Rose stood by while Frau Geruscha bandaged the hand of a young woman who had spilled boiling broth on herself. As Frau Geruscha explained to her how to change the bandage and check for festering, Rose’s mind wandered to Lord Rupert’s visit earlier.
He had come to see her that morning after prayers, all polite graciousness, smiling and asking after Frau Geruscha’s health. But the frau had glared at him and answered with a monosyllable.
Was there something her mistress wasn’t telling her about Lord Rupert? She knew he’d done some unprincipled things in his past, but he was very good natured to allow Frau Geruscha to treat him so coldly. After all, he was the son of the duke. He couldn’t be used to that kind of behavior.
But if Lord Hamlin trusted his brother and believed Lord Rupert wanted to marry her, why wasn’t that good enough for Frau Geruscha?
She only wished Rupert would ask her to marry him. Surely that would cure Frau Geruscha’s sour attitude toward him. And Rose had decided to accept his offer of marriage, if and when he made it. She had thought she didn’t want to marry, but now she knew that wasn’t true. She wanted to love and be loved, and if Lord Hamlin couldn’t marry her—the very idea he could was absurd—then she would marry Lord Rupert. Lord Rupert loved her, and she was sure she would have little trouble loving him back. As Hildy had told her before, he was everything a woman could want. He was handsome, cheerful, and affectionate. Rose would be happy with him—and Lord Hamlin would be happy too, married to Lady Salomea. Intelligent, mature adults could choose to love the person they were married to, whoever it was. Didn’t the Bible command wives and husbands to love each other? If it was a command, then it was possible. Besides, she was afraid she would never be very good at healing. She wasn’t like Frau Geruscha.
If he did ask her to marry him, Rose would become Lady Rupert Gerstenberg. Frau Geruscha would be forced to address her as “Lady Rupert.” Was that why Frau Geruscha seemed so determined to convince her that Lord Rupert’s intentions were not honorable? Because she didn’t like the idea of her apprentice taking social precedence over her?
Rose shook her head. Although it seemed a reasonable explanation, Frau Geruscha had never been prone to such petty feelings. Then why was she so hostile to Lord Rupert’s attentions to her? Shouldn’t Frau Geruscha be happy for Rose and want her to marry him?
But perhaps Frau Geruscha didn’t believe Lord Rupert intended to marry her. Rose still had moments of disbelief herself, when she doubted his sincerity. But if Lord Hamlin believed it, it must be so. Mustn’t it?
Her head hurt.
The next day Lord Rupert met Rose at the well when she went to draw water. He grabbed her hand, turned her toward him, and whispered, “Come away with me, to the orchard. I have something to tell you.”
“I can’t.” Surely he understood that she could not do such a thing.
“Please, Rose.” He bent over her hand and planted a kiss on her wrist so hot it seemed to burn her skin.
“Rupert! Oh, I mean, my lord—Lord Rupert—you mustn’t. People may be watching.”
“Then meet me somewhere they won’t be watching.”
“I cannot. What if Frau Geruscha found out?”
“Frau Geruscha! I want to exile her to Byzantium! Is she jealous because someone loves you? Does she want you to be miserable like her?”
“Please, Lord Rupert, you should not say such things.”
“Then meet me in the orchard.”
“But why?”
He stared down at her, his jaw tightening.
“All right.” Rose was so confused. If she didn’t go with him, he would be angry with her. If she went and was caught, Frau Geruscha would be angry with her. “I’ll go. But I can only stay for a few minutes.”
“When?”
“Now. In two minutes.”
“Don’t disappoint me.”
“I’ll be there.”
Rose’s hand shook as she hooked the water bucket to the windlass and turned the handle to fill it. She tried to hurry across the courtyard, sloshing water and marking her path all the way.
Oh, let Frau Geruscha not be here so I don’t have to explain. But the healer met her at the door.
“There you are. Thank you for getting the water, Rose. I’m on my way out to visit the shoemaker’s wife, the one who fell and broke her leg. I’ll be back soon.”
Holding back the relieved smile that started to curl her lips, Rose said, “Yes, Frau Geruscha.”
Rose went inside but then stuck her head out and watched Frau Geruscha make her way across the courtyard. Once she was out of sight, Rose took off her apron, smoothed back her hair, and, as an afterthought, took Lord Rupert’s bracelet out of her pocket. She put it on her wrist and fastened the clasp.
She ran out the door and headed for the orchard, with Wolfie at her heels.
Chapter 18
Rose approached the apple orchard that nestled in a small valley overshadowed by the castle.
Lord Rupert stepped out of the trees with a huge smile on his face. “I wondered if you would leave me waiting here.”