The Captive Maiden Read Online Free PDF Page B

everything he had said, envision every detail of his face, and recall the way he paid attention to his horses, which somehow reminded her of how she’d felt about her father. Valten had even noticed Sieger’s special reaction to her, how he had remembered her. Perhaps he —
    “Gisela!” Evfemia yelled through the open window.
    She saved the memories for later and went inside the house.
    Evfemia met her in the great room. “I suppose you’re goingto turn out like most serving girls—lewd and brazen and offering yourself to men.”
    “You suppose wrong.” Gisela crossed her arms, facing her stepmother.
    “I don’t like your tone.” Evfemia infused her words with an icy chill. “In fact, I don’t like the way you’re looking at me, as if this was your house.” Her voice went from low and icy to loud and screechy. “I am mistress of this house. Everything here belongs to me. You belong to me.” She strode toward Gisela and didn’t stop until she was able to reach out and grab her.
    Evfemia pinched Gisela’s chin between her thumb and forefinger, her thumb digging into her flesh.
    Gisela wrenched away from her.
    “If you are consorting with men,” Evfemia hissed out between clenched teeth, “I’ll throw you out. You’ll never be welcome here again.”
    “Good. I can go wherever I want. You don’t control me.”
    “I’ll tell everyone what you have become.
    Gisela raised her eyebrows. “I don’t care.”
    Evfemia’s eyes flashed and her jaw hardened as she appeared to grind her teeth together. “I never loved your father. I only married him for his money.”
    Gisela looked up at the ceiling, as though infinitely bored. “So you’ve told me before.” Why did her stepmother still try to hurt her with that information? It no longer worked.
    “Who is that man you were with today?”
    “I told you, he is a knight.”
    “What is his name?”
    “He didn’t tell me his name.”
    Evfemia eyed her with suspicion. “Until you tell me who he is, you will scrub the entire house. You’ll start with the floors, then you’ll scrub the walls, then the ceilings. Then you’ll —”
    “I cannot help it if he did not want to be introduced to you.”She relished the fury on Evfemia’s face. How much more furious she would be if she knew it had been Valten, Lord Hamlin, paying special attention to her?
    Evfemia’s face turned red.
    “He’s kind and noble, so you wouldn’t like him.”
    Evfemia’s voice was raspy. “You are never to see him again.” Gisela shrugged, turned around, and started for the stairs.
    Evfemia sputtered, as though she couldn’t decide what to say, “You — go help Miep in the kitchen! And you are not to — go back to town with us ever again! Do you hear me?”
    “Yes, Frau Evfemia.” Gisela started for the kitchen, laughing inside at Evfemia’s impotent rage.
    “Wait! Come here.”
    Gisela stopped and braced herself for whatever poisonous words Evfemia was about to spew.
    “You don’t care about anything, do you?” Evfemia studied her from narrowed eyes. “No, that’s not true, is it?”
    Would she truly take away the one thing Gisela couldn’t pretend she didn’t love? The dread was like a hollowness inside.
    “I intend to sell every one of those horses, do you hear me? I’ll sell them to the butcher, the tanner … and your favorite horse will be the first to go. I believe Kaeleb will make a fine meal for the duke’s falcons, and the leather workers will be able to use his hide to make quite a few bags and harnesses, and several pairs of boots …”
    Heat rose up the back of Gisela’s neck and into her head. She’s bluffing.
    “But if you stay away from this man … I might let you keep your precious horses.” Evfemia clicked her tongue against her teeth. “Although it is so hard to believe a knight would ever be caught talking to you.” She cackled, an ugly but gleeful sound that echoed off the walls.
    Irma came running into the room to see what was