Johann
Dieter’s widowed father and a nursemaid travelled from Wolfenberg, bringing three-year-old Johann. Blythe’s apprehension about meeting him melted away; she fell in love with the miniature Dieter as soon as she saw him. The boy was understandably overwhelmed and tired after the journey. He clung to his Großvater Marius, wide-eyed as the adults greeted each other. He laughed when Vormund licked his face, swiping his sleeve across his cheek. Dieter knelt and held his arms out to his son, but it took a gentle push for him to relinquish his grandfather’s leg and go into his father’s welcoming embrace.
Dieter fondled his son’s dark curls. “Don’t you remember me, Johann? I’m your Papa. Vormund is glad to see you too, ja?”
Johann put his arms around Dieter’s neck and hugged his father. “Ja, Papa.”
Blythe’s heart swelled at the love evident on Dieter’s face.
He set Johann back on his feet and put his hands on the boy’s shoulders. “Lady Blythe Lacey FitzRam, may I present my only son, Johann Dieter Marius von Wolfenberg.”
She wished Dieter had not made the introduction so formal. She desperately wanted the boy to like her, but he averted his eyes and shrank away.
His father prodded him forward. “You must make a polite bow, Johann.”
The little boy bowed, but kept his eyes averted.
She fell to her knees and opened her arms, hoping the German words she’d practiced would come out correctly. “Kommen, Johann. Let me embrace you. We will be great friends.”
After a furtive glance at his nodding grandfather, he obeyed. The daunting responsibility of caring for this child robbed her of breath, but she was elated to share and cherish this important part of Dieter’s life.
She was glad her father and brother were there to meet Johann, but everyone could see the boy was becoming confused by all the new faces.
“We’ll leave you all for a while, to get reacquainted,” her father whispered.
Dieter and his father chuckled and Johann quickly went back to his Papa. Dieter put his hands on his son’s shoulders. “Anna will take you to bathe, Johann, and then I will show you several new playthings we have for you.”
The mention of toys elicited a grin.
His grandfather and the nursemaid took him off to their chambers, leaving Dieter and Blythe alone.
He took her hand and led her to the chairs by the hearth.
“He looks just like you. I hope he comes to like me,” she said.
“He was a little shy, but he’ll get over that and fall in love with you as I did. He will benefit from having brothers and sisters, and I intend to provide him with lots of those.”
His lecherous grin stoked a fire that spread its heat across her skin. She was certain she must be blushing profusely.
They sat in silence for a while before he asked, “Does it bother you he is my heir?”
She chose her words carefully. “I’m selfish and I can’t deny I wish you hadn’t been married before, but I trust you will make sure all our children are provided for.”
She was hesitant to ask about Johann’s mother. Dieter had never revealed anything about her, except that she was dead, but the questions had to be asked. Eventually, she plucked up her courage. “What was his mother’s name?”
He glanced up sharply. “I know we must speak of this, Blythe. I want no secrets between us, but it is difficult to talk about. I admit I have put it off.”
She rose then knelt at his feet, resting her head on his lap. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t wish to.”
The silence stretched between them. She felt the tension in his body as he stroked her hair. “Her name was Fredericka. She was mad.”
Blythe raised her head abruptly and looked at him, immediately wishing she had not. Despair haunted his eyes. She gripped his hands and swallowed hard, hating to see him in such pain. “Dieter, my love. What happened to her?”
He inhaled deeply. “She leapt into a swiftly flowing river in the throes of a manic fit. The water claimed her immediately.”
Blythe sank her teeth into the flesh of her hand to stifle a cry of sorrow and outrage at the torment this man had endured. “Did she love Johann?”
Dieter shrugged. “I don’t think she even knew who he was at the end.”
Tears trickled down Blythe’s cheek. “Why did you marry her if she was mad?”
He took her face in his hands and wiped away the tears with his thumbs. “We were betrothed when we were children. No one knew then what would befall her. It was an obligation. I did not meet her until the day of our marriage and I sensed something was wrong, but it was my duty. If I’d known the extent of her madness, I would not have married her, but the die was cast once we were wed. I never loved her, Blythe. You are the only woman I have ever loved.”
She put her hands over his. “And you are the only man I have ever loved, ever will love. Your child is my child.”
He came to his feet and helped her rise, pulling her into his embrace. “I never expected to find a love like ours, liebling.”
“Nor I.”