“Where did you say he is?”
“In church. The whole town of Heidelberg is there.”
“You’re here.”
“Then everyone except for me,” the guard responded irritably.
“What is your master doing at the church?”
“He’s in court.”
“So which is it then? Is he in church or in court?”
“You’re making me crazy, wench.”
“Me? Why? I only asked you a simple question.”
The guard was readying his response when his attention was drawn elsewhere.
“Oh, there you are, Mother. I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”
“Reni, my dear. I’ve been having such a nice conversation with the guard here.”
“Yes, I can believe that.” Reni looked at the guard. “May I join in?”
“Our pleasure, my child. Or do you have some sort of objection?”
The guard looked from Otilia to Agathe to Elsbeth, and then back at Reni. He seemed completely overwhelmed. “I, uh, well . . . I guess that would be all right.”
“That’s what I thought. You look like a very clever man. Can you tell me, kind sir, when you expect your master to return?” Otilia asked sweetly.
The man’s attention stuck on Reni, who tugged on the neckline of her dress.
“Doesn’t it seem to be terribly warm today?” Reni said, fanning herself as she undid one of the loops on her dress. “I can barely breathe.” She picked up her long hair, cocked her head to the side, and kept on fanning herself, as if desperate to cool down. The bodice of her dress gaped open a little wider. The guard stared at her, spellbound. “I’m going to faint any second. Mother, I need some water.” Reni grabbed at her chest. “I’m so hot. I am so . . .” She laid her hand on her forehead and then tugged violently on the bodice of her dress. “What is happening to me?”
The guard stared blatantly at her breasts.
“Oh my goodness, my dear child. What is the matter?” Otilia supported her, so she wouldn’t fall to the ground. “Water, please, quickly. I beg of you.”
The guard gazed at Reni, who grimaced in pain.
“It’s the heat,” he affirmed. “Let’s bring her into the house. It’ll be much cooler.”
“What a fine man you are.” Otilia nodded thankfully. She grabbed the seemingly semiconscious Reni with Agathe and Elsbeth’s help. The guard wanted to intervene, but Otilia shook her head. “We’ve got her. A chair, my good man, we need a chair.”
He rushed across the hall and brought one back from an adjacent room. The woman picked Reni up and let her settle into the chair. “Water, my good man, we need water.”
To everyone’s surprise, he called out a name, and immediately an old, fat, surly woman came in.
“What’s going on here?”
“She’s not doing well,” the guard explained. “She needs water.”
“It’s the heat,” Otilia explained.
“And why here?” The old hag scrutinized the visitors suspiciously.
“Water, please, if you would be so kind,” Elsbeth pleaded, hoping that the woman would go back into the kitchen as quickly as possible. She hadn’t counted on her.
The old lady eyed them critically but turned around to go get some water.
“We need another chair,” Elsbeth said. “We have to put her legs up. Please, hurry.”
The guard jumped up, then hurried to another room. Elsbeth watched him go. There wasn’t much time. She ran over to the door, opened it, and let Kilian and Irma in. She immediately closed it again and pointed toward an alcove underneath the stairs. She held her breath as she knelt in front of Reni, and the guard came back with another chair.
“I thank you, kind sir.” Elsbeth carefully lifted Reni’s legs onto the chair as Agathe and Otilia unceasingly fanned her face. The cook came back with a jug filled with water, which Agathe took gratefully. She let Reni take small sips of the water as both the guard and the cook looked on. Elsbeth wondered how she could get the two to go away.
Reni moaned a few times, as she seemed to struggle to regain consciousness. “Where am I?” she asked weakly.
“You weren’t well, my dear. The heat outside is simply horrible. You can stay here until you’re feeling better.”
Agathe looked at the guard. “Right?”
He shrugged. “Of course.”
“But you can’t stay too long,” the cook remarked. “My master Matthias doesn’t like it when something goes on in his house when he isn’t here.” She shot the guard an angry look.
“Should I have simply let them stay outside?”