“For the moment. I expect my father back any time. He’s gone to the train station to ship barrels of sauerkraut.”
She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t like sauerkraut.”
“You would like our sauerkraut. It’s very good.” I knew she hadn’t come here to pass the time of day. Perhaps she feared telling me Zurca and the others had departed. I was about to ask when she lifted her head and trained her gaze on me. The golden flecks in her dark eyes shone like sparks of amber light.
“Loyco says you must come to our camp right away.”
“Loyco? He has returned?” A sense of relief rushed over me. I would have kept my word to Lalah, but I was relieved to hear that Loyco had come back. I doubted the girl could find happiness in our way of life any more than I could find happiness living as a Gypsy.
“He returned last night. He says it is very important for you to come and I shouldn’t leave until you promise.”
“Nothing bad has happened to him, has it?”
She shook her head. “He is well, but he must see you. Do you promise?”
Impatience laced her words as she shifted from foot to foot. No doubt she was eager to return to her father. “Yes, I promise, though I’m not sure how soon I can leave the store. I’ll try to come later this morning, but if there are a lot of customers, I’ll need to be here.”
“I’ll tell him.”
“Would you like a few pieces of candy, Lalah?”
After a quick examination of the candy jars, she pointed to the peppermint and lemon confections. “Maybe one of each?”
I gave her several pieces of the lemon and peppermint. “I won’t tell Loyco.”
She grinned as she shoved the candy into her pocket. “Come as soon as you can.” She waved and scurried out of the store, her uncombed hair bobbing on her shoulders.
I couldn’t imagine why Loyco wanted to see me, but I doubted he’d send the girl unless he considered the matter urgent. Yet I wondered why he didn’t come himself. He hadn’t hesitated to enter the town on other occasions.
While I waited for my father to return, I debated whether I should tell him I was going to the Gypsy camp. If I told him, I doubted he would give his approval. He might forbid me to leave the store. I considered the alternatives. I could tell him I was going to see Mina or Conrad. And I could do that very thing before heading off to the woods. It wouldn’t be so much a lie as a half-truth. But what if Mina or Conrad came into the store while I was gone? That wouldn’t be so good. My father would know I’d told a lie. Better to tell the truth and hope that he wouldn’t object.
Moments later he returned with the mailbag and tossed it onto the counter. “You can put the mail in the boxes for me?”
“Ja. I can do that, but first we must talk.”
He gestured toward the door. “First I must unload the new shipment of dishes.”
“You ordered more dishes?” I pointed toward the shelf. “We have six full sets of dishes and more in the warehouse. Why did you order more?”
“These are the new style. Two farmers’ wives saw them in the catalog and asked me to order them.”
I stared at him, dumbfounded by the remark. “But did they say they would purchase them?”
“Not outright, but when they see how beautiful they are, I know they will want them.”
I sighed. “Wanting them and having the money to purchase them are two different things. Better had you ordered more lace and embroidery thread. They can better afford the smaller items.”
He waved aside my comment and returned to the train station while I sorted the mail. I’d finished placing the envelopes into the proper slots by the time he returned with the crates. He placed the boxes on the floor and, with the claw end of his hammer, set to work. “Wait till you see.” The wood slat creaked in protest as he loosened it. “Come. You can help me unwrap the dishes.”
I stepped around the counter. “I need to go to the Gypsy camp, Vater.”
My father stopped and looked up at me as though I’d slapped him with a wet dishcloth. “What is this you’re saying? You cannot go there. Why would you want to do such a thing?”
I quickly told him of Lalah’s recent visit. “The girl said it is important or Loyco wouldn’t have sent for me. There is nothing to fear, Vater. They will not hurt me, and you will know where I am. If I am gone too long, you and Conrad can come after me, ja?” I didn’t tell him I’d been to their camp on several occasions and hadn’t been harmed. To reveal that information right now would only delay matters.
Deep creases lined his forehead. “What can the Gypsies want with you? Makes no sense for them to send for you.”
“I won’t know until I go there, Vater. I think it is important. Please give me your permission to go. I shouldn’t be gone very long, and it hasn’t been busy in the store this morning. Oma is doing well, and she’ll be pleased to help you unpack the dishes.”
He glanced over his shoulder. “Where is your grandmother?”
“She went to the parlor to do some mending. Shall I fetch her?”
“Ja, better she is here with me if you are going to be gone from the store. I don’t want her to disappear again.”
“So I have your permission to go?” I almost clapped my hands. Not because I was overly thrilled about going into the Gypsy camp, but because I’d told the truth and my father hadn’t denied my request.
“Ja, you can go, but tell Conrad. Better he knows. If you are gone too long, I won’t want to bring your grandmother with me while I search for you, and I can’t leave her alone in the store.”
I leaned down and pecked a kiss on his cheek. “Thank you, Vater.”
Surprise shone in his eyes as he lifted a finger and touched the spot I’d kissed. “Has been a long time since you gave your Vater a kiss.”
I smiled. “It has been a long time since you gave your daughter a kiss.” I untied my apron and strode toward the door leading to our apartment. “I’ll send Oma to help you; then I’ll be on my way.”
As expected, Oma was delighted to hear she was needed. She scurried around me and pulled a chair beside one of the crates. Lifting one of the plates from the straw packing, she held it at arm’s length and uttered an appreciative “Oooh.”
My father beamed at her. “Pretty, ja?”
“Ja. They are beautiful, George. You should give these to Gretchen for when she and Conrad are married.”
“I do not need a set of dishes, Oma. We eat at home only when we have special guests. If I have company, I can use the dishes that belonged to Mutter.” I kissed her cheek. “I am going on an errand, but I’ll be back soon.” I handed her a cloth to wipe the straw and dust from the dishes as my father unearthed them from the packing.
I waved to my father as Oma set to work wiping the dishes. After a stop at the barbershop to tell Conrad of my plans, I set off for the woods at a near run. Though Conrad hadn’t been pleased with the plan, he didn’t attempt to overrule my father. However, he planned to come after me if I didn’t return in ninety minutes. Though I thought it far too short a time, I didn’t argue. And I didn’t fail to note he was looking at his pocket watch when I departed. If all went smoothly, I would return before the bell rang for the noonday meal.
My breathing was labored by the time I entered the woods, but I didn’t slow my pace until my skirt snagged on the overgrown brush. Thorns pushed through the fabric like sharp tacks intent upon holding me in place. If I didn’t take my time, the calico would tear. I was engrossed in getting the last of the tiny barbs from my skirt when I heard the crackle of branches. I turned as Lalah emerged from a group of pines.
She pushed about a pine branch and stopped beside me. “I thought you weren’t going to come. What took you so long?”
“Right now, what’s taking so long is getting my skirt untangled from this hawthorn bush.” I glanced down at her. “I don’t think it took me very long to get here. I had to wait until my Vater returned from the train station before I could leave. Then I ran the
entire way.”
She gave me a look that said she didn’t quite accept my explanation. “Loyco thought you would come back with me. He is unhappy.”
“Well, I’m sorry he’s unhappy, but I can’t just walk out of the store the minute Loyco sends word. I have duties. I can’t come and go at every whim like a carefree Gypsy.” The glimmer in her eyes faded, and I was certain my words had wounded her. “I’m sorry, Lalah. I have only a little time before I’m expected back at the store. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. Please forgive me.”
She shrugged one shoulder. “It doesn’t matter.” But I knew it did. It mattered a great deal, and I hoped she would forgive me. She removed the final barb from my skirt. When she reached for my hand, I was encouraged and hoped it meant she had forgiven me.
Hand in hand, we approached the camp. Every man, woman, and child turned to stare at us, their dark, piercing eyes boring into my very soul. I had been full of courage when I left the village, but my bravery dissolved as I walked into the camp. Had Lalah not been holding my hand, I would have turned and run. Alija was chanting one of her strange incantations and tossing herbs into the cauldron she seemingly guarded day and night. She pinned me with a dark look.
With every bit of daring I could gather, I willed myself to smile at Alija. Perhaps she wouldn’t detect the fear lurking behind my trembling upturned lips. “Loyco asked that I come.”
She waved her long-handled wooden spoon in the air. “Bah! Loyco has gone soft in the head. First we think he won’t return, and then he appears and is shouting orders to everyone. We should have never come to this place. Nothing but trouble since we arrived.”
“Hold your tongue, woman.” Shoulders squared, Zurca stood as he confronted her. “You are not in charge of where we go or when we leave.”
She pointed her crooked index finger at him. “I might not be in charge, but neither are you.” Her cackling laughter echoed through the wooded camp.
Lalah squeezed my hand. “I’ll go and get Loyco. He is probably sleeping. He was very tired when he returned.”
I clung to her hand. “Be sure you tell him that I must return to the village very soon. If he doesn’t want to come and talk to me now, I must return to town.”
Her hair brushed her shoulders as she bobbed her head. “I will tell him.” She glanced toward the group hovering around the black kettle. “Don’t be afraid of them. They know better than to ignore Loyco’s warnings.”
If that remark had been intended to give me comfort, it missed the mark. In spite of the heat, I shuddered. The minute Lalah dropped my hand and stepped from my side, the angry looks returned. Alija walked toward me, still holding the wooden spoon in one hand. She waved it in front of me. “If trouble comes to us because of you, I will place a terrible spell on your village.”
“What have I done that would bring trouble to any of you?”
“You have played with Loyco’s mind. That’s what you’ve done. No longer does he act like a king of the Gypsies. Instead, he runs off to do your bidding.”
Her angry remarks confused me. “I didn’t ask Loyco to do anything. You are mistaken.”
“Alija!” Loyco appeared from behind one of the wagons. “Get away from her and tend to your cooking. When I need you to interfere, I will tell you.”
She startled like a scared rabbit and scampered back to the fire.
“You. Gretchen.” He motioned for me to come. “Follow me.”
He waited only until I’d taken a few steps before he turned and strode away. Alija glared as I hurried past her and followed after Loyco, but I looked away. Otherwise, I feared I would lose courage. I didn’t want to follow Loyco further into the woods, where Conrad might never find me. “Where are we going?”
He glanced over his shoulder. “No questions. Just follow me.”
I silently weighed the consequences of doing what he said, yet I couldn’t turn back. Something compelled me to follow his orders. Colorful blankets and clothing were draped across the bushes, and some hung from rope that had been strung between the trees. Though the odor defied such an idea, the sight of scattered hanging clothes and blankets gave me hope that these people occasionally laundered their belongings. Canvas had been used to erect makeshift tents, and Loyco stopped near one of them.
He stooped down and pulled aside the canvas. “In here.”
My heart tremored, and I thought I might faint. I didn’t want to go inside that tent. What if he followed me in and pinned me to the ground. My stomach lurched and I feared I might lose my breakfast. “Why?” The question stuck in my throat, but he’d read my lips.
I was certain the fear in my eyes matched the anger that shone in Loyco’s glistening dark eyes. “Because I want you to go inside. It angers me that you do not trust me, Gretchen.” Before I could answer, he sprang from his stooped position and grasped my arm. His fingers pressed into my forearm, and I lurched forward. Once again, he dropped to a crouched position and pulled me down beside him. Using his free hand, he pushed my head down until I was peering directly into the canvas dwelling.
Two eyes shone in the far corner. My fear evaporated as I dropped to my knees and crawled inside.
CHAPTER 29
The girl cowered in the corner of the tent as I crawled toward her. Though the child was dirty and bedraggled, I could see her skin was as fair as my own. I extended my hand. “I am Gretchen. What’s your name?”
“CeeCee.”
I swiveled on my haunches and looked at Loyco, noticing that Lalah had followed us into the tent. “Is this Cecile Lofton?”
“Check her head and see what you think.”
“May I look at your scalp, Cecile?”
“My name is CeeCee. The Gypsies don’t let me use my old name.”
She lowered her head toward me, which I took as agreement. Her hair was as dirty as her clothes. I carefully parted the hair and, with the sun streaking through the open canvas, discovered the dark birthmark that Mr. Lofton had described to me.
I turned to Loyco. “How? Where did you find her? This isn’t possible.”
“Of course it is possible. She is sitting in front of you.”
“But how did you find her? I don’t understand.”
“With Gypsies is not so hard. Word travels, and there are many of us who return to the same region each summer. I stopped at a number of camps and gathered information while I was searching for her.” He shrugged his broad shoulders. “They didn’t want her. They wanted money.”
I stared at him, unable to comprehend the extent of his response. “Then why did they take her?”
He spread his arms and rested a palm on each hip. The full sleeves of his shirt caught the air and reminded me of a soaring eagle’s wings. “I told you. They wanted money. They said they waited a few days to see if the parents would return to the park, but they feared the police might find their camp, so they finally left the area. They would have returned the girl if they’d known where to take her.”
“They could have left her at a police station. Did they ask her if she knew her address?”
He untied his scarf and wiped the perspiration from his face. “I said they didn’t want to keep her. I didn’t say they were fools. I don’t know what they asked her, but they couldn’t walk into town with a screaming girl who isn’t Gypsy, now could they?” He tapped his finger on the side of his head. “Think what you are asking, Gretchen. They would have been lynched from the nearest tree, or shot, or clubbed to death.”
I did recall Mr. Lofton saying they’d been in a park when the girl was taken. After fleeing with Cecile, the Gypsies had likely rushed into the woods, where they wouldn’t be spotted—and probably tied something around the girl’s mouth to quiet her. The thought caused me to shudder. Perhaps Loyco’s explanation made sense to the Gypsies, but it would have been better if they’d turned the girl free in the park. Someone likely would have helped locate her parents. But nothing would change what had happened in the past. The girl had been taken.
>
“I thought Mr. Lofton said there was a story in the newspaper a day or two after Cecile was taken from them. Didn’t the Gypsies see that?”
Loyco rocked back on his heels and laughed. “You think Gypsies read newspapers? If we find old newspapers, we use them to start fires or to wrap our belongings. And you can be sure we never buy them.”
I still didn’t understand why Loyco had taken it upon himself to go find Cecile Lofton. Though his actions were beyond kind and the Loftons would be forever grateful, I wondered if he’d had some other motive. Questions raced through my mind in rapid succession. Was he expecting a huge reward for his return of the girl?
“You are not happy that I found her?”
“Yes, of course I am very pleased, but I’m worried, as well.”
He glowered at me. “Why are you worried? If I bring the girl to you, you can be sure there is no need for fear. I told you those Gypsies did not want her.” He leaned closer. “Since the day they took her, she cries all the time.” He thumped his chest. “Even when she rode on my stallion, with me to protect her, she cried.”
Evidence of tears stained the girl’s dirty face, and I didn’t doubt she’d been crying. I wouldn’t feel safe riding that stallion, either. “All these changes in her life. I wonder if the poor girl will ever be the same.”
“Bah! You worry about everything, Gretchen. A sapling can withstand strong winds pushing and pulling at its roots. If the wind does not yank it from the ground, it grows into a strong tree. Children are the same. This girl hasn’t yet been yanked from the ground, and she has already braved a strong wind in her life. She will be a strong woman.” He glanced at the girl. “Isn’t that right, CeeCee?”
Tears trickled down her cheeks. The girl nodded and swiped them away with the sleeve of her raggedy dress. She scooted closer to me. “He said you were going to take me to my mother and father. Do you really know them? The other Gypsies told me they were dead.”
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