The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest (A Medieval Fairy Tale #1)(19)

“But I cannot stay long.”

“Why not? Are you so busy?”

“I usually am not, but something has just happened that I must look into.”

“Oh?” She sat up straighter. “What has happened?”

“I believe someone is poaching deer in Thornbeck Forest.”

“Why would you think that?” Her voice sounded breathless. She swallowed, trying to force her racing heart to calm down.

“I found an arrow.”

“Is it not the margrave’s arrow? He hunts there sometimes.”

“Nein, it is not.”

She was about to ask him how the arrow was different from the margrave’s. Such information would have been quite helpful, but he went on.

“I should not be talking about that. You couldn’t possibly be interested in such a thing.”

You would be surprised at how interested I am. “I hope the poacher will not cause you much difficulty. Perhaps it was only a child trying out a new bow and arrow his father made for him, for play.”

“Perhaps. But some of the stags are missing.”

“Stags are skilled at hiding themselves, are they not?”

He stared at her. By now it was completely dark, except for the bit of light shining through the house windows and the partial moon in the sky.

She shrugged. “Or so I have heard.” Wanting to change the subject, she crossed her arms and said, “I had asked you into the garden so I could hear more about you, but we have mostly talked about me. Didn’t you say you had a sister who died?”

A strange look came over his face. If only she could see him better, could read his features. Once again he bent his head to stare down at the leaf.

He nodded. “My adoptive parents never had children. Sometimes different boys would stay with us for a while, sleeping on a pallet on the floor. There were two brothers, older than I, who stayed for about two years before they started working in the margrave’s stables.”

Even though she sensed he did not want to talk about his sister or his childhood before he was adopted by the gamekeeper and his wife, she felt that he had had a good life after he went to live with them. Gratitude toward his adoptive parents welled up inside her.

“I always wished I had a sister,” Odette confessed. “I had an imaginary sister when I was very young. I think the family who took me in thought I was daft when I would talk to my sister, Sophie. I rather enjoyed shocking them.”

“I could see that about you.” Jorgen nodded, an amused smile gracing his masculine lips.

“Odette?” Rutger’s voice called to her. She stood quickly. Her uncle’s outline was lit by the open back door. “Are you out here?”

“Ja, I am here.”

“You must come and join the festivities. I want to introduce you to some people.”

Jorgen stood, too, and escorted her to the house. “I hope you won’t be scolded,” he whispered to her.

“Oh nein. Uncle Rutger never scolds me. I am an adult, after all.”

“Ah, Jorgen. I see you are with my niece. Taking in the night air?”

Odette interjected, “I couldn’t hear well inside, with the music, and asked him to come into the garden so we could speak without shouting.”

“Of course.” Rutger smiled, but she saw the surprised look in his eyes—surprised she would be spending time talking to the forester.

She was a little surprised herself.

Once inside, Rutger introduced her to a man and his son—no doubt another marriage prospect for her—and then some other guests. One of them was an old man with saggy jowls who eyed her lecherously. He made sure to tell her his wife had died recently and he was looking for a new one. Odette cringed and excused herself from him as quickly as she could.

“There you are!” Mathis caught her hand. “Come and dance with me.”

A new song was beginning, and they joined the other dancers. But many people were beginning to leave, and the dance floor was less crowded than before. When the dance was over, she saw Jorgen was heading toward the front door. She started to go toward him, but Mathis pulled her back with a hand on her arm.

“Odette, I think you are the fairest maiden in Thornbeck. What do you think of me?” A pleading look flared in his eyes.

“I think you are . . . a very complimentary gentleman.” She laughed a little, hoping to lighten the moment and break away from him to say farewell to Jorgen. “I shall be back in a moment.”

She pulled out of Mathis’s grasp and reached Jorgen just before he passed through the small entryway between the main room and the front door. Others were standing nearby, including Rutger, and she felt his eyes on her.

As she rushed forward, Jorgen turned. She found herself face-to-face with him. “Don’t forget. The children and . . . the verses.” She hoped she had kept her words vague enough that she had not revealed their rendezvous to Rutger.

He gazed intently into her eyes. “I won’t forget.” His crooked smile stole her breath.

Rutger gave her a weighty look, but Anna and Peter were also waiting to say farewell. She embraced her friend, who whispered in her ear, “I shall come tomorrow. I want to know where you and Jorgen went.”

Odette ignored Rutger’s look of suspicion and went back to Mathis. “Forgive me, but I am so exhausted. I do not wish to dance anymore.”