“Lukas, if you please.” He swallowed. “My lady.”
“You are a wonderful sight to behold, Lukas, and I shall forever be in your debt. But we must leave here at once, for an evil man is coming —”
She stopped to listen. Horses’ hooves thundered toward the house.
Chapter
15
Valten found his sisters, Margaretha and Kirstyn, standing in the courtyard outside the Great Hall. He strode up to Margaretha, but before he could utter a syllable, she cried, “Valten, how is your hand? Are you well enough to dance tonight? I know someone who will be disappointed if you can’t dance with —”
“Margaretha, have you seen Gisela?” If he didn’t interrupt her, he’d never get a word in. And he wasn’t in the mood to listen to her chatter.
“No. I’ve been wondering where she was. Is she not here?”
“No one has seen her.”
Margaretha looked frightened. “I hope nothing bad happened.”
Her words made Valten want to shake her. “What do you mean? Why do you say that?”
He didn’t realize he was leaning toward her until Margaretha took a step back.
“I’m sure she’s fine. But she did have a strange look on her face when she left with her stepmother.”
Valten clenched his teeth. Her family had treated her like a servant, with no kindness or respect. What if she was unable to get back to town?
“Don’t worry,” Margaretha said. “I’m sure she will be here. The ball hasn’t started yet. Hardly anyone has arrived.”
Valten didn’t like his sister telling him not to worry. Only females worried; men took action. He would talk to his father about sending out a couple of soldiers to the Mueller home.
“There is her stepmother now.” Margaretha nodded at a woman coming toward them.
“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.