The Wandering Harlot (The Marie Series) (39 page)

After a brief greeting, the Württemberg count had gotten right to the point. “What’s going to happen to Marie?”

Alban Pfefferhart had waved his hands dismissively. “It’s hardly possible for her to remain in Constance. We can give her back her citizenship and a house to live in, but night after night shiftless men would come to her house in hopes that her morals remained loose enough to give them a night of pleasure. The municipal authorities, of which I am one, therefore suggest assisting her in acquiring citizenship in a distant city where she can live in peace.”

“That would suit you rich Constance merchants just fine,” Count Eberhard von Württemberg had scoffed. “But I question how a single woman might live unmolested in any city of the Reich.”

At this point Michel had decided it was time for him to speak up. “Marie needs the protection of a man, and I will therefore ask her if she will stay with me.”

“As a mistress?” The count’s voice had sounded sharp, but then a broad grin appeared on his face. “No, I won’t allow that. You will have to marry her.”

Lady Mechthild had shaken her head indignantly. “Michel Adler is an officer of the count palatine and one of his ministers. He cannot marry a prostitute.”

The Constance bishop raised his arms in a conciliatory gesture, as if something amusing had occurred to him. “There is a solution for this, Lady Mechthild. Allow me to do my part in making an amicable arrangement.”

“Then we’re in agreement,” said the Count Eberhard von Württemberg, indicating he didn’t want to hear any further objections. Walking over to Michel, he patted the man on the shoulder. “This will work out well for you, young fellow. If you marry Marie, I’ll make you a castellan in one of my cities. Then if any fellow says anything bad about your wife, you can throw him in the tower with my blessing.”

Staring at the count, Michel hadn’t known how to answer. Then he looked at the count palatine who looked like he didn’t know whether to laugh out loud at the whole matter or start a fight. Finally, the man walked over to Michel.

“You have a reputation for arranging marriages, Count Eberhard, especially when it concerns your cast-off mistresses, but Michel is my liegeman and will remain so.”

Michel had a hard time shaking off the memory of that scene and tried to accept that Marie now belonged to him before God and the world. Judging by the dismissive look on her face, however, she was now even less accessible to him than in the five years she had been out wandering the roads and he had been rising through the ranks of the palatine guards. Before he could say a word to her, Eberhard von Württemberg and Count Palatine Ludwig stepped up and shook their hands.

The smile of the Württemberg count made it clear to Marie who was responsible for this last little trick, and she was tempted to give him a piece of her mind. She wasn’t a puppet whose strings he could pull, and Michel deserved a better wife than a wandering whore. But she didn’t have an opportunity to complain to Count Eberhard, since more and more people came up to congratulate them. Sir Dietmar was so embarrassed that he didn’t dare look at Marie, while Alban Pfefferhart seemed delighted that by this marriage a stigma had been removed from him and from the entire city. Even the kaiser deigned to place his hand on her and Michel’s shoulders, wishing them a happy and fruitful marriage.

That entire time, Marie didn’t dare look at Michel, and she sighed heavily in relief when Lady Mechthild took her by the arm and led her into the hallway. Briefly looking back at the room, Marie saw the count palatine handing Michel a cup of wine for a toast. Then the door closed, and Marie felt as if she’d once again been damned to an uncertain fate.

She turned to Lady Mechthild. “This is ridiculous. I can’t marry Michel.”

The lady pointed down the hallway toward the main door. “Come now, someone is waiting for you and we must hurry. As for your marriage, you are now Michel Adler’s wife before God and the world. I understand that you feel manipulated, but it seemed like the best solution. You are no longer a young woman, but you’re not a widow, either, and it is highly unlikely you could ever have married any other man without first telling him about your past. To spare you the embarrassment of such a situation, Count Eberhard suggested that you be married to your childhood friend, who has been your constant shadow these past many weeks. The Constance city council was happy with this solution, and Herr Muntprat as well as Herr Pfefferhart will even present you with a considerable dowry. Michel has not married a poor woman, Marie. If you include the compensation you will receive for your lost fortune, you are actually very rich.”

Lady Mechthild’s voice sounded a tiny bit envious, but her cheerful smile made up for it as she took Marie by the hand toward a waiting carriage, where they climbed inside and sat next to each other.

“I would like to apologize to you, Marie, for I have wronged you. When you came to us a few weeks ago, I was convinced you wanted to take my place again in my husband’s bed, and I was jealous. I also thought you were making up a fanciful story to somehow use us to suit your purposes. We have learned from Count Eberhard that you did in fact bring the real testament back for us, and we now have sovereignty not just over Mühringen but also over some of the land formerly belonging to Felde Castle, which nicely rounds off our territory. My husband and I are very grateful and would like to reward you. If there is anything you wish, whether it be farms, forest lands, or vineyards, just tell us.”

The carriage began to move, but this time Marie was not interested in where it was taking them. She was thinking of Hiltrud, who had saved Marie’s life years ago and reluctantly supported her in her plans for vengeance. She owed it to Hiltrud to help her also find a better life and a bit of happiness. Though it might not be possible to revive the winter romance between her friend and the goatherd in Arnstein, it was certainly worth a try.

“If you really wish to show your gratitude, Lady Mechthild, give my loyal companion Hiltrud a farm and let her marry Thomas, the goatherd.”

Lady Mechthild seemed pleased with the idea. “Gladly. Shall the farm be in the Arnstein realm, or would you rather have your friend closer by?”

Marie laughed. “I’d love to have Hiltrud close by, but I really don’t know where life is taking me.”

Lady Mechthild put her hand in her lap and gave her a conspiratorial smile. “Your husband has just been appointed castellan of Rheinsobern by Count Palatine Ludwig. That is one of the best properties the count will receive from the Keilburg estate.”

“Very nice for him.” Marie shrugged off this news but was curious enough to pose a question. “Was there no heir to lay claim to Rheinsobern?”

“The Keilburg counts forcefully seized many lands and made sure there were no heirs to contest their ownership. We were lucky, but without the protection of Count Eberhard von Württemberg, we would also have been their victims. Count Eberhard acquired ownership of Keilburg Castle with all its land, and others were given back property.”

Giggling, Lady Mechthild continued. “The only one to come away empty-handed was Friedrich von Habsburg as punishment for his angry outburst at the kaiser.” Lady Mechthild also told Marie that Konrad von Keilburg had been sentenced and put to death by the sword, as had Hugo von Waldkron.

As the lady recounted who had benefited from the breakup of Konrad’s holdings and Abbot Hugo’s lands, Marie soon lost interest in who acquired what and instead looked out the carriage window, wondering what life at Michel’s side might be like. Before she had thought it all through, however, the carriage passed through the market square and turned into the narrow lane beneath the columns leading to the upper market.

“Where are you taking me, Lady Mechthild?”

Lady Mechthild gave her a friendly smile. “I think you’ll be happy to see your relatives again.”

Only now did Marie realize that she had been so caught up in her plans and the trial that she hadn’t thought of her uncle once. The lady told her that her accusation against Rupert had saved Mombert and his wife from being condemned for murder. Tears of relief welled up in her eyes, and she could hardly wait for the carriage to stop at the entrance to the Hundsgasse. Lady Mechthild smiled as she watched Marie jump from the carriage, run down the lane, and open the front gate to Mombert’s yard.

Delightedly, Marie burst into the parlor where her relatives had gathered. Mombert and his wife must have only just been released, as they didn’t seem to able to comprehend the surprising turn of events. Both appeared pale and emaciated. Wina, who was standing beneath the painting of the Virgin Mary, held Hedwig tightly in her arms while Wilmar, shifting his feet anxiously and staring at his master, watched as Marie entered. When she smiled and nodded at him, he gave a big sigh of relief.

Mombert stood up and walked toward his niece. Trying to speak, he started sobbing instead—not for the first time that day, judging by his reddened eyes. He finally embraced her, burying his face on her shoulder like a child.

“What a joy to see you.” He was so choked up, he could hardly speak. “God sent you to us, Marie. Without you, my poor wife and I would have been tortured to death, and Hedwig would be enslaved by a perverse scoundrel. You saved us all.”

Marie glanced briefly at Wilmar and shook her head with a smile. “Don’t just thank me, Uncle Mombert. If Wilmar hadn’t set Hedwig free and found Melcher, there wouldn’t have been much I could have done.”

Breaking free of Wina’s grasp, Hedwig hurried to her father. “There you have it, Father. It was because of Wilmar that I’m here now and unharmed.” Her pleading look was obvious.

Mombert pushed his daughter into Wilmar’s arms. “If that’s the case, you both have my blessing.”

Full of gratitude, Wilmar beamed at Marie, but she didn’t return his gaze since her focus was now on her father’s old housekeeper. At first, Wina had scarcely dared touch her, but when she saw Marie’s smile, she wrapped her arms around her and swore tearfully that this was the happiest day of her life. Rocking the old woman in her arms, Marie patted her fondly. It was nice to have someone who loved her.

VIII.

The kaiser departed the next day, seemingly glad to finally leave the city. The hour when Marie would leave was also fast approaching. Though she wished she could secretly slip away at daybreak, Pfefferhart had made it clear that it was her duty to attend the punishment of the men responsible for her shame and her father’s death. The hangman made short work of Hunold, Melcher, and the other accomplices, slipping a rope around their necks and pulling until they stopped moving.

When he got to Utz, however, he crushed his bones, then broke him on the wheel while the condemned man was fully conscious. Utz didn’t scream or ask for a quick end, but ridiculed the court and boasted of his crimes, seemingly proud of the misdeeds that earned him a place of honor in hell. Shouting out the names of the knights and other nobles he had murdered, mentioning Sir Dietmar’s uncle Otmar among many others, he finally claimed he was supposed to murder Konrad von Keilburg for Rupert, and regretted he had not gotten that chance.

While the carriage driver was still yelling out details of his misdeeds, Rupert was being led to the stake. He whined plaintively, begged for his life, and offered his services to the bishop of Constance, Count Eberhard von Württemberg, and any other of the noblemen who would save him from a fiery death. But all that got him was the mockery and contempt of the Constance citizens, and finally the street urchins, who threw dirt at him from the front row. The hangman’s servant had to carry him to the stake and hold him tight in order to tie him up. Unmoved by his pleading, they heaped wood and branches on him and set fire to them at the judge’s order. As the flames rose around him, his screams rang out eerily over Brüel Field.

Marie lingered only as long as was expected of her, then ran to her father’s grave in order to say her first prayers there. Though Michel had been following her since early morning, she had hardly looked at him, much less spoken to him. Now, joining her, he also knelt down to pray at the gravesite.

As she stood up to return to the city, he pulled her to him and led her, despite her objections, down to the harbor and onto a boat that seemed to have been waiting only for them. This anticlimactic departure from Constance irritated her, since she was looking forward to spending a few days with Mombert and his family even though the tearful gratitude of her relatives was a bit taxing. To her surprise, she saw Mombert and his family sitting up in the bow and watching the boatmen. Freeing herself from Michel’s arms, she started walking toward her uncle, then paused and remained at the back of the boat. She wasn’t ready to speak with anyone yet.

It wouldn’t be easy for her to become accustomed to her new life as a castellan’s wife, which would bring with it a number of unfamiliar duties. First off, however, she’d have to realize that the goal she had set for her life had actually been achieved. For five long years she had yearned for Rupert’s death with every fiber of her being, and with her revenge complete, she felt empty and burned out.

She sighed as the current caught hold of the ship and the walls of Constance quickly disappeared behind them. Though she didn’t regret her hasty departure, it felt strange not to have Hiltrud beside her. She wanted to share her thoughts with her friend, even though she knew doing so would have earned her another scolding. But Hiltrud wanted to leave for Arnstein with Lady Mechthild to pick up Thomas. Marie would see them both again in the fall. Kordula, however, had decided to stay in Constance in order to earn as much money as possible. She then intended to follow Marie after the council ended, and with her help open up a tavern in Rheinsobern.

Michel suddenly walked up behind Marie and placed his hands on her shoulders. Just as she was about to push him away, he began to talk. At first he avoided speaking about the two of them, but instead told her that her uncle was tired of Constance and had received permission to settle and set up a master cooper’s business in Rheinsobern. Accompanying the family were Wilmar, who would become Mombert’s son-in-law, and Wina.

As he began describing the place they were headed, she realized she hadn’t been treating him as he deserved and lowered her head in shame.

“I’m sorry, Michel. About the marriage, I mean.”

“I’m not sorry.” Michel pulled her to him with a sigh of contentment. “Marie is mine! I’ve always loved you but never dared hope that the two of us could be together.”

“But will you be able to forget all that has happened over the past five years?”

“No, and I don’t wish to. It was a hard time for you, and you have proven yourself brave and courageous, exactly the qualities you will need as a warrior’s wife. Those years were not easy for me, either, but we’ve both made the best of them. After all, you are marrying an officially appointed castellan of Rheinsobern.”

“Who is stuck with someone like me.” Her voice sounded bitter.

Michel chuckled. “I owe what I am to you, too, Marie. If I hadn’t been so madly in love with you, I never would have left Constance. Marriage with you brings much to me. If it hadn’t been for you, I might have become a castellan of a ruined, drafty castle in a distant mountain forest after fifteen more years, and not the castellan of such an important castle as Rheinsobern. Ordinarily, one must be of noble birth to obtain such a post. I’ll admit, I wouldn’t be so happy with my promotion if Rheinsobern had been awarded to the Württemberg count, but Count Palatine Ludwig is our lord and Count Eberhard is very far away.”

There was a touch of jealousy in his voice that even surprised him, and he fell silent. Smiling lovingly at her, he absentmindedly played with a lock of her hair shining like gold in the evening sun. As their hometown disappeared behind them in the east, he led Marie forward to the bow of the ship.

“You must not look back, dearest. Look forward to the future, and you will see the two of us there, the beautiful and wealthy wife of the castellan on Rheinsobern, and me, your husband.”

Marie laughed. “Husband? You’re already starting to sound like Lady Mechthild.”

“Why not? The next time we meet her and Sir Dietmar, we will be sitting at the same table. And who knows, perhaps one day a son of ours will marry one of their daughters.”

Those words seemed a bit far-fetched to Marie, but she did have to admit they had a very pleasant sound.