The Rebels of Cordovia (10 page)

“When can I see you again?” asked the young
man.

Robin’s eyes widened, unsure what to say.

Daniel interrupted. “She’s not staying long.
Sorry.”

Then he whisked her out the door.

As he helped her into the carriage, Robin asked,
“Why were you taking so long?”

“Why were you holding his hand?” he
retorted.

She smiled. “You’re not jealous, are you?”

“Me? Of course not.” He climbed into the
carriage, trying to ignore that he really was. “What were you
talking about?”

She shrugged, enjoying his concern about her.
“Oh, nothing. He was doing all the talking. I was listening.”

Daniel knew he was tired and was taking this all
too seriously. They needed to have a little respite, so he whipped
the reins and said, “Do you want to meet my father? He doesn’t live
far from here.”

Robin beamed. “Yes. I would love to.”

When Daniel saw the happiness in her
countenance, he realized that was a good choice after a long day of
visiting friends. It was time to relax. He didn’t realize it was so
late until he noticed the street lamps had been lit. As they pulled
up to his home, he glanced at her and saw the surprised look on her
face.

“This is your home?” exclaimed Robin.

“Uh-huh,” he said matter-of-factly.

Robin was shocked. She was used to living in a
modest looking home with all the necessities that a Baker could
provide his family. But this was a mansion!

“Well,” he said softly. “I know it looks a bit
prestigious. But that isn’t the person I am. This is my father’s
life style. It’s not mine.”

Robin understood what he was saying, to not
judge him by his home. But for some reason she felt a bit
intimidated and uncomfortable.

He helped her down from the carriage and they
walked inside the large edifice. She was in awe as she saw the high
ceiling and fancy staircase. Beautiful pictures adorned the
walls.

When a servant quickly walked toward Daniel, he
said, “Hello, Anna. Please tell father that I want to see him.”

After she left, he led Robin into a room filled
with fancy furniture with beautiful candelabras here and there to
give light in the room. There was also a magnificent fireplace.

She turned to look at Daniel, trying to figure
out whom he really was. He suddenly seemed different to her. Robin
remembered how he had told her that his family was well off, but it
didn’t dawn on her how wealthy they really were.

Seeing the uneasy look on Robin’s face, Daniel
took her hand in his and squeezed it. “If you don’t want to stay,
we can leave.”

Robin shook her head. “No, I’m fine.”

“Hello, Daniel,” said an elderly gentleman as he
walked in the room. “I see you have brought along a guest with
you.”

Daniel put his hand about her waist and nodded.
“This is Robin Marie, Father.”

Daniel’s father walked up to Robin and shook her
hand. “It’s nice to meet you. What do they call you? Robin or
Marie?”

She smiled. “My father calls me Robin. Your son
calls me Marie. It’s up to you.”

He smiled. “Then I’ll call you Marie. You may
call me Charles. I have a middle name, too, but I prefer
Charles.”

He took her away from his son and led her to the
sofa. He was a tall man with dark hair and broad shoulders. She
noticed that he was graying at the temples. They sat down and
Charles proceeded in getting acquainted with her.

“So, you’ve lived here all your life?”

Robin nodded.

“You’re such a beautiful young thing. I’m
surprised someone hasn’t caught you by now.”

“Caught me?” She smiled. “Oh, I can run
fast.”

“You can?” Charles said with humor lacing his
eyes as he glanced at his son. “My wife was a fast runner, too. It
took me a while to get her to notice me. At first she wasn’t
interested because I was just a stable hand and she didn’t want to
become interested in a person who worked with horses.”

“A stable hand?” asked Robin with surprise.

Charles nodded. “That’s right. I had to convince
her that she needed to slow down and let me grab a hold of
her.”

“But…” said Robin as she looked around the room
at all the expensive items here and there.

Charles nodded as he said, “I began my life by
raising, training, and breeding horses. After a few years, we
weren’t so bad off. Five years ago I lost my wife, so I decided to
come back home.”

“Home?” Robin asked curiously.

He nodded. “Yes. This was where I was raised.
When I was a young man, my father sent me away to learn about life.
So I left and never came back again.”

This surprised Robin. “But how about your
parents?”

“While I was gone, they passed away. I felt
there was nothing to come back to.” He shook his head regretfully.
“Cordovia has changed since I was a young man. It’s different.”

Robin nodded. “I know.”

With a smile, he said, “But my son is trying to
get this country back on its feet again. He’s part of a rebel group
that is fighting for justice.”

She was beginning to feel at ease as she spoke
with Charles. His green eyes brightened as he spoke to her. He was
friendly and said what was on his mind. She liked him.

“Now how would you like something to eat?” asked
Charles as he patted her hand tenderly. “I was told we’re having
roast beef tonight. How does that sound to you?”

Daniel laughed. “He leaves it up to the kitchen
staff to make the choices for him. When Mama passed away, he didn’t
want to make a decision what to eat. So he just says, ‘Surprise
me!’”

Charles laughed and then took Robin’s hand and
helped her up. Then he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and
walked toward the dining room as he said, “I sure hope you don’t
run too fast. My son isn’t a very fast runner, you know. I think he
lacks motivation.”

“Motivation?” asked Daniel with stunned surprise
as he followed his father and Robin into the dining room. “What do
you mean by that?”

They walked to the table and Charles pulled a
chair out for her to sit. “Well, he needs a woman who will motivate
him to settle down and give me some grandchildren.”

Robin put her hand to her mouth and giggled when
she saw the astonished look on Daniel’s face. He was thoroughly
embarrassed.

Charles rang a bell beside him and a servant
arrived. “We’re having two more guests for supper.”

The servant gave a nod and left the room.

“Now, how about your parents? What does your
father do?” asked Charles.

She smiled proudly and said, “He’s a baker and
owns his own shop.”

“A baker? What a great occupation! I can just
imagine all the pastries and breads on the shelves. Yum!”

Robin laughed. She was liking Daniel’s father
more and more. What was she so worried about when she first entered
the house? He wasn’t snooty and pompous. He was just like her own
father.

After the food was served, they began talking
about the rebel groups and how she was the leader of Robin’s
Rebels.

Charles’ eyes widened as he looked at Robin.
“This tall dainty young woman is the leader of…”

Daniel nodded as he saw the astonished look in
his father’s face. “Don’t underestimate her. She’s a real
marksman.”

“I’ve heard of Robin’s Rebels. They’re not to be
messed with, I understand.” Then with a broad smile, he said, “Just
like the legendary Robin Hood, eh?”

His son laughed and agreed with him while Robin
blushed.

“So the two groups have now joined as one?”
asked Charles.

Daniel nodded and smiled affectionately at
Robin.

“So what’s the plan now? Do you have one?”

After Daniel explained what they had been doing,
Charles smiled with approval and said, “It’s going to be a tough
road. It’ll be like looking for a coin in a haystack. A valuable
coin, that is. Very valuable!”

All week everyone searched Georgetown and asked
questions. No one knew a thing or they were keeping quiet. Even
Simon’s good-looking females that he had bragged about didn’t have
a clue. But they were not giving up.

One evening Robin called a meeting with her
rebels.

“The tax collector is due tomorrow but things
have changed now. He has a dozen soldiers with him and they each
carry muskets. We’ve got to put together a plan that won’t involve
any deaths. As you know, we’re here to make a difference… not to
take lives. This is just another job for these soldiers. I don’t
want to hurt anyone.”

Merek nodded. “How about the Freemen? Are they
going to be included?”

She shook her head. “We can take care of it.
We’ve got twice the men than the taxman.”

“So what do you think we should do this time?”
asked Polly.

“We need a diversion. We also need the coach to
be stopped. I don’t want to try and outrun it.”

Everyone agreed as they laughed. That didn’t
appeal to them, either.

“I’ve got an idea,” said Polly. “How about a
stranded maiden who has been robbed by some thieves?”

Robin nodded. “Great idea!”

“And I volunteer to be the stranded maiden,”
said Polly as she batted her eyes and laughed. “The soldiers will
take pity on me and help me out.”

“Perfect,” said Merek. “We should round up a
nice carriage for her. She can say that they stole her horses.”

“Good,” said Robin. “Polly, you can say the
thieves headed back to Charlottesville and that will help them
relax. When the soldiers are totally distracted and off guard, we
will shoot twenty-four arrows into the side of the collector’s
coach.”

“Correction!” said Daniel as he walked into the
barn. “That will be seventy-five arrows. My fifty plus yours.”

“Daniel!” said Robin as her eyes widened.

He stared at her with pursed lips. He was not
happy at all.

“Please, Daniel,” she said. “Don’t take this
personal.”

“Well, I am,” he said firmly.

Robin bit her lip as she rubbed her hand against
her thigh. “There’s only twelve soldiers. I didn’t think we would
need all the rebels. I mean, two hundred have joined the Freemen
during the past month and that seems like a ridiculous number to
use for only twelve soldiers.”

Daniel nodded in agreement. “You’re right. But
you could have at least told me what you were planning. I’ve
involved you in everything, Robin Marie. Besides, I’m only using
the two hundred men when the time comes for us to make a stand.
That will be the day when Hanna talks to the people. My fifty best
men live in the woods with me.”

Robin felt terrible as she continued to rub her
hand against her leg.

Daniel smiled as he watched her, knowing she was
feeling anxious. “I understand why you didn’t include my group.
That is an awful lot of men. But I would like to be included with
the planning, if that’s all right with you. You did agree to unite
with us. Right?”

Robin nodded. “I’m sorry. Thanks for
understanding. And yes, I think seventy-five arrows striking the
coach from all directions would be impressive.”

Merek stood and said with a snicker, “Don’t
forget, we need a deep threatening voice to call out for them to
surrender.”

Everyone laughed as they looked at Daniel. They
knew his voice was the deepest and most threatening, according to
the two soldiers they had stopped the other day.

“I think Daniel should take that job,” suggested
Merek.

Daniel smiled. “I accept.”

After the meeting, Daniel decided it was about
time to introduce Robin to his fifty men. He realized that she had
never gotten to know them and that was probably why she hadn’t
included them.

When everyone had left, he walked up to her and
noticed how she was biting her lip. He smiled. Daniel knew she was
feeling bad about leaving him out.

He took her hand and said, “I’m taking you to
the woods with me. You’re going to join our little feast tonight
and get to know my men. I think it’s about time. Don’t you?”

Robin nodded and smiled.

After telling Andrew and Martha that she
wouldn’t be home until late, he told her to keep her dress on. He
didn’t want her to change into her leggings because Daniel wanted
the men to get to know her as a woman first instead of a rebel. He
helped her mount her horse and they headed toward the woods.

On the way, Daniel talked about his men and
their various backgrounds so she would understand what they were
like. He told her how every day they practiced archery, sword
fighting, and fencing. He mentioned how he was teaching his men on
a daily basis to defend themselves. Daniel wanted his men to be
prepared.

As they rode into camp, Robin noticed small
wooden shacks here and there, a large table with benches, and a
fire pit with a black pot hanging in the center along with a
spit.

“Are we in time for supper?” called Daniel as he
slid off his horse.

Simon chuckled. “Oh yes! We’re having pheasant
on a spit and herbal potatoes cooked in a pot.” He rubbed his
stomach and smiled. “I even sprinkled some herbs on the meat.”

Daniel laughed as he took Robin by the waist and
helped her down from the horse. “Simon loves to cook. How else do
you think he got this big?”

Everyone burst into laughter and Simon grinned
with pride. Robin remembered how he wrestled with Merek. He had
been so calm the whole time. Then at the right moment, when Merek
was feeling overconfident, Simon pushed him to the ground and
won.

She could tell the men were curious about her.
As they busily went about their business, she noticed they were
glancing at her every now and then. When everyone was called to the
table, all was quiet. Robin wondered why they had stopped talking
all of a sudden. They were all staring at her.

Daniel smiled and said, “They’re waiting on
you.”

“Me?”