“Wait a moment, please.” Agathe shot Madlen a quick look to ensure that she was in agreement. “We’d like to have a stall for tomorrow.”
“Then send your husband here early tomorrow so we can do the necessary paperwork. You can start offering your goods when the market opens.”
“My husband?” Agathe repeated, a puzzled look on her face. “We’re operating the stand ourselves.” She pointed at Madlen and then at herself.
The man wrinkled his nose. “What? Two women alone? Well, you can save your money. Only men are allowed to do business here.”
“What are you saying?” Agathe pointed at the stands. “More than half of the stands are staffed by women.”
“True,” the man explained. “However, these women work the stalls on behalf of their husbands. Women can’t conduct proper business by themselves; everyone knows that. Emmerich is a member of the Hanseatic League.” Pride was evident in his voice. “Here we adhere closely to their laws, and they are quite clear. Women cannot conduct business, and neither you two nor I can change it.” He touched his finger to the rim of his hat. “Have a pleasant day.” Agathe and Madlen stood there dumbfounded.
“Did I understand this correctly? We can’t do business here because we’re women?” Madlen looked at Agathe in disbelief.
“That’s exactly what it means,” Agathe explained.
“What will we do now?”
“Find Ruppert,” Agathe said succinctly. “Come on. If we don’t have a husband, then we just need to find someone who can masquerade as one.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Johannes was completely beside himself. He tried to usher the Heidelberger out of his home as quickly as possible. With warm, soothing words, he reassured him that he would do everything in his power to locate the secret healer while indicating that he’d heard that this woman had already left Worms many months ago. Still, Matthias wouldn’t let it go. He reminded Johannes of the duties that had been conferred upon him by the archbishop. Johannes knew that he had to be careful to at least give the appearance that he wanted to find the woman. Of course, he wasn’t lying when he said that he didn’t know her whereabouts. But what would happen if Trauenstein shared his detailed description with others? Wouldn’t everybody in Worms inevitably recognize Johannes’s wife? How in the world would Johannes explain to the archbishop that he had married the woman who was in league with the devil? No, that was out of the question. And not just because of him: his mother, his father, the prestige the Goldmanns had built up over so many decades. Everything was at stake now, and all thanks to Johannes’s careless decision to marry a woman with magical powers. How had he fallen in love with her so quickly? Had she used Lucifer’s power to capture his heart and soul? It had to be. Johannes had never felt like this about any other woman. Yes, now it made sense.
He paced up and down the main hall of the Goldmanns’ home, impatiently waiting for the moment when the little boy would inform him of the skipper’s return. He waited for hours, but nothing happened. Johannes decided to get out and try to find out as much as possible by himself. He would track down the maid who had lived in Agathe’s home. His mother had heard that Roswitha, as the maid was called, had been taken into the household of Otilia, an acquaintance of hers. He would make his way there first. She would certainly know more. The idea that his wife wasn’t even a seamstress left a bitter taste in his mouth. Was that a lie, too, like everything else? Johannes had only reported fragments of his conversation with Matthias Trauenstein to his mother. He hadn’t mentioned the fact that he recognized his own wife as the sorceress; the shame of having fallen under her spell was too great. And worse, she was now carrying his child in her womb. Had he played into the hands of the devil by haplessly helping to bring the spawn of Lucifer to life? He crossed the hall hurriedly and left the house. Otilia’s house wasn’t far from his own. He tried to settle down as he walked down the streets. He had to be clever. When he finally arrived in front of the house, he collected himself and knocked on the door. A guard greeted him.
“Your mistress has a maid in her employ; her name is Roswitha. I would like to speak with her, please.”
“With the maid?” The guard seemed surprised. What would such a refined man want with a simple maid?
“Yes.”
“Please come in and wait here.” The guard opened the door then disappeared into an adjoining room. A short time later, Otilia entered the hallway. “Johannes? I haven’t seen you in a long time. I hope your parents are doing well?”