The Fairest Beauty

Perhaps rich nobles behaved this way all the time. Men kissed women’s hands in greeting, Petra had once told her. Gabe had probably held a hundred ladies’ hands, held his sisters in his arms to comfort them. It meant nothing to him. She was only another woman to him.

 

Either way, she could never let him know how his holding her hands and embracing her made her feel. It was her duty to her dead father to honor his agreement with Gabe’s father. But more than that, she didn’t want to hurt Valten or his family.

 

Sophie jumped up to go start making some more pies, to take her mind off all these tumultuous thoughts, when she saw Dominyk come into the room carrying something across his arms. He brought it to her.

 

“I have here an underdress that belonged to my sister, one she left here many years ago,” Dominyk said. “I had forgotten about it, but you are welcome to have it.”

 

The long-sleeved white dress lay on top of Dominyk’s outstretched arms. Sophie picked it up and saw red underneath.

 

“I also have this red fabric. It’s too fine for us but it would make a lovely dress for you. Please take it as well.”

 

The fabric was a beautiful shade of red and very soft. Sophie had never seen such exquisite fabric, except on Duchess Ermengard. “It is more beautiful than any I’ve ever seen.”

 

Sophie held out her arms. Dominyk draped the cloth and dress over them. “At the fair, Siggy and Vincz traded our wood for it, but we never knew what to do with it.”

 

“It will make the finest dress I’ve ever worn. Thank you.” Ask and you shall receive. Jesus had said that. She hadn’t actually asked, only thought what she’d needed, and God had provided it. Thank you, God. If only he could give her direction, peace of mind, and a mended heart so easily.

 

Sophie went to work on the dress right away. Dominyk told her she didn’t have to cook, that the men could take over while she sewed her dress.

 

Sophie had often been praised for being good with a needle and thread, and had often been chosen to sew the other servants’ clothing. She had an idea of how she wanted to make this dress, patterning it after one of the duchess’s recent dresses, and she set to work with single-minded energy.

 

Gabe, Vincz, and Siggy returned saying they found tracks from a man and his horse. They’d tried to track him but finally had to come back when it started raining again. Sophie only got a glimpse of Gabe, but he looked tired and pale, sending a tremor of worry through her. He certainly wasn’t recovered from his wound yet, but she trusted Bartel and the other men to make sure he rested while Sophie went to her room and sewed — and prayed, asking God to tell her what to do about her feelings for Gabe. The only solution she could think of was to avoid him until his father’s men came to take her back to Hagenheim. God, I wish you would tell me what to do. Sometimes God gave her answers to questions she put to him in prayer. But this time, she heard only silence.

 

Sophie was summoned to supper. When she sat down at the table, she noticed a missing chair. “Where is Gabe?”

 

The men glanced up at her, then nervously looked away, their eyes coming to rest on Bartel.

 

Sophie instantly felt sick. Was he hurt? What had happened?

 

Finally, Bartel cleared his throat. “He was tired.”

 

“Is he all right?”

 

“His fever has returned.”

 

“Oh.” She felt the blood drain from her face, but she didn’t want anyone to think she blamed them for letting Gabe go with them. Nevertheless, Siggy and Vincz looked sheepish.

 

“Does he need anything? Can I take him something?”

 

“It is best to let him sleep,” Bartel said. “He asked me to tell you to stay inside the cottage until they find the man who was lurking about the woods. We all think it best.” He was speaking kindly to her. Did that mean her life was in danger? That Gabe’s life was in danger?

 

“Of course.” Several pairs of eyes were on her now, and she looked down to keep them from seeing how concerned she was for Gabe. God, please help him get better.

 

After supper, Sophie watched Bartel go upstairs. She prayed silently, then followed him so she could retrieve the material for her dress. While sewing downstairs, she imagined how beautiful the dress would be when it was finished. But mostly her mind was on Gabe. What had he been trying to tell her this morning? The more she thought about it, the more she was afraid she didn’t want to know. Either he loved her, which was a terrible, unsolvable problem, or he was going to tell her that his family was too important to him and that she could never be more to him than a sister. That they needed to stay away from each other from now on.

 

That would be best, she told herself. It wasn’t what she wanted, but since when did she get what she wanted? Just as a servant had few rights, a girl born to a duke quite possibly had even fewer. She must marry whomever her parents chose. Even if the man they chose never came to love her. Even if she loved someone else.

 

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