The Wandering Harlot (The Marie Series) Read Free Page A

never be happy with Rupert, but it wasn’t within his power to save her from her fate. Sadly he turned around and left without saying good-bye. In the yard he dropped the coin on the ground in disgust.

II.
    Master Matthis was feeling good about himself. Nodding proudly, he eyed his friends and guests. His two friends and business partners, the cooper Jörg Wölfling and the linen weaver Gero Linner, couldn’t take their eyes off his future son-in-law, Counselor Rupert Splendidus, a respectable and mannerly man who knew how to behave in the presence of older and wiser people. Mombert Flühi also admired Rupert and didn’t bother hiding how jealous he was of his brother-in-law’s good fortune.
    Rupert Splendidus appeared neither arrogant nor excessively proud, but behaved quite modestly despite his high standing. His clothing was made of good material but was not flashy or faddish like that of most young people. His overcoat hanging on a hook by the door was of the finest brown wool, and his gray jacket was simple. His forest-green trousers fit tightly but were not offensively loud or garish like the trousers worn by other men from the better families.
    Indeed, in many respects Counselor Rupert was a man after Master Matthis’s own heart. Considered quite young for a scholar at the tender age of twenty-four, he nevertheless was already one of the advisers to Constance’s bishop, Otto von Hachberg. Most of the time, however, he was traveling on behalf of his father, Count Heinrich von Keilburg, one of the most influential men in the area and subject only to the kaiser. Master Matthis had seen the count only once, but he knew exactly which Rhine and Danube estates the man owned in addition to his ancestral castle in the Black Forest. Yet the difference in their social standings did not seem to trouble Master Matthis. As the bastard son of a servant woman, the counselor could not expect an inheritance, and all of the family possessions would instead be passed on to Konrad, the count’s legitimate son. The situation created the perfect opportunity for the union of the counselor and Master Matthis’s daughter.
    Master Matthis’s personal wealth made him feel pleasantly secure. In addition to his father’s house in Constance, he owned an equally impressive estate in Meersburg, as well as some of the best vineyards on the lake’s north shore and an excellent winery. His international trade had amassed him even more of a fortune.
    His great wealth was evident in his home. As was commonplace in leading families’ homes, dark wood paneled the walls, and the ceilings were brightly painted. A large table imported from Italy stood in his favorite room, where he regularly entertained his friends. It had elegantly wrought legs and a top inlaid with silver plates where elegant goblets stood ready to welcome his guests. The windows were hung with embroidered brocade curtains carefully selected to blend with the arched, yellow bull’s-eye windowpanes.
    Matthis Schärer raised his goblet again and toasted his guests. In contrast to the others, Rupert only sipped his drink. Though afternoon had not yet given way to evening, he could see how much Master Matthis had already imbibed, further evidence of the man’s pleasures of good wine. His broad, somewhat uncouth face was flushed above his corpulent figure, and his astute gray eyes that usually searched for every business advantage were now dull and bloodshot.
    Rupert’s smile broadened as he handed Master Matthis two large parchment sheets full of writing. “I’ve prepared the contracts just as you wished, Father-in-law. Please make sure everything is proper.”
    Master Matthis admired the counselor’s straightforward approach to his upcoming marriage, feeling that he could safely entrust his daughter and his wealth to such a man. Picking up the parchment, he read it through carefully and was not disappointed. Rupert had stuck to their verbal agreements almost word for word. He