Page 58 of The Piper's Pursuit

“I feel guilty sleeping while you are doing that.”

“You are needed here, to protect the children. So lie down and sleep. You’ll awaken if there’s danger.”

She acquiesced and lay down beside the children. She stared up at him with just a wisp of a smile, her eyelids already starting to droop.

Steffan hurried away, his heart racing as it always did when she showed a bit of trust in him.

***

Katerina heard the soft sound of a horse chewing. She opened her eyes. Where was she? Dim, muted light was visible at a crack in the wooden wall beside her. Was that the light of morning or of the coming night? Her heart beat fast as she sat up and glanced around.

Hay surrounded her, and several children lay asleep nearby and breathing heavily. Had they slept here all day? The last thing she could remember was Steffan coming back with the remainder of the children, then lying down in the middle of the stable, placing his body between them and the only door.

Kat stood and saw he wasn’t there. Had he abandoned them? The children were not his responsibility; they were hers. She was from Hamlin. Steffan was a duke’s son from Hagenheim. Why should he care? But she would never abandon these children. She didn’t want them to feel like she had, alone and afraid.

Kat yawned and stretched out her stiff back. She had to find food and water for the children and ensure they had a place to stay the night. Had they gone undetected all day? Or did the owner of this stable know of their presence?

Kat started counting the little sleeping forms, lying close together like puppies around the warm stable. Forty-seven. Where were the other five children?

Her heart began to pound. Had someone snatched them? Taking them to do hard labor for someone as sinister as Hennek?

Albrecht sat up and rubbed his eyes. “What is it?”

“Five children are missing.”

His eyes flew wide. “What? How many did you count?”

“Forty-seven.”

Albrecht blew out a breath and shook his head. “The other five are in the house with Frau Goschen. The woman from the bakery?”

“Oh yes. I forgot.” Kat sighed and held a hand over her heart. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s all right. Do you need anything?” He yawned.

“No, no, go back to sleep.” Katerina went back to the place where she’d been sleeping and sat down and rested her head in her hands. “I can do this,” she whispered. “I can take care of these children.” She didn’t need Steffan. She didn’t need anyone. She never had needed anyone. She’d become too dependent on Steffan, and now he was gone. Well, it was a good lesson for her. How foolish she had been to think he would stay, and so foolish to let him take the lead and rescue them. She—

“Is anyone hungry? We’ve brought bread and cheese.”

A woman, plump and smiling, stood inside the door of the stable holding an apron full of bread, and crowding behind her stood five more women.

The women all came inside and started bending down and talking with the children and handing them the bread from the woman’s apron. Coming in behind them was a man carrying a large basket. Steffan.

The air rushed into her lungs. Steffan had not left them at all.

This was the same feeling she had each time Steffan had protected her. A wave washed over her. Her knees actually went weak as Steffan gave out the small rounds of cheese to the children.

Kat stood back while the children went forward to receive the food. She watched as they took the bread. Some of them immediately bit into it. One little boy sniffed it first. One girl clutched the bread to her chest and took some cheese with her other hand and went to sit down.

“Katerina.” Steffan was motioning for her to come to him. He had no idea she had just been thinking he’d selfishly left her and the children to fend for themselves.

She moved through the sea of children and made her way to Steffan.

“Katerina, these are friends of Frau Goschen. They want to help us by taking in some of the children.”

“Oh.” Kat nodded at them as they introduced themselves to her, each of them smiling and looking like friendly, kindhearted mothers. Kat could feel the tears damming up behind her eyelids.

“Do you know which of the children are orphans?” Steffan was speaking in a low voice by her ear, so close his breath rustled her hair. “One of the women is childless and would love to adopt a few of them.”