaction of his drinking companions.

Sebold shrugged. “You didn’t hear it from me.”

Kilian breathed easier. “As far as I know, there are more than six names being discussed. The final choice still hasn’t been made.”

“Perhaps,” Sebold said. “I don’t know for sure. But it seems to me that everything’s already been decided.”

“Maybe our masters just want to brag about the possibility,” interjected Thomas, a servant to an architect who’d been commissioned to design a new church, surpassing St. Peter’s Church in size and splendor. Whether it would actually happen, no one could say; the ongoing city wars and other lingering disputes were stymieing progress.

“I didn’t know that your master would be one of the jurymen,” Kilian said to Thomas as he deftly continued to make assertions intended to loosen even more lips. “So now it’s not six but ten names in the running for the honor of being on the jury. Hopefully, there won’t be any shoving or quarreling when the trial starts.”

The men laughed and chatted about their masters’ shortcomings. Someone mentioned another juryman’s name, and Kilian smiled to himself with satisfaction. Now he knew the identities of three of the jurymen. That was more than he’d dared to hope for. After ordering and sharing two more large pitchers of beer, he excused himself and made his way back home. He had accomplished his task. First thing in the morning, he would go see Andreas von Balge. He felt good when he arrived home, his father and sister already asleep. He undressed and crawled under his bedcovers quietly. A warm feeling filled his body.
I can help Madlen,
he thought, and fell asleep, a happy man.