The man looked at her with some remorse. “The coachman is dining out there. If he sees that I have helped you I will get in trouble. I can only help you by saying that I have not seen you while you take advantage and run away. She looked at him scornfully and ran into the thick forest. Sonia could not believe her luck when she saw a horse tied to a tree, and she took it to flee. She rode fast and aimlessly in the hope of being able to find a house or find a person to help her, but it was so dark that she couldn’t find her way. After several hours, she stopped and sought refuge under a tree. It is better to continue tomorrow, she thought, tired.
Hours later Sonia opened her eyes. She was freezing cold, and it was drizzling. Sonia noticed that it was morning and tried to get up without success. Her whole body hurt, and the horse was happy grazing. An elderly woman approached her.
“Dear, what are you doing here alone? Did you sleep here?”
Sonia could barely talk. “Where am I?”
“From what I can see far from home, girl.” The woman looked at her for a minute. “I cannot leave you like this. You do not look well. I will take you to my house, but I warn you that it is nothing like what you are used to.” She smiled.
Sonia trembled and her teeth chattered.
“You’ll have to help me get up.” The woman took her by the arm. Between the two they managed to help Sonia stand.
“Make an effort to get on the horse. It is the only way to take you to my house.”
Sonia tried several times but could not until she finally succeeded. They traveled about ten minutes and arrived at the woman’s house. The woman helped Sonia off the horse and brought her inside.
“Let’s go to a room. I will give you dry clothes girl because I feel that you are going to catch a cold. Maybe my daughter’s clothes will fit you. They are not beautiful clothes, but you will be more comfortable with them on.”
“Thank you,” Sonia whispered.
While Sonia was changing clothes, the woman warmed up some herbal tea and took it to the room. “You have to lie down girl. I will tuck you in as best I can and you will drink this tea.”
Sonia who had no strength, agreed and went to bed, took the tea that tasted horrible and almost immediately fell asleep but not without first telling the woman her name, and asking her help to get back home.
*****
Robert looked for his cousin desperately, unable to find him. Several hours later he heard from one of the men who accompanied him. It seemed that they had seen Leopold in an inn very close by. When they arrived at the inn, they found him completely drunk, but it was his driver who spoke and told them what Leopold had done with Sonia. After that Robert left quickly to look for Sonia. She can’t be very far, he thought somewhat relieved. But before he left, he met with the inn’s owner who told him he had no idea where his wife could be. Robert knew it was a lie.
“You should know that the woman is the Marchioness of Wilmington who had been abducted by a man who is a client of your inn.” The owner of the inn almost urinated in his pants. He knew that this would bring him problems and he blanched completely. He told Robert everything that had happened.
After that, Robert left to look for Sonia in the thick forest. Not caring that he hadn’t eaten, nor drunk anything. It was raining, and the hours passed. It was almost dark, when, after much riding, he spotted a small house that seemed inhabited. Smoke came from the chimney and he went to ask if they had seen Sonia.
An old woman opened the door. “At your order, sir.” She looked a little nervous and distrustful.
“Good night, Madame. I apologize for coming to bother you, but I am looking for a young woman. She is my wife, and she has disappeared.”
“I am only with my niece who is a little sick.”
Robert knew that the woman didn’t trust him. “Ma'am, I swear to God, that I am just looking for my wife. Her name is Sonia, and she disappeared from my house with a man she thought was good but he deceived her. That is why she fled from him, but I am afraid that when she escaped one danger, she fell into another. I only ask you to tell me if you have seen her.”
The old woman felt compassion for how desperate he looked and thought that no man so desperate for the whereabouts of his wife could be bad. The moment she was going to tell him that she had seen her, Robert looked beyond the woman and realized that in a chair there was a shawl which he had seen his wife wear.
“She is here, isn’t she?”
The old woman nodded. “Are you a good man, sir?” She asked standing in front of him and noticed that if he was not, he would have been able to push her and hurt her. He answered affirmatively.
“I am ma’am, do not be afraid. I do not want to hurt her. I am just very worried because we had a misunderstanding, and she fled.”
“Well, I’ll let you in so that you can see her because I’m also somewhat worried. She has a fever.” The elderly woman opened the door, and he immediately entered.
“Where is she?”
“Over there.” She pointed, walking behind him. They entered a small room which smelled of herbs and there was a pot in the middle that was steaming.
“I have boiled eucalyptus leaves and put them here so the vapors can help.”
Robert approached Sonia and touched her forehead. She was burning up. “Sonia,
