“Sabela has always been courageous,” Father said, before hastily changing the subject to the current market for spices and urging Mr. Vedast to sit down. Clearly, he didn’t want me to talk much.
The dinner itself wasn’t so bad, all told. The cook had prepared a magnificent spread of roasted chickens, potatoes with cream, and spring vegetables, just like the old days, and since I could tell no one really wanted me to say much, I could just focus on the food as my sisters chattered away. I think Marta really hoped he would somehow fall in love with her instead. Father seemed to genuinely enjoy discussing business with the man.
So maybe there was nothing wrong with Mr. Vedast. I was just…left cold, that was all. I had seen another world.
After dinner, we moved to the parlor for some after-dinner drinks. More of the same.
I’ve almost made it, I thought.
Mr. Vedast got to his feet. “I should probably be heading home…” He looked at me.
“It was nice to meet you,” I said dutifully.
“Beauty, perhaps you’d like to see Mr. Vedast to his carriage,” Father urged.
Was he going to try to kiss me? Ugh. I was already planning my polite rebuttal, but I followed him out. The night air was cool tonight. I shivered, unable to help it. He started to take off his jacket for me.
I held up a hand. “Please, no, no. It’s not bad. I’ll be going back in soon enough.”
“It depends. I have a few things to say to you.” I didn’t like the serious look in his eyes.
“Mr. Vedast…” I sighed. “I don’t know what my father told you, but…I don’t feel ready to get married. I really shouldn’t get married before my older sisters, in fact. I just got home from a rather intense experience—”
He took my hand. “Sabela, I hate to think that you were driven to offer yourself like that. No girl as beautiful as you should ever stoop to that. But it shows your loyalty to your family. Personally, I’ve been thinking for a while that we should take care of the goblin menace once and for all, and hearing your story, I’m resolved. I have a group of strong men ready to ride for the hills. Many have tried and failed, but perhaps the gates will open for you.”
I could only imagine the look on my face. I had to clutch the handkerchief in my pocket. “Mr. Vedast, you don’t understand. There is nothing menacing about the goblin king. He only accepts women who come willingly. And—he’s cursed to do it. Otherwise, we would never hear from him.”
“You seem quick to defend him. Don’t tell me…you liked it.” He gave me such an expression of disgust that a chill went through me. I knew he would do something terrible if I didn’t play along.
“No,” I said quickly. “No, I didn’t like it at all. I just pity him.”
“He doesn’t deserve your pity either. A curse? A curse to have all the human girls he likes? Most men pay for that. Even if the women come willingly, they are certainly desperate, as you are. We should be rid of him. It’s a scandal that we have allowed a trip to the goblin king to become acceptable behavior.”
“But then what do desperate women do?”
“They can come to me. Once I have eradicated the goblin king and taken his gold, I’ll use the money to open a charity for women in dire straits. Much better for everyone.”
“You would choose who to give the money to, then. At least women could choose for themselves whether they wanted to go to the goblin king.”
“So you approve of prostitution?”
I stammered. Maybe he had a point; it wouldn’t be a terrible thing to offer help to women in the town who were struggling. But I also didn’t believe he would really do it. I knew he was just trying to placate me.
“You must come with me. You must know something about his caverns.”
I had a terrible feeling of dread. Inside, my stomach was starting to churn. Now I wished I hadn’t enjoyed the dinner. I shouldn’t have had dessert.
Mr. Vedast admired my supposed courage, then, because it fit with his own ambitions. He wanted to kill Nyar and steal his treasures. If I ran away to speak with Keely, by the time I got back, he might have already raided Nyar’s home. Maybe the cavern would be closed to him, but it was a risk. Keely was two days away by foot. On horseback, Mr. Vedast could be at Nyar’s door within hours.
If I went with him, at least I would have the chance to warn Nyar…
Or would I merely have the misfortune of seeing him die?
I realized I would rather die at Nyar’s side than live with myself, knowing I had abandoned him and even helped lead to his death.
“You hesitate,” he said, his lip curling. “I feared as much. That goblin made you his whore.”
“No, no, I…if I go with you, and you succeed…” My voice was shaking. “I want to run the charity myself. I want to help the women who have suffered.” I thought this was the only thing I could say that he would believe.
“Of course,” he said. “In fact, I wouldn’t want it any other way. Be ready tomorrow morning.”
Chapter Eleven
In the morning, I wrote a brief letter:
Dear Keely,
You don’t know me, but I wonder if you might have sent me a dream. My name is Sabela and I spent a week with the goblin king. I know that ten years ago, he seduced you and your mother was furious…but it seems as if she also imprisoned herself in her rage. I wonder if maybe I saw a vision of your story because you wanted to save your mother. If you are ever going to help her, this might be the time. The men of Fairhaven are leaving this morning, to kill the goblin king.
I kept the note vague, as far as my feelings about Nyar. I didn’t know if Keely might still love him herself.
I would need Mr. Vedast to take me to a messenger post. I couldn’t trust my family, because they would certainly know I didn’t have a friend named Keely at Pony’s Brook.
“Take good care of her,” Clara told Mr. Vedast when he came that morning. I knew she was really talking about me, suspicious that I had ulterior motives for going with him.
“I certainly will.”
I was trying my best to look demure and a little ashamed, like I was wrestling with my thoughts. All I was really wrestling was fear, that I would fail Nyar and his people.
Somehow I had expected Mr. Vedast to have a carriage, because wealthy men always had carriages. But outside of our house was a dozen or so well-armed men on horseback. They wouldn’t want to be burdened with a carriage if they were riding with all speed to attack Nyar’s caverns.
I didn’t think I could get any more nervous than I already was, but I was wrong.
Mr. Vedast helped me into the saddle. He seemed very focused. One thing I would say about him, I don’t think he was moved by my beauty in the least. I think he just wanted Nyar’s riches. A man who loves money, not people, I thought. It would explain why he was so rich, and still unmarried. He probably didn’t want to take the time.