The Princess Spy (18 page)

After a moment she reached her hand toward him and let him pull her to her feet. The dizziness was mostly gone, which was good, since she had no time for it. Her people, everyone she loved, were in danger.

Men had died, and more would die, possibly a lot more.

Bezilo strode toward them.

“You need a healer,” Margaretha said to him.

“I cannot go to Hagenheim Castle looking like this. Those men back there found the note I had written for Duke Wilhelm. I wanted to pass it off to a messenger, someone who could get to him faster than I could, so I could stay here and help you. That plan went amiss, as you can see.”

There were cuts above both his eyes. His cheekbones were bloody and bruised, and he seemed to have trouble catching his breath.

“Is your arm broken?”

“It doesn’t matter. Lady Margaretha, you must go for help. You must go” — he paused as if to catch his breath — “to your mother’s family in Marienberg, to ask the Duke of Marienberg to come with all his fighting men and help your father. I will do my best to get word to your father of the danger.”

Anne and Britta came toward them, Anne with a look of disgust on her face as she stared at Bezilo. How dare Anne look at the brave and honorable Bezilo that way!

Lord God
,
give me patience.

“We will go to Marienberg. Do not worry. But we must get help for you. I am worried about you.”

“If you could think of a place . . . where I could rest, I would not . . . refuse it.” His breath was coming in wheezing gasps now.

“The woman who gathers herbs for Frau Lena! I believe her cottage is near here.” But would Bezilo be able to walk there?

“Let us go, then. Or simply point me in the right way.”

“I will show you. But first . . .” Margaretha turned to look at the others.

“I shall go back into Hagenheim and buy horses for us.” Colin was obviously impatient to be doing something.

“No. We shall have to buy horses outside the town wall. It is too dangerous for you to be seen inside Hagenheim. Britta.” She turned to the pale-faced maid. “We need you to go back to the castle. Or better yet, send a messenger to the healer, Frau Lena, and ask her to come to the cottage of the herb gatherer who lives near the river. She will know who I’m talking about. Tell her I need her to tend to an injured person there. Let her know it is urgent, but do not mention anything that has happened. Lord Claybrook and his men must not find out that we escaped or what we are doing, and we can only hope they will not stop Frau Lena from leaving the castle grounds. Will you do this for us?”

“Yes, Lady Margaretha.” The whites of her eyes were visible all the way around her irises.

“Now, you must stop looking so afraid.”

“I don’t know how!” she said in a plaintive whisper.

Margaretha took her hand. “Listen to me. Take a deep breath. Now close your eyes. And when you open them, don’t open them so wide,
ja
?” Margaretha smiled at her as she opened her eyes a slit. “That’s good. You can do this. You are very brave. We are all brave now. We must be.”

Britta took another deep breath and did indeed look much calmer.

“I am sorry, but I do not think you will be able to rejoin us outside the gate once you go back in.”

“Oh, I do not mind that, my lady. I prefer to die — that is, I prefer to be where my family is, and where Gustaf is.” She burst into tears at the name of her soldier sweetheart.

And she had been making such progress.

“There, there,” Margaretha soothed. “You must not cry. We need you. Bezilo needs you if he hopes to recover. Now run to fetch Frau Lena. Quickly.”

Britta wiped her nose on her apron and nodded. “Yes, Lady Margaretha. I shall not fail.”

“Wait,” Colin said. “Margaretha.” He stepped quite close to her. “I think you and Anne should go with Britta.”

“With Britta? Why? I must go to Marienberg to get help.”

“Let me go to Marienberg to get help. You will be much safer here with Britta and her family in the town. They can hide you and Claybrook need never know you’re there. Just disguise yourself before you go in — ”

“No! You don’t know me at all if you think I will hide here when I could be going for help to save my family.” The very idea made her breathe hard and her face grow warm.

Colin’s jawline was firm and his eyes bored into hers. “Traveling to Marienberg is dangerous. We have no guards. We won’t even have horses at first. Thieves roam these roads, attacking and stealing — and worse. It’s not safe for you.”

“I will not discuss this.” When she saw the woebegone flash of anguish in his eyes, she softened her tone. “I’m sorry, but you cannot persuade me. I would never cower in hiding while my family was in danger.” She glanced at Britta, who was still staring, apparently waiting for her to give her the final order. “Britta, you may go. Remember all that I said.”

Britta turned and hurried away toward the town gate, glancing at the dead guards on the ground and making a great semi-circle to avoid them.

“What? Are those men over there . . . dead?” Anne scrunched her face to such distortion that her upper lip was touching her nose and her eyebrows met in the middle — just above the translucent blue vein between her eyes. It was perhaps her only physical flaw, that blue vein that had fascinated Margaretha since she was a child. She’d often stared at it without meaning to.

“We’re at war, or shortly will be,” Margaretha said, feigning indifference toward the dead guards, “and we cannot be squeamish about such things. Come, we must go before any more of Claybrook’s men find us.”

Anne looked alarmed at that and hastened to keep up, as Margaretha started through the trees toward the cottage where Bezilo could rest and wait for Frau Lena.

To think, a week ago her little brothers’ teasing had been her biggest trial in life, along with having to decide whether to reject another suitor or marry him. How quickly life could change and turn her world upside down.

Chapter
17

Colin would never have thought the prattling
but sweet Lady Margaretha could be such an asset in a war. First, she had saved herself and two friends from Claybrook’s guards. Then, she had rescued him from the dungeon and led them all through a secret tunnel out of the castle. And when confronted with two more of Claybrook’s guards, she had done exactly what he needed her to do, knocking them out with the candlestick she had hidden inside her sleeve.

He’d never been more shocked — or more impressed — in his life.

But once again, Colin found himself responsible for someone else’s well-being — two someones, if he included Anne, although he felt certain she would take the first opportunity to stay behind if they found a safe place for her.

They left Bezilo in the care of Frau Lena’s friend, at her cottage in the glen. The noble and chivalrous guard off ered Colin his sword, the one he had used to kill Claybrook’s guards, but Colin refused it, feeling he could travel faster without it.

Then they continued on, traveling along the edge of the forest next to the road to avoid being seen by Claybrook’s guards, who would be searching for them, to a place Margaretha knew where they could purchase horses.

Margaretha chattered cheerfully most of the way, while Anne muttered frequent complaints. Colin only knew this, of course, because Margaretha, in her pleasant tone, translated for him. “It would be rude not to,” she had said.

Often, after Anne whined about something, Margaretha would try to placate her. “Anne, if you walk behind Colin and me, you won’t catch your dress on so many thorns.”

Or, “Anne, don’t worry about your hair. I will re-pin it for you before we arrive at the horse breeder’s.”

Or, “Do you need a bandage for that scratch? I can make one for you from my chemise.”

After less than an hour of walking, Anne spoke, then Margaretha translated, “Are we almost there? My feet are hurting and my shoes are getting ruined.”

Margaretha replied in the German language, then translated for him into English, “We are almost there. Only five more minutes, I think.”

As they walked, Colin asked, “Did you say this house we are going to was once owned by your sister’s family?”

“Gisela, who is married to my brother, Lord Hamlin, lived here before she and Valten were married. And perhaps while we’re here, Anne and I should try to get some sturdier clothing for traveling. It’s a long way to Marienberg. Gisela probably left some clothes here after she and Valten married.”

Anne interrupted Margaretha in her unintelligible foreign tongue. Then Margaretha told him that Anne had said, “I will be traveling straight home as soon as I get a horse. I do not intend to spend any more time trying to fight some war. I am a lady, the granddaughter of a duke! I am not accustomed to such treatment.”

Colin glanced back at Anne. He was not the least threatened by her being the granddaughter of a duke. “One of the first places Claybrook’s guards will look for Lady Margaretha is your home. It is nearby, is it not?”

After Margaretha translated, Anne made a choking sound, then coughed. “He won’t be looking for me, and surely he wouldn’t hurt my family.”

“How many guards does your father keep? He is the second son, is he not?” Before Margaretha could translate his words to Anne, he said, “Claybrook has more. A lot more. But I do not believe they will harm you or Margaretha. Claybrook still probably intends to marry her, and he has no reason to harm you, Lady Anne. I believe you will both be safe at your father’s home.”

After she translated for Anne, Margaretha stopped him with a hand on his arm. “I will not stay with Anne at her father’s home. I am going to Marienberg to get help. I will not be left behind. Besides, I would rather die than marry Lord Claybrook.”

“You won’t have to marry him if I bring the Duke of Marienberg here to help your father save Hagenheim and capture Claybrook.” Why couldn’t she simply do as he asked? “You don’t have to be brave and courageous, Margaretha. You should be like your cousin, Anne. She’s thinking about keeping herself safe, and you should be too.”

He instantly saw that he’d said the wrong thing. Never tell someone they should be like their sister, cousin, brother, or anyone else. Margaretha’s face turned red, and she opened her mouth, but Anne hurried to get in front of Colin.

Anne faced him and stomped her foot. She looked a lot like his little sister did when she was three and couldn’t have her way. Her nostrils flared and her eyes flashed.

He liked his sister much more now that she didn’t throw these little fits.

He started to walk around Anne but she moved in front of him again. She spoke, her eyes still flashing, then Margaretha translated, “How dare you insinuate that I am a coward!”

Margaretha had not translated his words. “You understood what I said?”

“I know a little English,” Anne said in English, then, still speaking in English, she asked, “Who do you think you are, insulting me?”

“I know quite well who I am.” Colin crossed his arms, looking back at her calmly. “I am the oldest son and heir of one of the wealthiest landowners in all of England. My father was given an earldom by the king of England, which shall pass to me. Therefore, you may call me Lord le Wyse of Glynval.” He executed his most elegant bow to Anne.

She glared at him for a few more moments before unclenching her fists and smoothing the skirt of her gown with her hands. “Very well,” she said. “Lord le Wyse, I shall do as you say — for now.” She spoke the entire response in English.

So she had studied the language. Obviously she had understood much more than she had pretended. Did she speak English as well as Margaretha and only feigned ignorance for pure annoyance?

Margaretha stopped Anne and forced her to look at her. She asked in English, “Anne, do you speak English?”

“Of course.” Anne grinned smugly. “I studied under the same tutor you did. Don’t you remember? He spent half his year with you and the other half with me.”

Not the most forthright girl. He’d have to remember that.

The two of them spoke quietly behind him. They started out in English, with Margaretha saying, “Anne, you should have told us you understood. Why would you make me translate for you and keep such a thing a secret?”

“I was only trying to listen for a while in order to refresh my memory of the language.”

But then Anne began speaking in German again and he didn’t understand a word. They talked in hushed voices, and this time Margaretha did not translate for him. Anne probably told her not to.

They came to a break in the trees, with a meadow on either side of the road.

“There’s the horse breeder’s house.” Margaretha hurried forward. A large stone and half-timber house came into view across the road in the clearing. Beyond it was a meadow and stables.

Colin listened and looked carefully up and down the road before they ventured out. But no sooner did he get two feet onto the road when he heard horses’ hoofs, and he stepped back into the cover of the trees.