Rakel stood in front of the sheriff. He looked at her with an exasperated expression, as though she was nothing more than a pain in the neck.
“What do you want?” He sounded resigned. She hadn’t expected him to be so dismissive.
“You know what,” she replied. “How could you tell Father about the deeds? I thought you were the sheriff and that you cared about keeping the peace. You must admit there will be trouble if he tries to throw the Svartangens out?”
“No, but now I’m surprised,” he replied sourly. “Imagine that I once again managed to do something wrong in your eyes!”
“You know that Syver is unhinged,” she said. “If he’s desperate, he can be downright dangerous!”
“Yes, and that’s exactly why I didn’t want you to be his wife,” he replied. “Dammit, Rakel, what is it you want from me? In your eyes, I’m a brutal scoundrel with poor judgement. And yet you ask me for help all the same. And I did help you! You don’t have to marry Syver! But of course you’re not content with the way I did it. Nothing I do is good enough in your eyes, but I’ve had enough,” he continued. “From now on, you can get help from this…” He scowled and glanced over at her father and Herr Disen. “This magnificent and faultless teacher. Or, no – solicitor, it was. His demeanour suits you much better. Farewell, Frøken Ovreid,” he said brusquely and hopped over the stone wall. He swung himself up onto the saddle and galloped away without giving her so much as another glance.
Rakel walked back to the others in a daze. She hadn’t meant to offend him – only to ask if he could tell her father that Syver could be dangerous. He didn’t need to get so angry, did he? She took the bridal crown off and shook her head. It was the first time the sheriff had called her Frøken Ovreid when it was just the two of them. He must be both angry and disappointed. Strangely enough, it hurt.
“Frøken Ovreid?”
She’d been lost in thought and hadn’t noticed someone standing in front of her. Now, she looked up and saw it was Herr Disen. He smiled at her cautiously.
“Herr Disen,” she said, still a bit surprised at seeing him. After she’d responded to his letter explaining that she was engaged to be married, she hadn’t expected to see him – but he’d still shown up at the wedding.
“I just wanted to make sure you’re doing alright,” he said. “Your parents are busy explaining the situation to the guests, and I noticed you’d pulled away a bit. This must be a terrible situation for you,” he continued. “If there’s anything I can do to help, I am at your disposal.”
“Thank you,” she replied. “I think I just need to get back home to Ovreid.”
“Then let me walk you to your carriage,” he said. “You shouldn’t have to walk alone when everyone’s eyes are on you.” His words stung. The consequences of what had just happened hadn’t quite sunk in yet, but she now realised he was right. It was far from just friends and family who’d come to witness the ceremony. A wedding between two of the village’s biggest farms attracted many curious people – even Fru Sørensen and her “court” had stopped by.
Rakel fixed her eyes on the ground and picked up the pace.
“I’d be grateful for that, Herr Disen,” she said, “but I don’t want to take up any more of your time.”
“Please don’t worry about it. I’m going to Ovreid as well,” he replied. “Your father invited me.”
“Yes, I heard that,” she said. “In that case, can I ask you a favour?”
“Anything at all,” he responded with a smile.
“It’s about Syver Svartangen,” she began. “He can be terribly unpredictable, and I’m afraid of what he might do if Father chooses to kick them out of their farm. I’ve seen his bad sides more than once, and the sheriff can attest to his violent temperament.”
“Oh? That doesn’t surprise me,” he replied gravely. “I saw him trying to fight the sheriff.”
“I think he can do even worse than that, too,” she said. “This can end in disaster for all of us. Can you please try to get my father to understand that?”
She saw him hesitate, but then he nodded.
“I will keep that in mind when I advise your father,” he promised.
“Thank you,” she replied with a sigh of relief. Her father would listen to Herr Disen, she thought. “I’m glad you were here today,” she continued. “And that you offered to help my father. I feel confident that you’ll give him good advice. You have sound judgement and are a fair and reasonable man.”
“I’ll do the best I can,” he replied, smiling broadly. They stopped outside the carriage. “I’ll wait outside,” he said, “but you should sit down and rest. In the meantime, I’ll ask your father if there’s anything I can do to help.”
He bowed slightly, turned, and walked slowly back towards her father.
Rakel let out a sigh of relief. It would be good to get away from all these people and their prying eyes. But when she started up the step into the carriage and saw her grandmother was already sitting inside, she changed her mind. Her grandmother would let loose on her as soon as they were alone, and she couldn’t bear that. At the same time, she realised it wouldn’t be much better outside, though, before long, she overheard eager whispering – and it was coming from Fru Sørensen and her friends.
“Didn’t take long before she found something better,” Rakel heard them say, and she understood they were referring to Herr Disen.
“Perhaps he’s the father of the child and not the Svartangen boy?” the widow Sørensen said, glancing over at Rakel. “Or perhaps it was the lieutenant after all?” The women giggled, and Rakel cringed in shame. She wished she could put these vicious gossip queens in their place, but couldn’t find the words. She also knew that no matter what she said, they’d find some way to turn it into something they could gossip about.
All of a sudden, everything felt incredibly difficult. The fear of Syver’s revenge, the argument with the sheriff, the gossip… it all piled up. All of the nerves, despair, and grief she’d been carrying around for the last few weeks flooded through her and brought tears to her eyes. She didn’t know how she’d be able to protect herself from everything that would come in the wake of the cancelled wedding.
“There you are!” Aunt Esther approached Rakel with open arms and gave her a warm hug. “My dear little one,” she said comfortably. “Are you upset?”
“It’s all just a bit much,” Rakel said tearfully, glancing over at the widow. Her aunt followed her gaze and snorted.
“Don’t you mind them,” she said, and Rakel leaned her head against her aunt’s shoulders and let the tears flow.
“I’m so confused, Aunt Esther,” she said quietly. “I should be happy and relieved, but I’m so scared. What’s going to happen now?”
“There will probably be a bit of hubbub over the next few days, but then something else will happen that will capture people’s attention. Don’t worry about them. Instead, think about how lucky you were to get away. You’re free again, my dear!”
“Yes,” she smiled. “I just don’t think I’ve fully grasped it yet.”
“No, of course not!” She held Rakel at arms-length, looked at her tenderly, and brushed away her tears. “You have all the right in the world to feel worried and confused today. Don’t think about it too much. I’m certain that when you wake up tomorrow, all of this will start feeling like an unpleasant memory. And in fifty years, you’ll be staring happily at the man you love while you tell your grandchildren about how you avoided a fate worse than death.”
Rakel smiled.
“Just wait,” her aunt said. “This melancholy will disappear by the end of the day.”
Aunt Esther and Rakel got in the carriage to escape all the curious glances. Rakel was calmer now. She and her aunt didn’t care what her grandmother had to say, either. At first, the old woman contented herself with scowling at Rakel. She sat with her back straight, her chin high and her hands folded in her lap. Her mouth was a tight line and her eyes glittered with suppressed anger. When Rakel and her aunt started talking in low voices, though, she couldn’t hold it back any longer.
“This is all your doing, Rakel,” the old woman muttered. “Do you have any idea what will happen now? We’ll be the laughing stock of the whole village! I can’t show my face after this, and the Ovreid name will be dragged in the dirt forever!”
Rakel felt sick from her grandmother’s words, because she knew there was some truth to them. It was going to be quite unpleasant to see people after this.
“It was Father’s decision,” she replied sullenly. “But I’m not sad he came to his senses.”
“Came to his senses?” Her grandmother was practically growling. “You’re behind this! You’ve twisted the truth to the sheriff and made him lie to your father!”
“I did no such thing!” Rakel replied indignantly. “Besides, it was no lie. The deed was invalid. Svartangen tried to deceive Father.”
“Hmph!” her grandmother snorted and crossed her arms.
“I don’t understand why it’s so important to you that I marry Syver,” Rakel said quietly. “We manage just fine with what we have. We don’t need to merge the farms to survive.”
“You stupid fool!” her grandmother spat. “You don’t understand anything, do you? But you don’t need to, either, since your opinion is worth nothing!”
“Mother,” Aunt Esther intervened. “Rakel has been through enough today. You don’t need to be so hard on her.”
“No, because poor little Rakel is so fragile,” her grandmother replied sourly. “Her feelings must be protected at all costs.” She snorted and glared at Rakel. “I’d never have believed that Halvor could be so weak for you that he’d give up his dreams just to spare your feelings. But I shouldn’t be surprised. He’s never had a backbone.”
Rakel didn’t respond, but turned her gaze out the window. Her grandmother had hit a nerve, and Rakel didn’t want to let her see that. Her father hadn’t given up his dreams to spare her feelings; there was another reason for that, and it was best if her grandmother didn’t know about it right away.
Her mother climbed into the carriage and sat beside Rakel.
“Father and Herr Disen are with Peder in the other carriage,” she said. “They’ve already left.”
“Were you able to notify all the guests?” Aunt Esther asked.
“Yes, everyone has been informed,” her mother replied tearfully. She took Rakel’s hand and gave her a weak smile. It didn’t reach her eyes, though, which were shining with tears. “I’m so sorry, Rakel. This was supposed to be your big day, and now it’s been ruined.”
“She ruined it herself,” her grandmother said coldly. “She and my hopeless son. And now we all have to bear the consequences. It’s not going to be easy to be an Ovreid in the days to come!
Jenny was deeply distressed. It wasn’t difficult to understand what had happened: the group of boys had stolen the key to the money box. While she was helping the little boy, they’d slipped into the grocery unnoticed and taken all the money.
What should she do now? Frøken Lomvi had entrusted her with the key, and she’d let her down. Jenny lay across the counter for a long time, sobbing, but then a thought began to take shape. She looked over at the puddle where she’d helped the little boy. He knew who the attackers were.
She went to the front door and hung up the sign saying they were closed. Then she locked the door and went up the stairs to the second floor.
Jenny knocked on the door before going in. Frøken Lomvi was sitting by the large window facing the courtyard. She had a pair of glasses on her nose and a bible in her lap. A small glass of liqueur and an empty plate were beside her.
“Yes?” she said. “What are you doing here? Why aren’t you manning the store?”
“Because something has… happened,” she stammered. “Something terrible.”
Frøken Lomvi slammed the bible shut.
“Does it have to do with the little boy who was being bullied?” she asked.
“Did you see that?” Jenny asked, shocked.
“Yes, of course. Do you think I’m blind?” Frøken Lomvi sounded chagrined. “I saw the little scene and that you ran out to help.”
“Then perhaps you also saw…” she began eagerly, but then she bit her lower lip and fell silent.
“Saw what?” Frøken Lomvi said, putting the bible and her glasses on the table. “What are you not telling me?”
“I’m so very sorry,” Jenny said, choking back tears. “I was so preoccupied with the little boy and, in the meantime, one of the older boys must have… I don’t exactly know how — ”
“Pull yourself together,” Frøken Lomvi interrupted sharply. “What are you going on about? Are you not a grown woman?”
“Yes,” Jenny replied shamefully. “I’ll explain myself.” She cleared her throat. “When I ran out to help the little boy, one of the other boys ran at me. I don’t know how, but somehow he must have gotten hold of the key to the money box.”
She held her breath as she waited for Frøken Lomvi’s reaction.
There was complete silence in the small room. Jenny didn’t dare look at Frøken Lomvi and stared stiffly down at the worn wooden floor instead.
“And?” Frøken Lomvi said after some time.
“When I came in, the money was gone,” Jenny said. “I’m so sorry! I’ll do everything I can to pay you back, I promise!”
“Are you saying that the boys stole the money from the money box?”
“Yes,” Jenny replied quickly. “But I think I know how we can get it back. The little boy told me where he lived, and he knows who the other boys are. I just need to speak with him and I’ll find out what I need to get the money back. Please, let me fix this.”
Frøken Lomvi squeezed her eyes shut and thought. Then she nodded quickly.
“You get one chance. You have exactly one hour to find the money.”
“Thank you, Frøken Lomvi,” she replied, relieved. “You won’t regret it,” she said and ran towards the stairs.
Jenny sprinted over the road and into the forest. This was the direction the boy had pointed. Now she just had to find him. But what if he didn’t want to give up the bigger boys? She shuddered. No, she couldn’t think that way. This would work out somehow.
She couldn’t run when she entered the forest because it was so hilly, but walked as quickly as she could, all the while scouting around her and hoping to see a house or an open space – but the only thing to be seen was the densely-packed spruce trees.
A twig scratched her beneath one eye. It stung like mad, and tears started to flow, but she continued on. We live right over there in the woods on the other side of the road, the little boy had said. But she saw nothing. Don’t give up, she told herself, gritting her teeth. It must be here.
Finally, she saw something: a clearing behind the trees. It had to be the little boy’s house! She ducked under some thick branches and stepped out of the darkness of the forest and into the light. Then she stopped abruptly. There was nothing but a precipice that ended somewhere far below her feet. The boy had tricked her. He didn’t live in the forest at all.