partially open. I stopped for a moment to compose my thoughts. I could see into the room. There were two people there. Elena was sitting in a high-backed chair, but it was Hans she was with, not her father. He was kneeling in front of her, his face flushed crimson, one of her hands held to his lips. Neither of them noticed me.
I took a step back so I could still look into the chamber without its occupants seeing me.
“Have you taken leave of your senses, Hans?” Elena was saying. She tried to pull her hand away, but he wouldn’t let go.
“Nothing would make me happier than if you agreed to become my wife, Elena,” he pleaded. “Please say that you’ll marry me!”
I was about to dash into the chamber to thrash him, but the sincerity in his voice gave me pause. And would Elena want me to interrupt them? I stood there, undecided about what to do.
“I cannot marry you, Hans,” Elena said.
“Why not? I’ll be a master draper one day, just like your father. You’ll never want for anything if you become my bride.”
“Oh, Hans,” she said, her voice softening. “I don’t care about that.”
“Then why won’t you marry me?”
His voice was plaintive and he seemed on the verge of tears. Elena looked at him for a long moment, choosing her words carefully.
“I can never be your wife. I’m sorry, but my heart belongs to another.”
My own heart soared.
Hans dropped her hand and stood up with effort.
“It’s that Jew, isn’t it? He’s turned your head with hishandsome face, his curly hair and his tall carriage!” he cried. “You won’t marry me because of him!”
“Natan has a name,” she responded coolly, rising from the chair. “And why do you dislike him so? He has never done you any harm. Is it because his people are of the Jewish faith?”
Hans pulled himself up straight. There was an unexpected dignity about him that I had never noticed before.
“You do me a disservice, madam,” he said. “I don’t care how the Jew worships his God. I hate him because you chose him over me!”
“I chose no one,” Elena replied in a cold voice, pulling open the curtain at the doorway. I rounded the corner just in time to avoid colliding with her.
“Shh!” I put my finger to her lips. “He’ll be gone in a moment.”
We waited until Hans left the chamber. He turned the other way and didn’t see us. As soon as he was gone, I led her back into the room.
“I heard his proposal,” I told her. “I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t have listened, but I couldn’t help myself.”
“Hans is full of conceit, but his intentions are good. He meant to honor me.”
“Yes, he would look upon bestowing his name on you as an honor. I found the part where he imprisoned your hand most interesting.”
“If you just knew how sweaty his palms are!” She wrinkled her nose in distaste. “His fingers are so stubby, and there is hair growing on their backs.”
I couldn’t help glancing down with satisfaction at my own long, lean fingers.
“I also found it fascinating that you told him your heart belongs to another.” I looked at her innocently. “Tell me, my lady, who does it belong to?”
She danced away from me, giggling. “I’ll let you guess that for yourself, my lord!”
Then she ran out of the chamber so quickly that I couldn’t catch her.
—
I dreamt of her that night. I was in the town square, and suddenly, there she was, walking toward me. I opened my arms wide.
“Elena, come to me!”
She looked at me but hesitated, then broke into a run in the opposite direction, away from me
.
“Where are you going? It’s me, your Natan!”
She didn’t stop
.
When I finally awoke, there were tears in my eyes.
CHAPTER 5
FEBRUARY 1349
A s we left the synagogue, Papa was debating Rabbi Weltner’s Torah lesson with our fellow congregants and Shmuli was running around in the snowy street with his friends, so neither of them noticed when a very dirty urchin bumped against me.
“Hey, watch
I took a step back so I could still look into the chamber without its occupants seeing me.
“Have you taken leave of your senses, Hans?” Elena was saying. She tried to pull her hand away, but he wouldn’t let go.
“Nothing would make me happier than if you agreed to become my wife, Elena,” he pleaded. “Please say that you’ll marry me!”
I was about to dash into the chamber to thrash him, but the sincerity in his voice gave me pause. And would Elena want me to interrupt them? I stood there, undecided about what to do.
“I cannot marry you, Hans,” Elena said.
“Why not? I’ll be a master draper one day, just like your father. You’ll never want for anything if you become my bride.”
“Oh, Hans,” she said, her voice softening. “I don’t care about that.”
“Then why won’t you marry me?”
His voice was plaintive and he seemed on the verge of tears. Elena looked at him for a long moment, choosing her words carefully.
“I can never be your wife. I’m sorry, but my heart belongs to another.”
My own heart soared.
Hans dropped her hand and stood up with effort.
“It’s that Jew, isn’t it? He’s turned your head with hishandsome face, his curly hair and his tall carriage!” he cried. “You won’t marry me because of him!”
“Natan has a name,” she responded coolly, rising from the chair. “And why do you dislike him so? He has never done you any harm. Is it because his people are of the Jewish faith?”
Hans pulled himself up straight. There was an unexpected dignity about him that I had never noticed before.
“You do me a disservice, madam,” he said. “I don’t care how the Jew worships his God. I hate him because you chose him over me!”
“I chose no one,” Elena replied in a cold voice, pulling open the curtain at the doorway. I rounded the corner just in time to avoid colliding with her.
“Shh!” I put my finger to her lips. “He’ll be gone in a moment.”
We waited until Hans left the chamber. He turned the other way and didn’t see us. As soon as he was gone, I led her back into the room.
“I heard his proposal,” I told her. “I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t have listened, but I couldn’t help myself.”
“Hans is full of conceit, but his intentions are good. He meant to honor me.”
“Yes, he would look upon bestowing his name on you as an honor. I found the part where he imprisoned your hand most interesting.”
“If you just knew how sweaty his palms are!” She wrinkled her nose in distaste. “His fingers are so stubby, and there is hair growing on their backs.”
I couldn’t help glancing down with satisfaction at my own long, lean fingers.
“I also found it fascinating that you told him your heart belongs to another.” I looked at her innocently. “Tell me, my lady, who does it belong to?”
She danced away from me, giggling. “I’ll let you guess that for yourself, my lord!”
Then she ran out of the chamber so quickly that I couldn’t catch her.
—
I dreamt of her that night. I was in the town square, and suddenly, there she was, walking toward me. I opened my arms wide.
“Elena, come to me!”
She looked at me but hesitated, then broke into a run in the opposite direction, away from me
.
“Where are you going? It’s me, your Natan!”
She didn’t stop
.
When I finally awoke, there were tears in my eyes.
CHAPTER 5
FEBRUARY 1349
A s we left the synagogue, Papa was debating Rabbi Weltner’s Torah lesson with our fellow congregants and Shmuli was running around in the snowy street with his friends, so neither of them noticed when a very dirty urchin bumped against me.
“Hey, watch
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