Her father ran up the steps and she and Colin followed at a slower pace, with Colin keeping his body in front of hers, still holding her hand. Above them she heard Valten’s ferocious roar, followed by the great clashing of sword blades, then a cry of, “I surrender! Don’t kill me!” It was definitely not Valten’s voice.
When they reached the top and Margaretha was able to look over Colin’s shoulder, she saw two men on their knees on the floor being guarded by her father and one other man, and two others lying prostrate, obviously either dead or seriously wounded.
Feminine voices, her mother’s and her sisters’, came from the solar at the top of the stairs, and Colin allowed her to precede him into the room. Valten was striding toward Gisela. He bent and lifted his wife in his arms.
Margaretha moved out of his way. Valten’s scowl was truly frightening, and Gisela’s face was slightly contorted too, as if she was in pain, as Valten carried her out the door, his steps echoing in the corridor.
“Gisela’s water broke.” Margaretha’s mother hugged her and patted her cheek. “I heard how you escaped from Claybrook when he was sick.” She winked and grinned at her daughter. “I am thankful you’re well. Now I must go see to Gisela and try to find Frau Lena.” She nodded at Colin as she left the room.
Margaretha’s sisters embraced her, and even her two brothers joined the hug.
Her father stood in the doorway. “We will take these prisoners to the dungeon. Colin, I leave my family in your charge.”
Colin made a slight bow before placing himself in the doorway, his sword at the ready.
Margaretha’s brothers and sisters were talking loudly, arguing, and asking questions. Wolfgang was running around, trying to get Steffan to chase him. Margaretha managed to stop Wolfgang, get the others’ attention, and order them to sit down on the floor and play a game. She took down the Nine Men’s Morris game board and the black and white pieces, and Steffan and Wolfgang began to play. She found the backgammon board for Kirstyn and Adela.
Finally, Margaretha was free to look at Colin and wonder what had happened to him in the past week — and what “more” he wanted to tell her.
Colin stood in the doorway, obviously standing guard over the room. Truly, with his hauberk and the sword in his hand, he had transformed, from “Froschjunge,” or “Frog boy,” to her very own knight in shining armor.
Colin listened for fighting, but mostly he heard only occasional cheers or laughter, as well as men being brought down to the dungeon from outside. The fighting seemed to have moved into the town, if there was any fighting. He might have been disappointed he’d missed most of it if he hadn’t been entrusted with guarding Margaretha and the rest of Duke Wilhelm’s family. He felt the significance of the duty, as Claybrook had not yet been found. Duke Wilhelm was searching the castle for him now.
Margaretha approached him. He could hear her soft footfalls and the swish of her skirt. He glanced over his shoulder, the sight of her making his heart twist violently inside his chest.
He should probably turn away — she was far too distracting — but he couldn’t quite force himself to do that.
She slipped her hand inside his. “Am I distracting you?”
“Yes.”
Her smile grew wider. “Do you think my father’s men will defeat Claybrook?”
“I believe they will. He has a lot of men fighting for him, more than Claybrook. Even my father is here with some of his men.”
“Your father?” She sounded surprised. “May I meet him?”
“You could hardly avoid it.” He couldn’t help looking down at her. Her small hand felt sweet and soft in his, and her pretty brown eyes gazed up at him, so trusting.
“Tell me what happened after Claybrook’s men took me.”
Colin studied her hand as he talked. “I saw you riding away with them, so Toby and I continued on to Marienberg. We must have been closer than we thought, because we arrived at midday. I was surprised to find my father had arrived in Marienberg only an hour before I did.”
“Was he looking for you? How did he know where to find you?” Her teeth were so perfect behind her equally perfect lips. He couldn’t help remembering their kiss. Too bad her siblings were in the room.
“He was looking for Claybrook, and he thought if he found Claybrook he would find me. He stopped in Marienberg hoping your cousin might have information — since he’d heard Claybrook was courting you — on his way to see Claybrook’s uncle at Keiterhafen Castle. The Duke of Marienberg had just been informed, through a missive he’d received from your father, about the danger to Hagenheim and your family. And then I was able to corroborate the message.” He played with her fingers, rubbing the soft knuckles and imagining himself kissing them. He refrained from doing so, just barely.