Page 92 of The Piper's Pursuit

She leaned toward him until her face was pressed against his chest. He put his arms around her.

“How does it feel?” he asked, his breath blowing a few strands of her loose hair.

“It feels strange. I can hardly believe it.”

“I think he may have talked with some of the members of the town council, but he must have been very confident you were the best person for the job. I know no one will work as hard as you will, or love the people as much as you do.”

“It’s all so overwhelming. I hope I will not disgrace your father by failing miserably.”

“That could never be.” But how strange for him, remembering he had been wishing, hoping the new Bürgermeister would appoint him as the captain of the guard, and now if he wished for such a position, he would have to ask... Katerina.

Twenty-Eight

By nightfall Katerina was exhausted. And now she kept thinking how Steffan had left and they had not been able to say fare well in private. Everyone had been standing there, watching them.

She had been so busy, with so many people wanting to talk to her. The next thing she knew, Duke Wilhelm and his men were mounting their horses to leave, and Steffan was standing there, his expression stoic, and yet she could see sadness in his eyes.

Katerina had wanted to embrace him, but knowing he would not want to show vulnerability to the men surrounding him, and feeling strange herself, as if her new position demanded that she be dignified, she had simply said, “Thank you for everything.”

Everyone else was already mounted on their horses. Steffan had no choice but to mount up and leave with them.

Her heart twisted as she watched his back slowly disappear from her view and wondered... When would she see him again?

But she was quickly distracted by more people demanding her attention, not least of which was Herr Schuman, who had been appointed the town treasurer. Thankfully that was one task Katerina would not be responsible for, though she was to oversee his work.

Herr Schuman was a fastidious man, was married to a woman who had always been kind and friendly with Katerina and her mother, and was known for never cheating anyone in his brick-making business. But he was always scowling, and many times when he spoke, Katerina had to ask him to repeat himself because his voice was so low and growly.

One good thing about her new position was that she had been able to make Hans her new interim guard captain.

Katerina read over the financial report Herr Schuman had given her. There was one, and only one, thing that she could be thankful to Hennek for doing, and that was hiring a tutor to teach her when she was young. So many people barely knew how to read, and most could not read at all.

“Katerina?”

She looked up to see Hans standing in the doorway of the office that used to belong to Hennek. “Yes?”

“I thought I would let you know that Klaus and Reynart will be guarding Hennek—Klaus tonight and Reynart taking over in the morning.”

“They are Duke Wilhelm’s men?”

“Yes. And I’ve sent Wendel to gate duty. He will not be guarding Hennek anymore.”

“Did Wendel not wish to guard Hennek? Or did you need him at the gate?”

Hans shifted his weight from one foot to the other and stared at the wall behind her. “Wendel said Hennek was trying to bribe him to let him out, and I didn’t want to risk the possibility that Wendel wouldn’t be able to resist the temptation.”

Katerina took in this information and nodded. “That sounds wise. Who will take Wendel’s place?”

“I have not decided yet.”

“It might also be wise to try and find out what Hennek was trying to bribe him with.”

“Silver coins, I believe.”

“You can tell the other guards that Hennek has nothing anymore. He had a hiding place in the mine, but the silver has been removed and is in safekeeping.”

“Yes, I will tell them.” Hans was staring first at the floor, then the wall.

“Is something wrong, Hans?”