The Keeping of Lena Ch. 01

After a couple of hours of shopping, Dot was in need of another nap. They stopped in a small hotel, where Lena and Ava waited in an elegant restaurant as Greta accompanied Dot to a suite, while Hans returned to Schloss Wolfenbarger with the packages that Ava had already purchased that day.

"I haven't seen you purchase anything yet, Lena. Do you need money?" Ava asked. Lena shook her head, somewhat taken aback by the generous offer.

"No, Renz gave me some...I just don't know what I'm supposed to buy," Lena replied quietly. If she had been talking to anyone else, Lena would have felt extremely embarrassed.

But Ava had quickly managed to make her feel very comfortable.

"Don't think of shopping as utility. Think of it as pleasure. Surely there are things you've found pretty today," Ava suggested. Lena shrugged her shoulders.

"I've never done...anything like this before," Lena confessed. Ava smiled sympathetically and gently stroked her shoulder.

"Why don't you take a walk. Stop in any shops that appear interesting to you. And remember, anything you see, you can have. That's the privilege of being a Wolfenbarger," Ava said playfully.

Even though Lena knew she technically wasn't a Wolfenbarger, the suggestion was still encouraging.

"You're not coming?" Lena asked. Ava slightly fanned herself and placed a gentle hand on her belly.

"I think I may rest with Odette for a while. You'll be all right though, surely? We can meet back here in half an hour's time," Ava suggested.

"Is there anything I can get for you?" Lena asked, suddenly growing concerned. Ava shook her head and smiled, and Lena noticed that she really was starting to appear weak and somewhat tired. Perhaps their outing had been a poor idea after all.

"You'll understand the need to rest from time to time once your belly swells with your first babe. Now go! Enjoy yourself. Spend all of your soon to be husband's money," Ava said sweetly.

******

Lena tried to follow Ava's advice as she explored the luxurious little shops in the town on her own. She kept on the main road, so as not to lose sight of the hotel where Ava and Odette were resting.

Lena stopped into a spice shop, and purchased some dried flowers and other aromatic herbs. She knew she could use them to make fragrant soaps and oils, perhaps even as a gift for Ava, and she was excited to have finally found something to spend money on.

But the total purchase price was nothing more than a negligible fraction of the amount Renz had given her that morning, and Lena sighed in frustration, feeling even more like she was attempting to fulfill a role that didn't quite fit who she truly was.

"A mark please Fräulein? I am poor," a child suddenly said, speaking with an accent she couldn't place.

Lena looked down at the little speaker, a young boy of perhaps five or six. He was a beautiful child, with black hair and eyes, and deep olive skin. Lena felt her heart breaking at the sight of his thin, sickly frame covered in ill-fitting, torn clothes.

"Of course, here you are," Lena replied, reaching into her silk purse to hand the boy several bank notes. Lena noticed the boy's eyes widen as he stared at the money she'd just handed him.

She realized then that this was the best thing to spend money on. Nothing she could purchase from any shop could compare to the joy that filled her heart in reaction to the sudden hopefulness in the child's otherwise despairing face.

Lena knelt down so that she was nearly eye level with the child.

"Would you like me to buy you some food or clothing? Are you lost?" Lena asked softly. The boy shook his head.

"Grandmother is very ill. I will use this money to buy her medicine," he said.

"If there is anything else you need, don't be scared to ask. I was poor once too," Lena said gently.

The boy suddenly flung his arms around her shoulders, clinging to her gown almost desperately.

"Please take me to grandmother," he said, and it was then that Lena realized he was crying.

"There's no need to feel sad. We'll use this money to buy her medicine and she will be well again. Where is she?" Lena asked softly.

The boy removed his arms from around her shoulders and wiped his teary face with his torn sleeve.

"Down here. Not very far," he said, pointing towards the end of the main road.

Lena wondered if she should return to the hotel to tell Ava where she was headed, but she decided against it. Surely the boy's grandmother wasn't too far away. He certainly couldn't have made it very far by himself considering his small size and clear hunger.

Before turning off the main road, they stopped at a small market, where Lena purchased as many loaves, fruits, and fresh meats as she could carry. She also purchased a new pair of shoes and a few wooden toys for the boy, who began jovially skipping in front of her as she followed him away from the shopping district.

"Is your grandmother close by?" Lena asked. Her arms were growing slightly tired from carrying the packages, but what was really becoming uncomfortable was the growing feeling of unease she experienced the further they walked.

Lena noticed that the shops were gone, replaced by not quite buildings or homes, but smaller, canvas covered, wagon-like huts. There seemed to be a sense of poverty and desperation that Lena hadn't noticed a mere fifteen minutes' walk away.

The unease increased when Lena noticed that many of the people in this part of town were staring at her. They didn't appear malicious, necessarily, but the overt gazes were beginning to make her uncomfortable.

Lena quickly shook the thoughts away. Despite all of Renz's wealth and splendor, she would not allow herself to forget where she'd come from. She'd lived for over a month in a dilapidated flat much like where these people were living. Their poverty and curious gazes did not make them bad people, and Lena vowed that she would find a way to help them.

She peeked above the packages once she realized that she could no longer hear the boy skipping and singing. To her surprise, he was nowhere to be found.

She considered calling for him, but she realized that she'd never asked for his name. Not knowing what else to do, Lena sat the packages down and began searching for him on foot, timidly smiling at the scrutiny she was hit with by the residents of this small area.

A familiar chill began to travel up her spine when Lena's steps slowed, and she realized that she was being followed. She tentatively turned around, and felt immediately paralyzed with fear when she saw three large men staring down at her with threatening smiles that reminded her strongly of the depraved men she'd encountered when she'd been thrown in the brothel.

******

******

"I truly appreciate your hospitality, Herr Wolfenbarger."

Renz tried to calm his nerves as he nodded politely to the man, Viktor Weisz, a former royal army officer whose penchant for wealth and violence had led to his dismissal from the force. His skills were impeccable, for he was the kind of man capable of performing the dark tasks that needed to be done subversive of the law. Viktor was quick, discreet, and efficient. And most importantly, he didn't ask too many questions.

But Renz knew he needed to tread carefully with a man like Viktor. He was a man whose only loyalty was money. As long as Renz provided plenty of it, he could consider Weisz a friend.

But if ever an adversary offered but a mark more, without giving him an opportunity to surpass it, Renz knew that Weisz would quickly become a threat. He was a dangerous weapon, a loose cannon, who could be used as a means to a good end, or an immediate evil.

"Always for a friend, Viktor. I apologize for calling on you with so little notice," Renz said.

Renz eyed Viktor as he paced around the library, pausing on particularly rare and expensive pieces of art.

"I'm surprised to hear from you so soon after your last...request," he said.

He was referring to the hush work he'd asked Viktor to do for him in München. While he knew justice should be on his side for the death of his brother, Renz had no interest in dealing with any formal legal repercussions of his actions involved in saving Lena's life. He'd tasked Viktor with identifying and silencing as many witnesses, immediate and proxy, to the event as possible. Renz had instructed him not to be violent with anyone, and to use only bribery, and threats, when absolutely necessary.

But Viktor never reported precisely how he got his jobs done. All he reported was his guarantee.

"I'm prepared to offer you three times your standard rate. With an additional incentive if you'd be willing to offer a bit more...detail, about your findings regarding the task I'm going to assign to you," Renz explained.

Viktor stopped pacing and stood directly in front of Renz, like a trained soldier ready to kill.

"Whatever you need," he said briskly, with a quick nod. This was the closet thing to a formal acceptance of a task Viktor ever provided.

"I need you to follow my former wife. Ilise Genevieve Schade Wolfenbarger. I thought she'd traveled west years ago, but she's returned and she's taken a peculiar interest in my fiancée. I need to know what she is planning," Renz explained. Viktor nodded again.

"Do you want me to make contact? Or remain covert?" Viktor asked.

"Remain covert. I do not want her aware that she is being watched," Renz replied.

"Her last whereabouts?" Viktor asked. Renz paused momentarily.

"Likely very nearby. She was here just last night. She has a fondness for luxury, so you may try the finer hotels in nearby cities," Renz said.

He extended a photograph of Ilise to Viktor.

"And she's thirty-six now, correct?" Viktor asked. Renz nodded.

"Yes. Red hair, green eyes. About so tall," Renz said, motioning just above his shoulder.

"How often do you want me to report once I find her?" Viktor asked, tucking the photograph into his pocket. Renz smiled slightly. He was impressed by Viktor's confidence, and relieved that Lena would be protected from the immediate threat of his former wife. He'd be able to predict whatever Ilise was planning, as long as Viktor remained two steps ahead of her.

"Weekly, at least. And if you find something...interesting, more often as necessary," Renz instructed.

******

******

She couldn't believe it was happening again.

Lena folded her arms in front of her body, absently curling herself towards her center as the men approached her. She was trembling in fear, struggling desperately to muster up the courage to scream.

But Lena was too afraid to even utter a peep.

As the men came closer, saying something in a language she didn't understand, Lena's thoughts immediately went to the brothel.

She flinched at the memory of Ludovic, stripping her and beating her with an iron chain until she'd vomited from the overwhelming pain. She wondered if these men were planning on doing something similar to her, or worse. Sickness began to build in her throat at the thought, and Lena knew that she only had a few moments before her fear would render her completely helpless.

She shook her head furiously, in an attempt to keep the rapidly developing fear at bay, for the time being. She had no idea how she would escape these men, but she was certain she would never, ever allow anyone to do to her what Ludovic had.

But in order to do that, Lena needed to remain as calm as possible.

"Let me pass," Lena said firmly, trying her hardest to keep her voice even.

"For a fee. What do you have in that purse of yours?" one of the men asked.

Lena exhaled slightly, hoping they were merely thieves. If it was only material possessions they wanted, Lena knew she could remain calm.

Without hesitation, Lena opened her silk pouch and emptied it of all of its contents, extending the money to the speaker. She watched as he began counting the banknotes, muttering something indistinguishable to the other two men.

"Is the fee sufficient?" Lena asked, beginning to back away from the men.

"That purse looks expensive as well," the shortest man said. His accent was even heavier than the first speaker, and Lena struggled to fully understand him.

She tossed him the purse, taking the gesture as an opportunity to take another step backwards.

"And those clothes are nice as well," the first man said, looking up from the banknotes. Lena felt her stomach drop.

"Surely a wealthy woman like yourself wouldn't mind parting with those fine silks. We are but beggars," he continued.

He caught her before she could run away, and Lena felt something shift within her. She reacted like a wild animal at the first contact of his greedy hands against her arms, kicking, screaming, and thrashing as the men pulled at her clothes.

She got at least one good kick in, for the smaller man, who'd managed to pull off her silk jacket, suddenly huddled over and clutched his groin in agony. The dominant man slapped her, and Lena responded with a violent pull of her nails against his face, scratching him deeply.

The man pushed her onto the ground and straddled her, and Lena felt a painful pressure begin to fill her ribs. The other man pulled at her skirt and shoes while the man on top of her pulled away her hair pins and bonnet.

Lena thrashed as much as she could, but the heavy weight of the man was beginning to suffocate her. The more she moved, the less she could breathe, and Lena feared she was dangerously close to passing out.

Suddenly there was a loud cracking sound, loud enough to cause her ears to ring.

"Get off of her, now!"

Lena's hope was immediately restored at the sound of Ava's voice, and the men instantly scrambled off of her. She couldn't yet see Ava, for her eyes were fixed on the odd way the three men ran away from the scene clutching their ill-gotten goods.

Lena turned towards Ava's voice, and noticed she was stowing something in her purse.

"Lena dear, I am so sorry, I forgot to warn you about them—"

"None of this is your fault, Ava. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't arrived in time," Lena admitted shakily.

She was left in her chemise, bloomers, and stockings, and Lena crossed her arms in front of herself in embarrassment, even though Ava had seen her in far less just earlier that day.

Ava removed her coat and wrapped it around Lena's shoulders as she helped her to her feet, guiding her back to an open carriage with two horses.

"Where's Dot?" Lena asked curiously.

"Still at the hotel with Greta. I rented this coach to look for you when you didn't return," Ava said, expertly driving the horses in front of her.

Lena was overwhelmed with gratitude and admiration for Ava.

"A poor boy asked me for some money..." Lena began. Ava kept her eyes on the road in front of them, but her gaze was sympathetic.

"He has likely been trained to lead women like you to those...awful men. They're not all bad people, mind you, but poverty...it has a way of eroding what little good is left in a person," Ava explained.

In that moment, Ava had never appeared wiser or more thoughtful, and Lena wondered just what memory or experience Ava was referencing.

She thought about asking, but Ava seemed very deep in thought.

With an odd gesture, Ava gently sat her hand on her purse, and Lena remembered that whatever Ava had been holding, whatever they had seen, is what had caused her attackers to flee.

"I've had to learn how to protect myself...being married to Ludovic," Ava explained.

Lena knew then that Ludovic had been just as cruel, physically, to his wife as he had been to the women he stole for his brothels, and the realization caused a painful tremor of empathy to seize her heart.

This was a brand new side of Ava she hadn't expected to see. With her beauty and poise, Lena never would have guessed that terrible things had happened to her as well.

"I had no idea. I'm so sorry, Ava," Lena said quietly, feeling as if her words were inadequate. In a strange way, it was oddly comforting to hear that, in this horrible way, she and Ava were almost kindred. Perhaps that was why they got on so well, so quickly.

Ava's face softened and that twinkle in her eye returned as she gazed back at Lena.

"No need for all of that, Lena dear. It has all passed now,"Ava replied.

******

It was dark by the time they returned to Schloss Wolfenbarger that night. Despite all of the violence and robbery that had occurred that afternoon, Lena was able to take joy in the fact that she'd still managed to return to the estate with her small wrapped packages from the spice shop.

Lena searched for Renz, desperately craving his strength and comfort. She realized that admitting she loved Renz was also an admission of her need for him, especially in times like this.

She decided against joining Ava and Dot for dinner, for she knew she wasn't very good company. Not only was she shaken up from the events of that afternoon, but she felt an uncomfortable longing for Renz. It reminded her of the feeling she'd suffered with during their time apart, but if possible...it felt even stronger now.

She wasn't sure if it was simply because of how distant he'd been earlier that morning, but Lena felt needy for him, almost desperate for him. So much of their time together had been Renz forcing himself onto her, into her, but now? He was cooly distant, and Lena began wishing for his forcefulness once more.

She was drifting in and out of troubled sleep in the lounge of her suite when she heard the shouting in the hallway.

"Don't you dare go in there you brute! You're going to wake her up!" she heard Ava say in a harsh whisper.

"This is my house, I'll go damn wherever I please!" Renz answered.

She could hear his heavy footsteps coming closer and closer to the doors, and Lena's heart raced in anticipation. It slightly bothered her, how instantly elated she was to hear his voice. Was she so needy for his attention that she'd accept whatever she could from Renz, even if he was angry?

Lena saw the handle to the door slightly turn, but suddenly it was released, almost as if he'd been grabbed.

"You need to calm down, and Lena needs to rest. You can see her once you're behaving rationally again," Ava scolded.

"Damnit, Ava! I trusted you to look after her, and you failed!" Renz said furiously.

Lena gulped fearfully, and the excitement to see Renz was finally overpowered by the fear of seeing him angry.

But she couldn't stay silent while Renz was yelling at Ava, after everything that Ava had done for her.

She was about to stand up, but the doors to the suite suddenly flung open, and Renz stormed inside, fuming as he scanned the room.

"Renz," Lena said quietly. His head snapped towards hers, and Lena shrank against the chaise fearfully. She'd expected his fury to dissipate once he saw that she was all right, but Renz appeared even more upset.

"What are you trying to do to me?" Renz asked. Lena frowned, not understanding what he was referring to.

"I don't—"

"Lena dear, I'm so sorry, he couldn't be stopped," Ava said then, rushing into the room. She sat down on the chaise next to Lena and wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders.

"Why are you two fighting?" Lena asked Ava. Ava sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Renz...holds me responsible for what happened this afternoon," Ava said quietly. Lena looked back at Renz, feeling her own anger beginning to rise at his irrationality.

"Why ever would you blame Ava? I went off on my own. If anyone is at fault, it's me," Lena argued. Renz began pacing angrily around the room.

"You're right, I ought to put a leash on you. Will I ever be able to trust you to be out on your own without the fear of you finding some way to invite danger along as well?" Renz demanded.