The Rebels of Cordovia (9 page)

“Elsa,” said Daniel. “We belong to a group
called the Freemen. We represent people who want to be free from
oppression. And we’ve come here to ask a favor.”

She nodded.

Robin then took over the conversation and said,
“I have a story to tell. It’s a story about a king named Edmund,
his son Jonathan, and a plan to have no more kings.”

Elsa smiled. “I’ve heard of that plan.”

Robin told her everything, all about Edmund’s
plan, how Rupert had poisoned him, and ending with the servants and
Legionnaires escaping to save their lives. She noticed that Elsa
didn’t act surprised but just sat and listened.

After a while, Elsa said, “I remember King
Edmund and his son. I remember how he was against having another
king rule and wanted to change all that.” A tear dropped to her
cheek. “He was a good man and so was his son. We all hoped Jonathan
would come back and rule over the land but it was too late. Rupert
had taken over.”

“We want to change all that,” said Daniel. “We
plan on replacing Rupert with a good righteous man.”

“But how can you do that? All the aristocrats
believe in him. He has too many followers.”

Robin answered with firm resolve, “By using the
testimony of the servant who had the poison tested. She will
testify to a large group of people what she knows to be a fact. If
we can convince the people about what kind of person he really is,
then Rupert will be outnumbered and will have to step down. If he
doesn’t, this means war and we’re prepared to fight.”

Elsa creased her brow curiously. “Why did you
come to me?”

Daniel took over and said, “A friend of a friend
told us that you might know where she lives.” He smiled
reassuringly. “Will you help us?”

Elsa nodded.

“Are you that servant, Elsa?”

She shook her head. “No. I remember the day
Hanna found out about the poison. She told all of us, even the
Legionnaires, but it was too late. I don’t know exactly where Hanna
is living right now but I do know which town she’s in. I saw her a
few months ago and we visited for a long time. She told me that
she’s been working as a maid for some aristocrat in Georgetown.
She’s been there for thirty years. She likes it there ‘cause she
makes more money.”

Daniel put a hand on Elsa’s and smiled. “Thank
you so much. We really appreciate this.”

She smiled back and said, “Are you hungry? I was
about to serve Flann something to eat. We have plenty.”

Daniel looked at Robin and she nodded. It
sounded better than the cheese and fruit she had packed in the
cart.

“We accept,” he nodded. “What can we do to
help?”

“Just set the table. That’s all.”

As Robin got the plates from the cupboard and
chatted with Elsa, she glanced at Daniel as he conversed with
Flann.

Elsa smiled and leaned toward her and said,
“You’ve got yourself a real nice lookin’ man there.”

Robin looked at Daniel. Then she shook her head
and said, “No, he’s not
my
nice looking man.”

Elsa laughed. “Oh? You could have fooled me.
I’ve been watchin’ him and he keeps glancin’ at ya with great
interest. Either he’s very concerned whether he’ll get his meal or
he’s enamored with you.”

“Enamored?” Robin shook her head. “No. He just
likes me. We’re friends.”

“Friends?” laughed Elsa. “You can try and
convince yourself of that, but just look at the way he watches you
next time and you’ll see what I mean. And I suspect you feel the
same way, too.”

“Is supper ready?” interrupted Flann. “I’m
famished.”

Robin noticed how Daniel glanced at her and
smiled as Flann spoke. Could Elsa be right? Was he really enamored
with her?

That evening a meeting was called. Merek,
Andrew, and Robin sat on one side of the table while Daniel and his
men sat on the other. Ever since the meeting was called to order,
Merek had a wide grin on his face. He knew something and was about
to explode if he wasn’t given the chance to speak up.

“All right,” said Daniel. “I think we should
hear what Merek has to say. He’s too fidgety to wait any
longer.”

Merek grinned as he looked at the group and
said, “I hear say that Robin and his rebels were out today and
frightened a couple soldiers. They said they were completely
surrounded. Well, I know I wasn’t there. Do you know anything about
this, Robin?”

She held back a smile and asked, “How do they
know they were surrounded?”

Merek cleared his throat dramatically and said,
“Cause Robin stepped out from the forest and stood before them with
such boldness that they knew they were surrounded. The interestin’
thing is Robin has a deep threatening voice that really scared
them. They knew they had no chance if they fought back.” Then he
narrowed his eyes and said, “You don’t have a deep threatening
voice, Robin Marie.”

Andrew turned to Robin and said soberly, “Is
this true? You stepped out of the forest all by yourself with no
rebels to back you up?”

Daniel quickly spoke up in her defense. “They
believed they were surrounded, sir. You could see the fear in their
eyes. When the soldiers saw her step out of the woods, they
instantly dropped their muskets and fled. You should have seen
it.”

Everyone stared at her with disbelief for a few
moments and then broke into unexpected laughter. They knew Robin
and she was so spontaneous. This did not surprise Merek and Andrew
one bit.

Robin smiled as she watched everyone chuckling
and wiping their eyes from the laughter.

Daniel finally raised his hand in the air to
begin the meeting. “We found out where Edmund’s servant lives, the
one we’re looking for.”

This quieted everyone.

“Where?” asked Andrew.

“She lives in Georgetown and works as a maid.
Her name is Hanna but I’m sure she isn’t going by that name. I
think the best thing to do next is for all of us to look around
Georgetown, ask questions, and listen to gossip.”

Simon smiled as he stretched his arms above his
head and said boastingly, “I know a few good-lookin’ women who work
for the aristocrats. I’ll talk to ‘em.”

“You do?” asked Miles. “Why haven’t you
introduced them to me?”

Everyone laughed and joked around, telling Simon
that he was a great catch for any woman.

After a moment, Andrew looked at Daniel
curiously. “How did you get Elsa to trust you enough to talk?”

Daniel told them what he had done to gain Flann
and Elsa’s confidence and everyone began laughing once again.

Andrew slapped him on the back and chuckled.
“When Robin told me about your interest in our group of rebels and
how you wanted us to join you, I knew it was the right thing to
do.”

Daniel smiled and gave a shrug. “It wasn’t that
big of a deal. I just had to chop wood for about an hour. That was
all.”

“An hour!” burst out Andrew as he shook his
head.

Simon and Merek were both in shock as their
mouths dropped open.

“Hey, I got an old used shirt out of the deal,”
said Daniel proudly as he showed everyone the hole in the elbow of
his white shirt.

Robin was amused as she smiled and said, “Well,
is there anything else we should discuss?”

When Andrew shook his head, the meeting was
dismissed.

***

As Daniel walked Robin home, she told him that
her father would not be searching for the servant because he
couldn’t close down the Bakery for the day, but he would continue
talking to his customers and find out what he could.

Then she said, “I won’t be going either because
I don’t know anyone in Georgetown. It would look very odd if I went
wandering down the street, asking questions about maids and
servants. I don’t want to arouse any suspicion.”

Daniel laughed and said, “Don’t worry. You’re
coming with me to visit my friends in Georgetown as my long lost
cousin.”

Robin smiled. “Long lost cousin?”

He nodded. “Then while you’re chatting with my
friends and keeping them busy, I’ll excuse myself and head for the
kitchen to talk to the help.”

She snickered. “Are you going to offer to chop
their wood for them, too?”

Daniel grinned and said teasingly, “No, I’m
going to cook something grand for them.”

When Robin saw the humor in his eyes, she
giggled.

“Well, I’ll let you go,” said Daniel when he
came upon the large oak tree in front of her home. “You’ve had a
big day. You’ve frightened a couple soldiers, saved a man from
prison, and enjoyed the company of Elsa and Flann.”

He hesitated for a moment, as if he wanted to
say something but chose not to. Instead he smiled at her and then
turned to leave.

Instantly Robin placed her hand on his arm and
said, “Wait!”

Daniel turned around and looked at her
curiously.

Robin’s heart was pounding against her chest as
she looked at him. She had to ask. She just had to. The curiosity
was too great. What Elsa had told her had been weighing on her mind
ever since she arrived back home.

“What is it?” Daniel asked with a raised
brow.

“Elsa said something.”

He nodded. “What did she say?”

“She said that…” Robin hesitated.

“Go on,” he encouraged, filled with great
curiosity.

“Well, I said that it wasn’t true. It couldn’t
possibly be…”

Daniel nodded.

“Well, she said it was true and I said that we
were just friends and she said…”

Daniel grinned as he placed his finger against
her lips. He then pulled her behind the large oak tree and looked
into her eyes as he said, “Yes, it’s true.”

“It is?” Robin asked with stunned surprise.

He smiled. “I heard everything Elsa was saying.
Yes, I was eavesdropping, but I couldn’t help it. Elsa’s
conversation was so much more interesting than her husband’s.”

“It’s true?” asked Robin with amazement. “Do you
know what I’m referring to?”

Daniel nodded as he pressed her shoulders
against the tree trunk and kissed her lightly on the lips. “The day
I met you was really something,” said Daniel. “I remember thinking
that I must have done something grand, some time in my life, to
have met such a lovely lady. And you were my reward.”

“Really?” said Robin with disbelief.

He nodded and said, “Why is it so hard to
believe?”

Seeing the timid expression on her face, he
could tell she was unsure of what he said. He smiled, took her face
in his hands, and kissed her lips once again. His eyes held hers
for a long moment and he noticed how her eyes softened as he gazed
at her. He could not help himself. She was so sweet. So he gathered
her into his arms and kissed her warm delectable lips. It didn’t
take long for her to respond to his kiss. With a sigh, she melted
into his arms.

As his lips caressed hers, he felt Robin wrap
her arms around his neck and kiss him right back. Her closeness and
mutual kiss made his heart leap within him. When Robin began
threading her fingers through his hair, warmth enveloped him and he
instantly pulled her tight against his chest and deepened his
kiss.

As he ran his hand along her back, caressing her
and kissing her neck tenderly, she softly gasped, like she had done
once before in the woods. He knew his kisses were affecting Robin
Marie, so he gradually released her, knowing it was time to
stop.

Daniel looked into her flushed face and softened
eyes. Then he smiled and said breathlessly, “I should go now.”

Robin licked her lips and nodded, not knowing
what to say.

He took her face in his hands, smiled tenderly,
and then kissed her lightly upon the lips a couple times. “Yes,
Elsa was right. I’m enamored with you. You fascinate me and I’m not
sure why.”

Robin swallowed and said, “Really?”

He smiled. “Completely and without doubt.”

The softness in her eyes touched his heart and
he knew she felt the same way about him. He squeezed her hand
affectionately and bid her farewell. Then he turned on his heals
and left.

Robin watched him walk to the side of the house
where he had left his horse to graze that morning. She realized
that she had definitely lost her heart. There was no question about
it.

As he rode away upon his horse, she smiled and
remembered what he had said. “I must have done something grand to
have met such a lovely lady. And you were my reward.”

The following morning, Daniel picked Robin up in
a fine carriage. He thought it would be best since they were going
to Georgetown. It was a completely different atmosphere than the
villages around. Many aristocrats lived there.

Throughout the day, they visited his friends and
neighbors. It became routine after a while. They would visit for
about twenty minutes, then he would excuse himself and allow Robin
to take over the conversation while he questioned the servants,
hoping to find information about Hanna. No one seemed to know a
thing or they weren’t saying.

At a few places, he was a bit worried to leave
her alone with his male friends. The men seemed extra interested in
Robin Marie, which annoyed him greatly. One asked her to a formal
party that was being held the following week. Another flirted
shamelessly with Robin, which aggravated Daniel to no end. Another
friend had whispered, “Why didn’t you tell me that you had such a
beautiful and intriguing cousin? How long is she staying?”

At the last home, when he came back from
questioning the kitchen staff, he saw his friend sitting beside
Robin. He had taken her hand in his and was talking softly. He had
to remind himself that he could not show any jealousy.

He quickly interrupted the cozy little scene
between Robin and his friend. “It’s time to leave, Marie. Are you
ready?”

He could see that she was relieved to see him as
she pulled her hand from his friend’s tight grasp.