Page 71 of The Beautiful Pretender

She sat.

He went into the hallway and called out to a servant. He came back in and said, “Let me see your ankle.”

She gazed up at him. He did not look as if he’d accept any sort of argument, so she carefully inched her skirt up to reveal the bandage. She flinched at the amount of bright-red blood soaking her bandage.

For a long moment Lord Thornbeck did not say anything. She glanced up at him.

“I should not have allowed you to go down the stairs and back up again. I shall send for the healer.”

“My lord, do not trouble yourself. All I need is a bandage change.”

“I shall send Frau Schwitzer to see to it.”

“Thank you, my lord.”

A guard came into the room.

“Carry her to her room, then ask Frau Schwitzer to see to her wounds.”

The guard lifted her in his arms and carried her out.

Lord Thornbeck did care for her a little or he would not have saved her from the wolves and looked so regretful when he saw her bloody bandage. But it only made her heart ache for what might have been, how much more he would have cared if she had been an earl’s daughter.

“Avelina!” Someone called from behind. Magdalen hurried toward her to keep up with the fast-moving guard. “Why are you out of bed?”

“I have to tell you something,” she said quietly, “when we get to my room.”

They walked the rest of the way in silence until they were in Avelina’s room and the guard had left.

While Magdalen pulled a chair up to her bedside, Avelina told her what she’d heard Geitbart say.

“We have to keep Geitbart from capturing Lord Thornbeck and throwing him in the dungeon, or worse.” Avelina’s stomach twisted and her mouth went dry at the “worse” things that could happen. “And from taking over Thornbeck.”

“But how? What can we do?”

“I don’t know.” Avelina tapped her chin. “Lord Thornbeck and Jorgen will be asking men to come and help fight Geitbart’s guards. But I was thinking you and I could spy on Geitbart, find out what he is doing and planning.”

Magdalen leaned over and lifted Avelina’s hem, then inhaled a noisy breath. “Your ankle is bleeding terribly. Blood is getting on the blanket. You won’t be going anywhere.”

Avelina felt a little sick at the sight of the red-soaked cloth.

A knock came, then Frau Schwitzer opened the door and bustled in with a basket of clean cloths and a pitcher of water.

They stayed quiet until Frau Schwitzer had washed off theblood, changed the bandage, and left. Then they discussed what they might do to help save Thornbeck from Geitbart. Their ideas ranged from the practical to the fanciful, about how to spy on Geitbart, and how to kidnap him and Fronicka.

Finally, Magdalen declared, “I’m sleeping in your room tonight. I don’t think I should let you out of my sight, with Fronicka hating you like she does.”

“Thank you, but I don’t think she would—”

“No arguments. I won’t take no for an answer.”

All Avelina could do was smile meekly. “Thank you, Lady Magdalen.”

23

HEGATHA COULD NOThave been pleased with the arrangements, but she would never have allowed Magdalen to sleep in Avelina’s room without her, so she slept in Irma’s little closet, with the door open.

When Avelina awoke, the sun was shining and she and Magdalen were still alive. Someone knocked, then a maidservant entered the room with a tray of food. The smell of fried meat and stewed fruit awoke her appetite, and she threw back the covers to get up.