Hiddensee by Gregory Maguire

Author:Gregory Maguire
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2017-10-31T04:00:00+00:00

54.

Then Nastaran took him to the small office with the dusty drapes and Pfeiffer’s bookkeeping ledgers. She opened a locked drawer and withdrew from a sack of pounded grey leather a healthy fistful of coins. She sorted out a few gulden and a scraping of florins. She wrapped them in a cloth and handed the parcel to Dirk. He wondered if he was being asked to find other employment.

“You need to take the boys to visit their uncle in Oberteuringen,” she told him.

“I haven’t heard about that from Herr Pfeiffer,” he replied.

“At this time of year, their father usually does it, but”—she looked about with a studied theatricality he hadn’t seen before in her, as if to suggest she was just noticing—“he isn’t here.” She shrugged. “If we wait till he bothers to recover and then to return, the snow may come and the chance disappear. Their uncle is expecting his nephews, and I have written to say you will arrive with them within the week.”

Dirk hadn’t been made head of household in absentia. He had no authority to protest. Nonetheless, he raised what few objections he could come up with.

“Herr Pfeiffer wanted me to stay and keep watch on—” But he wasn’t sure how to finish the sentence respectfully.

“On the household,” she answered for him. “But with the boys out of the house, no harm can come to them.”

“You pace in your sleep,” he said forthrightly. “You could come to harm.”

“Their father can make the trip there and back in one day if he starts early. It isn’t far. Though usually he spends the night with his brother. In any case, I shall ask the laundry maid to stay the night here.”

“But—” He was sputtery. “I was told you never wanted another female overnight in the house—”

“Not while Gerwig is home, of course not. Unseemly. But if the house is empty of men, that caution is lifted. You weren’t hired to defy me, Dirk.”

One more try. “I couldn’t find that place on my own. You forget I’m not from around here.”

She stood and closed the drawer with her hip. It was a violent gesture. “I already asked your friend, that fellow who took us to see the dream doctor, if he had time to accompany you. It seems he is taking a term off from his studies. He has told me he is more than willing to make the trip with you.”

“When did you see him?” Dirk found himself feeling outraged.

“I sent a note to that Doktor, who must have sent it on to the Gasthof zum Bären, where the young scholar is staying. Right in the Marktplatz. He came to visit me at my request yesterday when you were out with the boys.”

Dirk could hardly think of what to say. She hadn’t spoken to Dirk for the first ten days of his residency in her home, and now she was inviting Felix Stahlbaum to call on her when her husband was away and her family otherwise engaged? This was novelty indeed, this was alarming.

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