The Secret Healer(97)

“What if Trauenstein isn’t in as much of a hurry as we thought?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well,” Agathe explained, “we thought that he wanted to get back to Heidelberg to put Madlen on trial. But what if he wasn’t in a hurry?”

“Why would he be taking his time?”

“I don’t know. But Matthias must have known that we’d follow him.” She turned to Johannes. “You said yourself that he would never manage to get Madlen there before us. He must be planning something else.”

“Like what?”

“I don’t really know.” Agathe let her thoughts wander. Maybe they were searching for witnesses to Madlen’s alleged crimes? What else could it be? What was this creep Matthias up to? She shrugged. “I’m probably wrong; he’s bringing her to Heidelberg as fast as he can. Maybe they kept riding through the night.”

“Maybe,” Johannes repeated pensively and looked at Kilian, who returned his look. What Agathe had said made sense. Matthias must know that it didn’t matter whether he hurried or not. A quick trial and conviction wouldn’t be enough. What did the bastard intend to do?





Chapter Twenty-Nine





Madlen wasn’t shaking much anymore, but she could hardly sit still.

Matthias held her prisoner for the whole day on the boat, which he and his henchman had used to travel from Worms to Emmerich. They gagged and blindfolded her and brought her beneath the deck. Not too long after, Matthias Trauenstein had sat down next to her with a big fat grin on his face. He looked at her a long time, scooting closer and sweeping one finger above her breast. She wanted to slide away as she held her breath and closed her eyes, expecting him to beat her at any moment. But he was much more interested in playing on her fears, telling her over and over again the kind of pain she’d have to endure. He didn’t lay a hand on her; instead, he stood up suddenly and left. The next day, they waited until it was dark before they got off the boat and switched to horses, leaving Emmerich under the cover of night.

Madlen had overheard the men talking about how the others probably had a good start by now. Now there was no danger of running into them on the way. Matthias walked the horse slowly; there was no reason to rush. He had thought of everything. He would be the one who determined when Madlen arrived in Heidelberg. He could take all the time in the world to instill fear into every cell of her body and break her will. How he regretted not being able to touch her. But that would be a mistake. He had to bring her back to Heidelberg safely, to show that he was a man of noble character. It had taken all his willpower not to take her right there on the boat, especially after seeing how frightened and helpless she was. He’d almost broken down at the sight of her shapely breasts. But he had the Heidelberg council seat on his mind. Now they wouldn’t be able to deny him his rightful place on the council. This little slut had caused him enough trouble. He had to break this woman; she had to obey. That’s just the way it was. After all, only Adelhaid had ever rebelled against him; her last miscarriage had taken a heavier toll on her than he’d expected. In any case, the dispute between the Swabian League and the Bavarian dukes was going to last a while longer. He could use this time to take Madlen to trial, win and restore his somewhat tainted reputation, and finally get the respect he sought from those old goats on the city council.

He looked down at Madlen scornfully as she cowered on the forest floor. It was a pitiful sight, and Matthias thought again about what a pleasure it would be to have his way with her. She would probably lose the bastard she carried in her womb. Most people probably couldn’t tell she was pregnant; he couldn’t say how far along she was. But there was something growing in her belly. He could do something to change that. Matthias didn’t want to take the risk that the court would have pity on her because of the little bastard inside her. He’d been surprised when he noticed her condition, because he’d thought that she was the kind of woman who would marry before giving herself to a man. Above all, Matthias wondered who the father was. He tried to get an answer, but she wouldn’t say a word. He thought about punching her in the abdomen. She’d probably lose the child and the injuries could be hidden under her clothes. But what would happen if somebody examined her in Heidelberg and found bruises? No, then the whole venture would have been in vain.

Madlen’s only thought was to protect her child at any price. She’d seen his maniacal look when she refused to name the father of her child. He had stared at her belly, his face distorted with rage; his eyes filled with anger and blind hatred. Madlen had learned what Matthias was capable of when she’d seen Adelhaid’s body. But he held himself back with Madlen. Just in case, Madlen kept herself hunched over, so if he suddenly became enraged, she could protect her belly from his kicks and punches. She’d learned from Clara where the baby lay in its mother’s womb. If she could shield this area enough, she wouldn’t have to worry too much about her child.