‘This is Heike,’ he says, with genuine excitement deepening his voice. ‘The colour of her hair, uncommon for these regions, was inherited from her mother, who came from Scotland as a child. Heike’s beauty greatly exceeded that of Beitris though, and according to old rumours, the exquisiteness of her features was the true reason behind Jurgen Alkeen’s loan to Henrike.’

‘Can we take pictures of the painting?’ interrupts a man, his grey hair bound in a neat ponytail, his left hand pointing at the camera held high in his right hand.

‘Yes, but no flash, please.’ The guide nods, walking closer to the painting. ‘As I was saying, Alkeen had an ulterior motive for giving the loan to Henrike: to force Heike into marrying him.’

‘Nooo&hel...

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