Page 79 of The Piper's Pursuit

Finally, the men left off asking him questions, and he came striding toward her.

“I’m so glad you didn’t get yourself killed,” she said as he approached, “though you do look as if you dunked your head in a flour barrel.”

“Oh. I nearly forgot my disguise.” He looked sheepish as he ran a hand over his beard. “I need to shave this off. It’s starting to itch.”

Should she hug him? There were too many men around so she just smiled and said, “I’m pleased you were able to defeat Otto. How do your wounds feel now?”

“As good as healed.” Steffan gave her a half grin. “And these children. Are they not nearly as fierce as I am?”

“Absolutely.” She looked down at them as they played and jumped and danced around, as if they were normal, happy children who had not been torn away from their families and treated abominably.

Kat suddenly noticed a red line of blood marring Steffan’s sleeve. Her stomach twisted.

“Your arm.” She took hold of his wrist, lifted his arm, and pushed up his sleeve. “Is it bad?”

“Just a scratch.”

“It doesn’t look deep, but you should be sure and put the salve on it and bandage it.”

“I will.” His smile was gentle as he stared down at her. He brushed the back of his hand over her cheek, in his now-familiar way, his gaze settling on her lips.

A movement out of the corner of her eye drew her gaze to Duke Wilhelm walking toward them.

“I think it might be best to take Hennek back to Hamlin and put him on trial there,” the duke said. “I will question the town council and anyone else who may have been helping him in his schemes.”

Katerina said, “I have some papers hidden that may prove Hennek has been stealing money from the town treasury—or at least he was stealing before he started making so much money from the silver mine.”

“And have you lived in Hamlin all your life, Katerina?”

“My family has lived there for three generations at least.”

“You must know a lot of people there.”

“I do.”

“I will need someone who could help me discern who among the men of Hamlin are wise and of good character, to help me form a new town council. Would you be willing to help?”

“I would, yes.” Katerina did know as much as, or more than, anyone in Hamlin about which men would make good advisors to the new mayor of Hamlin, especially after growing up in the same household with the corrupt mayor. Certainly anyone who colluded with Hennek—or was deluded by him—would not. Katerina paid attention and knew them all.

It meant a lot to her that Duke Wilhelm asked for her help and her opinions. That was more than most leaders would do. Not only was she a woman but she was very young. Still, she was well-educated. Very few men in Hamlin had the education she had had, thanks to Hennek’s desire to boast about how generous he was to his stepdaughter.

The duke nodded. “Now I suppose we should find provisions and lodging for the night.”

They proceeded to do just that after sending some men to tend to the family and servants at Frau Gruber’s, whose injuries were not serious, and drag the remainder of Hennek’s men off to the town’s dungeon for safekeeping.

***

Steffan wanted to sleep in the stable with the other men, but the mayor of Keiterhafen adamantly insisted the Duke of Hagenheim and his son, and Katerina, sleep in his home. Steffan and Father were sharing a room, and Katerina was in the room across the corridor from them. After a good meal at the Bürgermeister of Keiterhafen’s table, he and Father were preparing themselves for bed.

“Don’t you want me to send for a healer?” Father asked him when they were alone. “Just to make sure your wounds are on the mend?”

“No, Father. I thank you, but I will just keep putting the salve on them. I am much better now.”

“I am glad you are well. And I am very proud of you, son. I always believed you would do great things, right wrongs, and find your own way and purpose in life. A good purpose.”

How could Steffan have been so angry with his father all those years? He’d felt slighted, and he felt his father didn’t understand him, didn’t care what he wanted. And he’d been so angry about being a younger son, without a place or an inheritance or a title.

“I must have seemed so foolish, always defiant and angry.”