Chapter 2

New characters appearing in the story:

William

Royal Judge and Executioner 5’-10” tall, 175 pounds, 37 years old, brown hair, blue eyes

Chief Magistrate

Magistrate, 6’-0” tall, 170 pounds, 42 years old, brown hair and eyes, narrow shoulders

The Mayor’s office was in the town hall. It was a stone building of about 20’ x 25’inside. In addition to the Mayor, it housed the Chief Magistrate and the town clerk/accountant. The town clerk/accountant had the reception area. It held a desk and cabinets for files. There were also benches in the waiting area. It was about 10’ x 20’. The mayor’s and chief magistrate’s offices were behind this. They were each 10’ x 15’ in size. The mayor’s office was paneled, had a large desk and several chairs, a bookcase, and a file cabinet.

I had been waiting for a while when, toward mid-morning, a forester came in who I thought I recognized.

“George, is that you?” I asked.

“Robert!” he replied. “What are you doing here?”

“I stopped here yesterday afternoon to speak with the mayor and have wound up in the middle of a mess involving abused and pregnant slave girls,” I told George.

“Ouch!” George replied, “I’m glad that I only have to deal with people poaching. Speaking of which, I brought in two this morning, and a fine large deer. Would you like a quarter of venison, or would that be too much?”

“Yes, it would be too much for me, but the local clinic could use it. Mid-wife Helga does the cooking for them. If you could have it dropped off with her, I’m sure she will know how to make good use of it.”

“I’ll be taking it to the butcher from here, and will have him deliver it when he has it all cut up. So how have you been? Are you still a bachelor?” George asked.

“Oh, I’ve been all right. I’m just tired of all the traveling. Still unmarried, but maybe not for long. You remember my younger sister, don’t you? She died three years ago. Yesterday, I rescued a girl, who I swear George, is her twin. Seeing her really set me back. She is the abused slave girl who is pregnant, that I spoke of earlier.”

“Robert, we aren’t supposed to get involved. Remember?”

“George, I can’t let her go. I’ll not allow anything to hurt her. I can’t.” It was at this point that the mayor returned. I allowed George to go first, as he needed to get the deer to the butcher. The next several hours were spent in conference with the mayor and other town officials. We stopped an hour and a half before sundown. Nothing had been resolved, they being typical bureaucrats. I headed back toward the clinic.

When I entered the clinic, Rebeca was ecstatic.

“My Master, these clothes are so nice. Thank you sooo much.” The kiss she gave me set me back on my heels. The clothes were rather plain, but appeared to be of good quality. There were several sets of underclothes. All were of soft white cotton: panties, camisole, and bra. The dresses were of the button down the front type. There were some with long and others with short sleeves. There was a light green, and an emerald green pair, plus a light and a dark blue pair. They all extended halfway between her knees and feet. There were stockings to match each dress, and a pair of leather shoes. To finish things off there was a good winter coat of wool.

“Well, my Sweet, you have quite a wardrobe. Have you tried them on yet?” I asked.

“No, my Master. My back was still too sore for me to have them on earlier, but Mistress Helga has held them up in front of me to check the fit. I will try to wear the light green one tonight.”

It was then that Helga entered the room obviously very excited.

“Marshal, thank you! How did you manage it though?” she asked.

“My friend, George the forester, brought in a buck and some poachers this morning. He offered me a quarter, and I told him to have it delivered to you. I was sure you would know what to do with it.”

“But Marshal, it would cost more than a gold coin to purchase that much meat. How can I accept it?’

“Helga, it’s my gift. You do a lot of cooking for the clinic, and now for Rebeca and me. It’s the least I could do. Besides you would be amazed how much venison I can eat when hungry.”

“You’ll get your chance tonight, Marshal,” she told me. “We’re having venison steak tonight. Rebeca will come also.”

“My Master, I have never had venison. Is it good?” Rebeca asked.

“It is very good, my Sweet,” I answered. “I’m sure Helga will make it all the more delicious.” Helga blushed at my words before helping Rebeca get dressed after that.

We all soon adjourned to Helga’s house. They even closed the clinic. Helga’s kitchen was like a madhouse. Her neighbors were there doing things to get ready for dinner. Biscuits were in the oven. Stew was cooking. A male neighbor was barbecuing steaks in the back yard. Two others were making sausage. Potatoes were roasting next to the biscuits. Vegetables were cooking near the stew. There was the smell of hickory wood from the smoke house out back. It was organized pandemonium, but the various aromas were fantastic.

Wesley and I set up a table with some sawhorses and planks out in the yard. We also put up some lanterns for light. Rebeca helped set the table. The sun was sinking in the west, as we all prepared to eat. Everyone had their fill. The eating and the conservation went on for nearly two hours.

Before we had started, Rebeca had come to me with tears flowing.

“My Master, I should not be here. I am a slave girl. All of these are free people. It’s not right.”

“Rebeca, my Sweet, you are as good as any of these others. With your new clothes, none could tell whether you are free or slave. Also these people don’t care. You’re here, eat and enjoy,” I told her.

“Thank you, my Master,” she finally got out with a sniffle and a hiccup.

“My Sweet, you must call me Robert, not my Master, just Robert. Can you do that?”

“Yes my ... Robert,” she managed. We joined the others at the table. Rebeca sat next to me.

After dinner was finished, the women started the cleanup. Rebeca was ready to help, but her back was really bothering her. Wesley took her back to the clinic to work on her back some more. After he finished, I talked to Rebeca about the next two weeks. I needed to continue my inspection tour. There were a number of small towns and villages on my route.

“Rebeca, my Sweet, tomorrow I must leave to continue on my tour. Depending on what problems I encounter, I should be gone from 10 to 14 days. Then I will return,” I told her.

Rebeca was worried. Was I coming back? Would she be left alone? I reassured her that I would never leave her. She would stay at the clinic till the Doctor said she was well enough to leave, and then she would stay with Mistress Helga until I returned. All of this had already been arranged. She finally seemed convinced. Just before I left, I reached over and kissed her. She returned it with the same passion of her earlier kiss. It was the first time I had allowed myself to do that with her. It would not be the last.

I spent a long lonely night in the guest quarters. In the morning after breakfast, I bade Rebeca goodbye and started on the remainder of my tour. It was a long, lonely two weeks.

Fourteen days after leaving, I was again near the main road to Westown. I had just turned on to that road, when I was hailed from behind. Turning in the saddle, I saw my superior, the Royal Executioner, approaching. I waited for him to catch up.

“My Lord, I had no idea you would be out this way,” I said, as he approached.

“I wouldn’t be, but for a pregnant, abused slave girl. I assume you know something about it.”

“Yes, my Lord. I know considerable about it, but how did you find out, and so soon?” I answered.

“Come Robert, we are alone. Call me William for now,” he returned.

“Yes, William. How did the story reach you so soon?”

“It didn’t reach me. Your report only came in on the day that I left. I was informed by one of the Queen’s ladies in waiting three days before that. I had gone to speak to the Prime Minister about another matter when I was intercepted by Mistress Zena, the taller of the Queen’s ladies in waiting. She gave me more information about what I wanted to see the PM about, than our Intelligence people had, and just about eliminated the need for the meeting.”

“I swear these women have a better intelligence gathering system than the kingdom does. It seems like every maid, serving girl, cook, laundress, and slave girl has been enlisted. After the meeting, on my way out, I was pulled aside by Mistress Cara. She is the shorter of the Queens ladies. She informed me that the Queen was VERY concerned about reports of a pregnant, abused slave girl in Westown, and would appreciate it if I would personally check things out. This was a full three days before your report arrived. It took me some time to clear my schedule, and the cases I was working on, but here I am on the road to Westown. Can you elaborate on what was in your report?

I could and did, leaving out nothing including the venison diner.

“You sound very serious, Robert,” William said, when I had finished.

“My Lord, please. I feel it must be my Lord just now, I ... am not sure how I feel. I only know that I can allow no harm to come to Rebeca. She so closely resembles my sister, and yet I find myself attracted to her in ways nothing like a sister. I kissed her once. It was the night of the dinner before I left. Gods, she felt so good in my arms. Like no other woman I have ever held. I ... I just don’t know!”

“Robert, you sound exactly like a man in love. I remember your sister, though I only met her once. She was lovely, and I was sorry to hear of her death. Now, you have found another. She can never replace your sister, but she could be someone that you care for just as much, and perhaps more. You and she must determine this. Do not try to do it by yourself, include the girl. Find out her desires. If they are not the same as yours, it could lead to a life of misery for one, or both of you.”

“Thank you, William. I needed to hear that. I tend to charge straight ahead, like the bulls I used to wrestle. I have learned that it is not always the best course.”

“Robert follow your heart, but talk to the girl.”

We rode for an hour and a half more before coming into Westown. We were met by the mayor on the main street. Obviously there had been a watch posted for us.

“Good day, my Lord Executioner,” the mayor said. “We had not expected the Marshal to return with you.”

“I met the Marshal on the road this noon time. I came at the suggestion of the Queen. She had information of a problem here before the Marshal’s report reached me. She is VERY interested in any problems concerning slave girls,” William replied. The mayor visibly paled at the mention of the Queen. Her appearance at the hangings and impalements three years previous had made an impression on the entire Kingdom at the time.

We had dismounted after being greeted by the mayor, and the horses were led off to the stable after being unloaded. I would check on them later. Since it was late in the day, the mayor escorted us to our rooms in the guest quarters. We settled in, and just before sundown, William suggested we go to the inn for dinner.

“William, do not do that,” I advised him. “I had one of the worst meals of my life there. Come with me. I know someone who will give us a really fine dinner.” We headed over to Helga’s house after that. It was a short trip. When the door to Helga’s opened to my knock, Rebeca nearly fell into my arms.