Chapter 14: How the Maid Luise Is Locked in the Stocks

An hour later, the plates and bowls had been washed and the leftovers saved. To Marja’s dismay Ingeburg had rolled up the sleeves of her dress and helped.

“I hate doing embroidery,” she confessed with a shrug, “but it’s all I am allowed to do. It feels good to do something worthwhile.”

Tjark guffawed. “Ingeburg, you have changed for sure.”

“Hey, I always liked to help Aunt Anna if only Mother allowed it.”

“You’re right of course. It’s just difficult to see things from your side. I sometimes hated you, Ingeburg. It shames me, now that I see how you really are, but when Greta always made me clean up after you I hated you.”

Ingeburg stepped up to her half-brother and put her hand on his arm.

“I’m sorry for that and for all the stupid things I did to you and to others. My life has turned out so wonderful and I never really earned it. I meant to ask you this, Tjark: you used to like Luise when she came to play at our house, and now you left Father’s house to avoid her. What did she do?”

Tjark turned beet-red. “I’d rather not speak of her, please,” he said hoarsely before he fled the cabin.

For a moment, Ingeburg stood poised to run after him, but she realised it would do no good. She saw Pelle look at her and sighed.

“I hope I said nothing wrong. I just don’t understand it. He used to bring Luise home after we played and now that Hanke is going to ... Oh, no! Poor Tjark!”

“What of him? Why?” Pelle asked, truly bewildered.

“Cannot you see, Pelle? He left Father’s house not because he cannot stand Luise but because he cannot stand seeing her married to Hanke! He must feel deeply for her, that is why he came to live here with you.”

“Now I understand,” Pelle agreed. “Hunold must know of it. Why else would he agree to help Tjark settle out here? Luise did not like him back?”

“Oh, I always thought she did, but Tjark was not a choice when Luise’s father was looking for a son-in-law. Hanke is. Just like Father would not have thought of you as a husband for me.”

“It must be hard for him,” Pelle mused. “But then, there is nothing we can do.”

“You’re right,” Ingeburg sighed returning to her self-imposed chores.

The afternoon passed quickly for Ingeburg with all the things she and Pelle had to tell each other. Soon it was time for the supper. Tjark only came in shortly before they started and he tried to avoid Ingeburg. She would not allow it though. Standing close to him she hugged him.

“I’m so sorry for you,” she whispered. “You’ll find somebody worthy of you, never worry.”

“That’s not it!” he blurted in an agitated whisper.

“I know, but what can you do? What can anybody do? I know Luise’s father; better than you I guess. He’d set his sight on Hanke before Luise was even grown.”

“That blasted fool who is too stupid to keep his horses out of the ragwort!” Tjark hissed angrily.

Supper was not happy with the storm cloud on Tjark’s forehead. Ingeburg felt self-conscious and leery of displaying her affection for Pelle too openly. When they joined in their bed, Pelle pressed her against himself and whispered in her ear.

“Let us keep still, Ingeburg, lest we add to Tjark’s misery.”

She snuggled close. “It’s enough to feel you with me, my love,” she whispered back. “I have many happy memories of this cabin to sustain me.”

They simply slept, snuggling closely and enjoying the bodily contact. There was no need to rise early either, for no morning mass was to attend. They rose after sunrise and enjoyed Marja’s breakfast before Pelle and Ingeburg mounted the wagon to ride into Lemdalen where Ingeburg would be reunited with the Baron’s train.

On the trail to Lemdalen they sat close, happy for the time alone. Fall was there and the leaf trees were bare, but a pale sun was out and eating up the thin fog. They saw Lemdalen from afar and the small village was buzzing. Upon passing Rudlo’s bloomery they saw that worthy man and greeted him friendly. He was clearly dismayed.

“What is up, my friend?” Pelle asked.

Rudlo cast an uncomfortable look at Ingeburg. “The Baron will open trial over Luise, Bertolf’s daughter.”

“Luise? Whatever did she do?”

Rudlo sighed. “It would seem that she spoke ill of you, Mistress Ingeburg.”

“Rudlo, I beg you, leave off that ‘Mistress’ nonsense. What did she say?”

“I wasn’t there. Margrite, Bartel, and Nithart overheard her. She claimed you ... She said you must bed the Baron to have won his favour.”

The huge man hunched his shoulder waiting for the outburst that he expected. Instead, Ingeburg laughed outright.

“This is so ... so outlandish! I cannot even believe she said it, least of all that anyone would take it for the truth.”

“Yet, the Baron heard of it and now he is angry. He’ll have her in the stocks and whipped for it they say.”

Ingeburg gasped. “Oh mercy! Not over a few stupid words!”

“Oh yes, he is. An hour hence she’ll be shamed and beaten.”

“Oh my! How does Hanke feel?”

Rudlo shook his head. “He renounced her in a heartbeat. Said he could not marry a girl who slanders his sister.”

“Now I’m his sister?” Ingeburg marvelled. “Pelle, I need speak to the Baron and ask for mercy. Will you drive me to the reeve’s manor, please?”

“Of course I’ll do it. It strikes me odd, though, to hear all this. You made up the Sunday after our wedding and she seemed sincere.”

At the reeve’s manor Ingeburg climbed down from the wagon with Pelle’s help and entered the stone building. She found the Baron and his family in the hall and she rushed forward and knelt.

“There you are, Ingeburg. Know you that there is unpleasantness ahead. One of your former friends, Luise, Bertolf’s daughter, spoke of you in a foul way, insulting not only you but also besmirching my own noble name.”

“My Lord, I heard the rumour when we entered Lemdalen, but I cannot believe she did or said that. She’s been my friend since forever and she was ever friendly and mild-spoken. This isn’t like her.”

“Yet, three youngsters, a friend of her among them, swore to it.”

Ingeburg was dazed. “Lord, may I have your leave to speak to her, please?”

“It cannot change anything but do it, Ingeburg. She’s in the cellar.”

Gebhardt led Ingeburg down a narrow spiral staircase. In a barely lit, damp room she found her erstwhile friend standing against a wall, her foot and hand chained. Ingeburg turned to Gebhardt.

“The warders, did they touch her?” she whispered.

Gebhardt shook his head. “The Baron does not allow such things.”

Ingeburg stepped close to Luise. “Luise. I came as soon as I heard. Whatever happened?”

Luise looked at her in stark terror. “Ingeburg, you must believe me! I never said an ugly word about you. Margrite did, all the time. Yesterday we were sitting together when she started it again. I got up then, told her she should stop it. She called me a bad name and I left. Then, an hour later, the soldiers came to our house and brought me here. They’ll cane me and put me on the pillory! Over night! They’ll do all those ugly things to me come the night, like they did the last time with Agneta.”

Ingeburg swallowed. Agneta had called another woman a trollop and the reeve had put her into the stocks over night. After the night fell and the soldiers went to bed, a whole group of young men had their way with her, and she left Lemdalen the next day never to return. The same would happen to Luise no doubt. Unless...

“Luise, look at me. Do you swear by our friendship that you never spoke ill of me or of our Lord?”

“I swear! Ingeburg, cannot you speak to the Lord or to the Lady?”

“Was anybody else present when Margrite and the boys ran their mouth on me?”

Sadly, Luise shook her head. “No, they swear that I slandered you, and there is nobody to help me. My father has washed his hands of me, and Hanke, well of course he stepped back from his promise. I have nobody but you, Ingeburg. I’ll be your servant, I’ll cut wood for Pelle’s kilns, anything! Just don’t let them have their way with me on the pillory.”

“I’ll try, Luise. That’s all I can promise.”

“God bless you, Inge! I swear...”

“Shh, I believe you. There is no way to disprove those slanderers but I shall ask for mercy. I’ll do my best!”

With that Ingeburg left the cell and climbed to the ground floor. In the hall she approached the Baron and knelt before him.

“My Lord, I have spoken to Luise. She maintains she spoke in jest and thought it would be taken in jest. I ask for mercy for Luise and for lenience. Please, don’t have her caned on my behalf and please don’t leave her in the stocks over night. She is a decent girl and the young men would have their way with her and ruin her.”

“You ask for mercy for her, Ingeburg?” the Baron asked incredulously. He could remember Greta as she had a maidservant caned for not calling her ‘Mistress’.

“I do, Lord, with all my heart. If I did right by my Lady these months I ask for nothing but this favour in return.”

“You did right, Ingeburg. The girl sullied my name though. I can spare her the caning or the pillory, but not both.”

Ingeburg thought quickly. Caning would be brutal for the small girl; it would scar her for life and possibly do worse damage. Now if only something could be done to guard Luise during the night...

“I ask you to spare her the caning, my Lord, and I shall pray to God to reward you for your kindness,” she answered.

Baron Sigfrid nodded and rose from the table after kissing his wife’s hand. Ingeburg quickly sat at Lieselotte’s side and whispered urgently into her ear.

“Cannot we somehow protect her against the rape she will surely suffer during the night?”

Lieselotte looked at her companion and was baffled. Never before had she seen the blonde girl in such a state of worry.

“Surely the reeve will be vigilant?” she temporised.

“He’ll be the one to break her maidenhood!” Ingeburg hissed back with anger in her voice. “He’s known for sullying girls under his power.”

Lieselotte raised an eyebrow hearing this. Then she looked at her companion. “I shall speak to the Lady Ermegart.”

Indeed, Lieselotte went to speak to her husband’s mother knowing full well that she was the only person able to sway her son’s will. A while later, the old baroness sent for her son, and when he emerged from his mother’s quarters, he sent for Pelle of all people.

Ingeburg bowed deeply and retreated. Outside, she found Pelle. “The Lord wants you, Pelle, quick!”

Pelle rushed in and in his haste he barely remembered to kneel. The Baron bent forward and whispered into the collier’s ear. The onlookers could hear nothing; they only saw how Pelle nodded.

“Your will be done, my Lord, as best I can,” Pelle replied.

The Baron then looked about. “Markward, my Reeve, I ask you to accompany me to Birkenhain. We had not the pleasure of your presence at my table for months.”

The reeve was conflicted. “Lord, I need to supervise...”

“Think not of it, Markward. Join us! My Keeper of Lemdalen Forest will fill in for you for a few days.”

“Your Keeper, Lord?”

“Yes, I made the Collier my Keeper of Lemdalen Forest. He’s a loyal man, honest and able, and he married my sister. He can make sure that the punishment is served.”

“But, my Lord...”

The Baron’s eyes narrowed a little as he realised the intentions of the man. The Baron had seen that the girl Luise was a pretty lass and it became clear that the reeve wanted his part of her during the night. It was likely him who would be the first to take her whilst she was locked into the stock.