The Golden Braid by Melanie Dickerson

Author:Melanie Dickerson
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Published: 2015-10-01T04:00:00+00:00

Rapunzel had been at Hagenheim Castle for two weeks when Duke Wilhelm decided to give a banquet.

“What is the banquet for?” Rapunzel asked Cook as she prepared apples and plums for the sauce.

“Not what but who,” Cook said. “It’s for Lord Claybrook, a new suitor for Margaretha, the duke’s oldest daughter.”

“I hear he is from England and that he’s very handsome,” Cristobel said.

Claybrook. That was the name Mother had mentioned. The man who had deserted her—she said he had gone to England with a Lord Claybrook.

“Cook, may I help serve the first course?” Cristobel asked.

“No, that’s the job of the pages and squires.”

Cristobel’s face fell, as did the other maidservants’.

“But I suppose, during the main course, if the pages need help, you can help serve.”

Smiles broke out on every face.

The reason her mother wanted to come to Hagenheim was to seek revenge on the man who had wronged her, the man who had just come back from England. What would Mother do now that he was back? Did the man still care for Mother?

The pace of the preparations grew more feverish as the night went on. Rapunzel and her fellow servants continued to work for hours, and always there was more to do, more dishes that Cook wanted them to prepare, more meat, more sauces, more frumenty, more diced-meat-and-fruit pies.

Finally, it was time to start taking the food out to the Great Hall and to the grand feast. The squires and pages lined up to accept the dishes and carry them out. One by one Rapunzel watched them carry the large, full platters. The food never ran out, but neither did the squires. The other maidservants were beginning to frown and grumble to each other. Still, Cook barked orders and they all continued to work.

Suddenly, Rapunzel looked up but did not see Cook. The other servants were whispering excitedly. Cristobel came and leaned over her shoulder. “We’re going to go peek into the Great Hall. Want to come?”

Rapunzel dropped the knife she was using to chop walnuts and followed Cristobel and the other servants. They ran across the walkway to the door that led to the Great Hall. They giggled and whispered. When they reached the door, someone opened it only a crack. “I can’t see!” “Move out of the way!” “Open the door.”

The door was forced open wide, and Rapunzel was pushed from behind until she was standing in the doorway with the others.

She stared, trying to make out the different people sitting at the banqueting tables. Duke Wilhelm and Lady Rose sat on the dais, of course, with the rest of their family members. Duchess Kathryn, Duke Wilhelm’s mother, was not present, as she was very old and sickly and rarely left her chamber anymore. But seated across from Lady Margaretha was someone Rapunzel had not seen before.

“Is that Lord Claybrook? He is handsome.” They all gave their opinions of the new suitor from England.

Lord Claybrook was wearing the most elaborate hat Rapunzel had ever seen. At the moment, he was smirking, his shoulders thrown back, his brows lifted in a most haughty fashion.

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