The Untamable Rogue Read online

  “I need to speak with you. – Alone where no one can hear us,” he said with unexpected earnest.

  “I will never again give you the opportunity to be alone with me,” I answered a little too spikily. Breathless I awaited his reaction.

  “Well, well. So prickly today?” he murmured, laughing.

  He embraced my slim waist and fished with his lips for my ear lobe, nibbling on it.

  “Did you miss me?” he whispered, laughing quietly.

  I shuddered, my breath became heavy and I could not do anything about it. He moved his hand down to my breasts and kneaded the firm flesh that was pushed up by my bodice. Unintentionally I fell against Ivo’s muscular body.

  “Should I carry on here? Here, where we could be seen at any time? – I have no problem with that, but you ...,” he murmured into my ear. “Or would you not prefer to come with me into my waggon?”

  “I want you to let me go,” I answered convincingly.

  Instead of letting me go he turned me around in his arms and kissed me – first carefully, then passionately. I sighed and acquiesced. After a while he pulled away from me, breathing heavily, and looked at me pensively.

  “I have to warn you.”

  “What … what is it?” I probed, my heart pounding.

  “I’ve found out something important. Someone’s looking for you …”

  I flinched and my heartbeat sped up so much that I could feel it pulsating in my temples. Sheer panic grasped my heart with ice-cold claws.

  “I over-heard a conversation in which a man working for your guardian promised another man a reward if he could give him details about your whereabouts.”

  “Can he … can he find me here?”

  “The man is a knife grinder and gets around a lot. I’ve never seen him before but I think that he may belong to my people. It’s possible that he’ll turn up here sooner or later. Moreover it would be to our advantage if he were a Sinti because then he would never betray you as long as you are under the protection of the people. We have a strict code for such things.

  That consoled me a little.

  “But if he’s not one of you? – What then?”

  “Then I’ll kill him!” Ivo said coldly.

  “For – for my sake?”

  “I may be a black sheep but even I stick to the code and will protect you.”

  “Thank you,” I murmured. “For warning me, too. But I … I don’t know whether I could live with the fact that, for my sake … someone was killed. Perhaps I should just go away. I’ll soon be of age, and then my uncle has no further rights.”

  “You will not go back! If this man is paying a bloke to find you then your wealth is very important to him. I think it’s probable that he would also not stop at murder in order to get to your inheritance.”

  I swallowed. Certainly, my uncle was not exactly a nice man, but would he really …?

  “Nonsense,” I objected, but I could not help a bad feeling spreading within me.

  Ivo pulled me closer to his body and moved one hand up my spine, making me tremble.

  “Come with me. I want to make love to you,” he whispered huskily. “I want to give you what you are longing for. You don’t yet know the answer to your desire but I can give it to you. Let me make love to you.”

  My heart was pounding violently. I groaned quietly as he placed gentle kisses upon my neck and brushed it with the tip of his tongue.

  “I can’t,” I whispered weakly and gasped, both shocked and aroused as he held one of my breasts and brushed his thumb over the hard bud that was pressing through the material.

  “Why not?” he asked, breathless. “Don’t be afraid. I won’t hurt you. You’ll enjoy it, I promise you.”

  He pushed a knee between my legs and pressed me against him. Sensations that I had never imagined possible made me groan. The heat in my sex was almost unbearable. I wanted it, whatever it was. Involuntarily I pressed my tingling sex against his leg and I heard him utter a throaty groan. He whispered words into my ear in his own language that I did not understand. Everything in me yearned to give into his demands. I was prepared to throw all reason overboard. We kissed. At first I hesitated in putting my hands around Ivo’s neck, then I gave in to the surge of feelings and I buried my fingers in his dark locks. When I opened my eyes they fell upon a young woman who was standing some distance away and staring at me. In shock I stepped back and I suddenly became aware of what I had just done. It was as if someone had poured a bucket of cold water over my head.

  “What’s wrong?” asked Ivo. He turned to look in the direction into which I was staring, but no one was there any more. “Let’s go into my waggon,” he said. “No one will disturb us there.”

  I stood as if paralysed, then I pulled myself away and fled from Ivo and from my own overwhelming emotions.

  Chapter 22

  Sergio was sitting a little way from the camp when Jelonka came up to him. Her eyes were swollen and she was holding her hand on her flat stomach as if she were heavily pregnant. Like all Sinti women she possessed a tendency to be dramatic.

  “Hello Sergio. Can I sit with you?”

  Sergio nodded and indicated that she should sit next to him. Jelonka sat down next to him on the ground and for a while they were both silent. He was giving her the opportunity to find the right time and the right words.

  “I’ve seen them together again,” Jelonka finally broke the silence. “They kissed!”

  Sergio clenched his teeth. The thought of his brother with Liz pained him, but this was outweighed by hatred. However hard he tried he still stood in his big brother’s shadow. Ivo did not have much to do with the community but the women ran after him like love-sick puppies and his mother loved him more than Sergio. He had known that for a long time. Sergio had hoped that he could win the innocent Liz for himself but she had now also fallen under the spell of the lone wolf. He simply could not get that out of his head. That was further evidence that women are not lead by reason.

  “You’re not saying anything!” pouted Jelonka. “Aren’t you interested then?”

  “Yes, I am!” snarled Sergio and clenched his fists. The defeat against his brother in both the fist-fight and in the fight for hearts almost pained him physically. “I just don’t know how we can change anything.”

  “Pah! Men are really unimaginative! – I have a plan!” declared the gypsy.

  “Well?” asked Sergio who could not conceal the hopeless tone in his voice. “My brother is not the sort of man who likes to be forced to do something that he does not want to do. – Certainly, he’ll marry you because in his own strange way he’s a man of honour, but he’ll hate you for it.”

  “Once I’m his wife I’ll have enough time to win back his favour. And after all, I do know how to use my charms.” Jelonka seemed very sure of herself.

  “Well you don’t seem to be managing it at the moment, because right now he’s not showing any interest in you. What would stop him from continuing to go whoring and ignoring you?”

  Jelonka bit on her lip. The truth hurt and was not what she wanted to hear right now. No man had ever fascinated her the way that Ivo did. He was a devilishly good lover and very imaginative, too. Next to him all others simply paled into insignificance. At any cost she wanted to bind him to her. Deep down she knew that Ivo was not the sort of man who would allow such a thing to go unpunished. But on the other hand she did not want to accept her defeat. She could not accept that she had lost Ivo, particularly to a stranger.

  “I just have to accept that. I don’t have any other ideas. – I know that you won’t understand it, but I love him.”

  “You’re right! – I really don’t understandthat!” snorted Sergio and he jumped up.

  “Where are you going?” asked Jelonka, irritated.

  “I’m done with this! – At any rate, I will not support you in this stupidity!”

  With angry steps he stamped away and Jelonka watched him, clueless.

  Chapter 23

&nbs
p; 9th August 1888

  There was a violent knock at the door. Ivo looked up from his carving. Who was in such a hurry to speak with him? Had something happened? It shot through his head that it may be to do with Liz and he leapt up. There was a hammering on the door again.

  “Open up this damned door! I know you’re in there!” he heard the angry voice of his father shouting.

  “I’m coming,” growled Ivo, on his way to the door to open it for his father.

  Santino’s face was red with anger and he glared at his eldest son from black eyes. Without waiting to be asked, he stormed into the waggon. Ivo closed the door, shrugging his shoulders and turned calmly to the leader of the clan.

  “So what’s so terribly urgent that you’re visiting your wayward son?” he asked coldly. It was extremely rare for his father to honour him with a visit. It had only happened three times during the last few years.

  Without any warning the older man smacked the younger man in the middle of his face. If Ivo had been of a smaller build he would have been thrown to the ground by such a blow, however, instead, he just swayed a little and shook his head.

  “Wayward! – Oh yes, you’re right!” snorted Santino at his son, who was wiping blood from his nose in disbelief. It had been a long time since he had seen his father so angry.

  “Have you lost your mind, old man?”

  “I’m not yet too old to tan your hide!” roared Santino. “I curse the day I conceived you! You’re a disgrace to the whole clan. This time your mother is not going to save you. I’ve watched your goings-on for a long time but now that is enough!” Santinos’ voice cracked.

  “What the hell have I done now?” Ivo roared back. He was afraid that it was to do with Liz.

  “What have you done? – You want to know what you’ve done? I’ll tell you! First you get her pregnant and then you don’t have the decency to accept it’s your brat and legitimate the whole thing!”

  “Liz is pregnant?” gasped Ivo, confused. But they had only …

  The colour drained from Santino’s face. In disbelief he looked at his son, then his expression changed to horror.

  “Are you telling me that you’ve mounted the little one, too?” he asked dangerously quietly. “Answer me! Have you assaulted this innocent thing that is under our protection?”

  Now it was Ivo’s turn to grow pale. Something was terribly wrong here - if his father did not mean Liz then he was in a whole lot more trouble. Gradually it dawned on him who his father was talking about. – Jelonka!

  Ivo swore quietly. This little snake had clearly got it into her head that she was going to snare him and it seemed that she had been successful. Ivo was the sort of man who often disregarded the rules but leaving a pregnant woman in the lurch offended his honour and that was sacred to him – even if it meant that he had to marry this witch. For a moment he wished that it was Liz who was pregnant, but he pushed that thought away quickly. Dazed, he shook his head to clear his thoughts.

  “I was not an innocent lamb, either – I’m not trying to say that – but what you get up to …”

  Santino sighed and he suddenly looked a lot older. Ivo went to the shelf and took out a strong, home-made, fruit brandy and two glasses. He poured two glasses and passed one to his father who emptied the glass in one go and Ivo re-filled it. Ivo emptied his glass, too. “Sit down, father!” said Ivo in a more placatory tone.

  They sat down and Ivo re-filled the glasses.

  Chapter 24

  As I left Grandmother Aneta’s waggon the next morning I found the camp in complete upheaval. Most of the men were missing and the women were rushing around busily. They were washing, cleaning, cooking and baking. I walked aimlessly across the area and looked somewhat bemused at the bustle, clueless. A little way from the camp I came across a group of women who had barricaded themselves behind a few hanging blankets. Curious, I approached them. In the middle of the circle of women was the young gypsy, Jelonka, who was clearly being fitted for a new dress.

  “What’s going on?” I asked innocently. “Can I be of any help?”

  An old woman who, I knew, was called Baba, turned round to face me.

  “If you can sew then we’ll gladly accept your offer of help. We’re making Jelonka’s wedding dress.”

  Oh! So who’s the bridegroom?” I asked and my heart began to drum uneasily. I had a pretty good idea when I saw Jelonka’s spiteful expression.

  “Ivo is the bridegroom. Our little one here has managed to tame the wild wolf,” answered Baba.

  The colour drained from my face and my legs felt as if they would give way below me. Ivo! So I was right.

  “Isn’t it wonderful?” laughed Jelonka and demonstratively stroked her belly. “We’re going to have a baby soon.”

  This news completely threw me. Why had he not told me that he was to marry soon? This scoundrel had pestered me, almost dishonoured me, despite knowing that he was soon to marry another.

  I staggered backwards a few steps, turned and ran away blindly. My vision blurred by tears, I staggered across the clearing and ran into the forest. I hardly noticed the branches hitting my face. A few times I nearly fell over, but somehow stopped myself again and again. Not until the stich in my side became unbearable did I slow my pace and simply fell onto the forest floor.

  *

  I did not know how long I had already been wandering through the forest. I knew only one thing for certain – I never wanted to return to the Sinti camp. The fact that I had nothing on me, let alone money, did not come into my mind in my confused state. I simply kept on marching straight ahead, putting one foot mechanically in front of the other and I only altered my course slightly to avoid obstacles. I washed my hot face in a stream and drank the cool liquid greedily. I ignored my growling stomach, and once I had rested a little I marched on. Only when it got dark did I realise that I had no idea where I should sleep. In every direction there was still only forest. I tried not to think about the dangers that might await me in the dark. In the last steadily fading light of the sun I found myself a fallen tree under which a sort of low cave had been created. I crawled under the trunk and rolled myself up like a baby.

  *

  I spent a restless night during which I hardly closed my eyes. I froze miserably and the hard ground hurt my limbs – the sounds in the darkness almost frightened me to death. More than once I regretted my hasty decision to flee. If only I had at least taken the time to bring the most necessary things with me, above all my horse, then I might now be out of the forest already, spending the night in a warm barn instead of on the bare earth. How had I managed create such a mess out of my life? First I had lost my parents, then my home, my heart, nearly my innocence even and now I literally owned nothing more than what I was wearing. I hugged my knees with my arms and rocked myself back and forth. I felt so helpless and abandoned – I no longer had anyone who cared for me. My only relative wanted my inheritance – perhaps even my death, and Ivo had only wanted my body, whilst he had long since decided on a life with another woman. The thought of Ivo and Jelonka, united in intimate embrace hurt. I saw Jelonka clearly before me, enjoying her triumph. I did not understand myself – why it was hurting me so much. I had known that the gypsy was not the right man for me. A union with him was completely and utterly out of the question. We belonged in quite different worlds.

  ‘What am I going to do? What am I going to do? Where should I go?’

  I crawled out of my hiding place and stood up. It was still cool – the sun still had no strength and a light morning mist was lying heavy and dense on the ground. I rubbed my arms, shivering, then I began to brush the dirt from my dress with my hands. As much as I could I removed leaves and twigs from my hair and sorted it. My stomach was aching with hunger and because of being thirsty I had an unpleasantly dry mouth. I had to get out of this forest quickly and somehow get food. With stiff limbs I set myself in motion and carried on marching through the forest.

  After an hour I reached a small stream where
I could at least quench my thirst. I knelt down on the bank and scooped the cool liquid with my hands, greedily drinking it. The fluid also took away a little of the intense hunger and I felt somewhat strengthened. With new hope I set off on my way.

  When the sun had reached its summit I sat down on a moss-covered tree trunk. The forest still seemed to have no end. It was not particularly dense but I still had not been able to find a way out. Gradually the hunger became unbearable. What if I still had not found a way out by nightfall? Was I perhaps going round in a circle? At that thought I felt very low. I could not even return to the gypsies because I had wandered through the forest so aimlessly and had therefore lost all sense of direction.

  “Oh, damn it! What am I going to do? There must be a way out of this forest somewhere!” I complained in frustration.

  Suddenly I heard the neighing of horses. I froze and listened hard. Truly. Now I could clearly hear the clatter of horse-shoes and the snorting of horses and it definitely came from my left. I looked hard in the direction from which the sounds were coming and some distance away I could see a small group of riders between the trees. As I did not know what sort of people they were I ducked, for safety’s sake, behind the thick tree trunk that I had just been sitting on. Once the riders had passed by I stayed in my hiding place for a while in case there was a group following, but there was none. Still quietly and carefully I stood up and knocked the dirt off my dress, then I went in the direction in which the riders had passed by. There must be a path there leading out of this forest – where to was of no importance to me right now – the main thing was to get out of the forest.

  *

  I nearly broke out into loud jubilation. A path! And it was quite a wide one that looked as if it was used a lot. If I were to follow the path in the same direction as the riders had just gone I would doubtless come to a place of some sort. I could have cried with happiness. With renewed courage I set off and although I was exhausted, hungry and thirsty, I felt elated in a way that I had not done for a long time. After a while the path forked and at first I was at a loss as to whether to go to the left or to the right, but then I decided to follow the right-hand path because, judging by the fresh hoof marks, the riders had also gone in this direction.