It wasn’t just Priest Lomvi who came out of the wagon; he had Herr Disen in tow this time as well. Jenny’s mouth went dry. Why was he here? Did she need a solicitor? The thought was dizzying, and she gripped the armrest of the chair.
“I hadn’t been expecting to see Herr Disen,” Rakel said. “I suppose he’s here to talk about Svartangen Farm with Father.” Jenny loosened her grip around the armrest and the dizziness faded away. Of course. Herr Disen wasn’t there because of her. Still, her heart kept pounding in her chest as Rakel helped her into her dress and they went down to meet the two men.
Inga had shown the guests into the living room, where they were waiting by the sofa.
“Dear Frøken Hoem! Are you already out of bed?” the priest said enthusiastically, dabbing at his forehead as he smiled broadly. His kind eyes shone warmly.
“I’m feeling much better,” she replied. “Rakel is taking good care of me.”
“I’m happy to hear that,” he responded. “But I think it’s best that you sit down.”
He took her by the arm and carefully guided her over to the sofa. She settled down and Herr Lomvi sat in the chair beside her, keeping a concerned eye on her the whole time.
Rakel and Herr Disen exchanged greetings by the door before they also sat down – Herr Disen in the chair on the other side of the table and Rakel beside Jenny on the sofa.
“I’m surprised to see you today, Herr Disen,” Rakel said. “Do you have an appointment with my father?”
“I do,” he replied. “But I came first and foremost to see if I can help Frøken Hoem in any way.”
Inga came in with a tray of gingersnaps, mugs and a jug of coffee. There were also lumps of sugar and milk in a small carafe. After that, there was just talk of coffee and gingersnaps, and Jenny squirmed impatiently.
“Have you gotten a response from Grocer Ludvigsen, Herr Lomvi?” she asked when the priest took a breath in the middle of praising the cookies. She knew it was impolite, but she couldn’t bear to wait any longer. Luckily, it didn’t seem like he was offended. He smiled before his face grew serious.
“I received a letter from his wife saying he couldn’t meet. That’s unfortunate, but we won’t give up.”
The disappointment burned in Jenny’s chest at his words. She’d been hoping for at least some kind of clarification one way or another. Instead, she was left in the same position as before.
The priest cleared his throat.
“I understand you’re disappointed,” he said. “I am, too. It seems the man is impossible to get hold of. I’ve asked for help from colleagues in Tønsberg, but it’s hopeless. Now I’ve run out of ideas, but perhaps we can quite simply show up in front of the grocer’s residence and demand a meeting?”
“There’s no use,” Jenny replied. “The whole villa is fenced in, and he has a guard at the gate who doesn’t let anyone in without an invitation.”
“Does that mean we aren’t getting anywhere?” Rakel asked, glancing at Herr Disen. “Can’t we use the law to force him to speak with us?”
“Not as far as I know,” Herr Disen replied. “But there might still be another possibility. You say you’ve spoken with your colleagues, Herr Lomvi. Understandably enough, none of them tends to have contact with a man like Grocer Ludvigsen. But I have different contacts than you,” he continued. “When I worked as a solicitor in Christiania, I had a client of the more dubious kind. He was rich and powerful – a bit like the grocer – and I know he had business in Tønsberg. Chances are high that the two know each other.”
“Can you get help from him?” Rakel asked.
“I think so,” he replied. “I’ll write a letter and ask. But you must be prepared to wait a while longer, Frøken Hoem.” His brown eyes looked at her compassionately. Jenny was disappointed, but also grateful. She was lucky to have so many people who wanted to help her.
“Thank you, Herr Disen. I truly appreciate your offer.”
“It’s my pleasure,” he replied, and Jenny had to smile. He was talking to her, but he was still mostly looking at Rakel, and Rakel was flowering under his gaze. It didn’t take long before Jenny heard Herr Disen ask Rakel if they should take a walk in the nice weather.
“Yes, I suppose we can do that,” Rakel said, looking over at Jenny. “What about you, Jenny? Do you want some fresh air?”
Jenny shook her head.
“No, thank you, but the two of you should go on a walk. I have something I want to discuss with Herr Lomvi.” She noticed Rakel hesitating before she nodded and stood up from the sofa. Herr Disen, on the other hand, looked pleased as he followed Rakel out of the living room.
As soon as they’d left, Jenny turned her attention to Herr Lomvi.
“How are my brothers doing? They’re healthy, I hope?”
“Yes,” he replied, dabbing his forehead with a napkin. “They are all in perfect health.”
“And Trygve?” she asked since she was the most worried about him. “I suppose he hasn’t started speaking yet?”
“No, not yet,” he said. “I’ve considered asking a doctor at the naval hospital if he can be examined.”
“Oh, will you?” she asked happily. “It worries me that he doesn’t speak. I’ve heard that some children start late, but he’s never even said a single word.”
“We’ll hope the doctor figures it out,” he said, smiling.
“Thank you, Herr Lomvi,” Jenny said. “You’ve really taken care of my family, just like you promised you would.”
“It’s the least I could do,” he said, looking at her warmly. “You’re a part of my congregation and you needed help. I wanted to do it for you, Frøken Hoem, for I admire your willingness to make the most out of a difficult situation. I must repeat how distraught I was when my sister acted as she did. It’s unforgivable. All I wanted was to protect you and instead I put you in danger. I can never forgive myself for that.”
“I don’t blame you,” Jenny replied. “You’re not like your sister at all. I trust you, and I know you’d never do me any harm.”
She took his hand and squeezed it tenderly. He looked down at her hand and laughed quietly.
“You have a special place in my heart,” he replied. “I could never do you any harm.” He smiled awkwardly and dabbed himself with the napkin again.
“Shall I open a window, Herr Lomvi?” she asked.
“What?” He looked at her, confused, but then thought for a moment before he replied in a bit of a daze. “Oh no, that isn’t necessary.” His eyes went a bit glassy, and Jenny grew more concerned.
“I’m still going to,” she said. “It’s stuffy in here.”
She went over to the window and opened it. When she turned back around, Herr Lomvi was looking at her gravely.
“I’m very happy to see you again, Frøken Lomvi,” he added quickly. “You have a special place in many people’s hearts, not just mine.”
Jenny’s cheeks grew warm. Was he talking about Lieutenant Bakke?
“That’s nice of you to say,” she replied, looking down.
Herr Lomvi laughed again and dried his palms on his pants. Poor thing, Jenny thought. It seemed like this summer heat was really taking a toll on him.
“Just a moment,” she said. “I’ll go fetch Inga and ask if we can have a jug of water. I’ll be right back.”
She hurried into the kitchen, but Inga wasn’t there, so Jenny found a jug in the cabinet. There was a bucket of cold water from the well on the counter and she found a ladle and filled the jug. It took some time since she could only use one arm, and she felt terribly helpless. As she was working, she glanced out the window. She saw Rakel and Herr Disen down by the carriage house. They walked inside but didn’t close the door behind them.
Jenny hung the ladle in its place on the wall, then took the jug back into the living room. Her Lomvi hastened towards her and took it from her hand.
“My dear,” he said breathlessly. “You shouldn’t be carrying something so heavy.”
“It’s not that heavy,” she protested. “Just a little awkward since I can only use one arm.”
Then her attention was drawn towards something else. Through the window, she saw Bergan walking across the yard – and he was hurrying straight towards the carriage house.