The men all coughed and shuffled their feet, but instead of averting their eyes, they continued to stare at the two women.
“All these years of peace and quiet. Now this.” Gotfrid’s lip curled in disgust, but Sophie saw a glimmer of interest in his eyes.
Heinric let out a bellow and started toward Roslind, who was standing just behind the table. His eyes remained fixed on Roslind as his grin widened and his arms stretched wide.
Sophie stepped forward, but she would never be able to intercept him before he reached Roslind. She knew from experience how determined Heinric could be. How would Roslind react to such a welcome? Sophie had known her to dissolve into tears with much less provocation.
When Heinric had almost reached Roslind, Siggy managed to intercept him, stepping in front of him and locking him in a bear hug.
Sophie breathed a sigh of relief as Siggy forcefully nudged Heinric away from Roslind, and Vincz and Dolf quickly stepped in to assist and help calm Heinric, speaking to him in placating tones.
“Gentlemen,” Sophie said, “these are my friends from Hohendorf Castle. This is Roslind.”
Sophie didn’t miss the look of shy but ardent admiration in Siggy’s eyes as he nodded politely to Roslind, who smiled at the men. Her gaze seemed to lock on Siggy as well. An expression of shy confusion came over her face and she looked down.
“And this —”
Sophie was cut off by Dominyk. “This is my sister, Lady Petra Kukelbrecht.”
Sophie tried to take in his words. Petra was a “lady”? How could that be? She was a cook at the castle.
From the look on Petra’s face, she was quite uncomfortable with the sudden attention, so Sophie invited everyone to come to the table and partake of the midday meal.
The table was quieter than usual. Sophie longed to talk to Petra, but she was all the way at the other end of the table sitting by her brother. Together they spoke in hushed tones between bites. Roslind sat to Sophie’s right, but she was unusually silent. Siggy sat across from her, and their eyes met many times — Roslind’s eyes wide, Siggy’s serious and intense.
Then Dominyk cleared his throat. “Sophie, have you told Petra and Roslind what happened to the duchess?”
When Sophie shook her head, the table became quite lively as the men explained what had happened — the duchess showing up in disguise, trying to kill Sophie, and then drowning in the river.
Sophie allowed the men to tell it all. She was glad she no longer had to fear the duchess — that Petra and Roslind no longer had to fear her — but the subject brought up painful memories. Gabe’s words kept going through her mind: Let God heal you.
Petra, Roslind, and the Seven all speculated what would happen to the village of Hohendorf and the servants who were left at the castle.
Dominyk said, “King Sigismund will have to be notified. I suppose I should write the letter myself, informing him that Duchess Ermengard has died. And there is the matter of who will inherit the duchy of Hohendorf.”
Everyone turned to look at Sophie.
“Me?”
“You are Duke Baldewin’s only heir,” Petra said gently.
“But there is no proof that I am she.”
“He has only my word, then.” Petra sat very straight, holding her head at a regal angle, and she did not look anything like a cook.
Monks — or men who dwelled in monasteries — were not to be rushed, apparently.
Gabe prayed for the strength not to strangle his future father-in-law for the fiftieth time. It seemed Baldewin was determined to take his time in quitting his home of fifteen years. After he’d supped the night before, he’d insisted they sleep before departing, and had spent the morning saying formal farewells to every man at the monastery. The process was interrupted many times so the duke could spend several minutes to an hour praying in various alcoves, or at certain graves and tombs. Only after every inch of the grounds had been visited would he even consider the gathering of his belongings. Gabe was exhausted from the waiting.
How much longer is the man going to take? Doesn’t he want to see his daughter?
The duke seemed to be stalling. Perhaps he was afraid of what he’d encounter at the cottage.
Gabe confronted the former duke as they sat down at the long trestle table to break their fast. “Are you afraid your daughter won’t forgive you? Or is there another reason for all these delays?”
Baldewin gave him a long, unblinking stare. Standing, he was a few inches shorter than Gabe, a rather small man, but he had a stare that would wilt flowers. Gabe began to wish he had prayed for more patience about the man’s slowness rather than goading him.
“The work of God cannot be rushed. The young are impulsive, eager to take action, but the wise man waits for God’s direction.” The duke turned and stared out the open window behind them.