Angel in Black (22 page)

She said nothing to refute him.

“The people I have talked to love you deeply, and I can see you love them in return, enough to risk your life for them. You are careful and I have no evidence against you, but I know. For God’s sake, Rina, heed my warning. Let the Angel die, and ride no more. I admire you more than any woman I’ve ever known, but I have my duty to King and country. You must stop — now!”

Rina stood quiet, the sincerity of his words touching her as she contemplated her next step. “If you are so convinced I am this Angel, why risk all by telling me so?”

A sad sigh escaped David and he looked deep into her eyes. “I came to beg you to stop this madness, for if you do not — I shall be forced to do something I have no heart for.”

Reaching up, Rina gently touched his cheek. “I’m sorry, David, I cannot help you.”

When she pulled her hand away, he grabbed it, anger flashing in his green eyes. “You cannot, or will not?”

Rina did not answer, and freeing her hand, she turned to leave.

“Are you the Angel in Black?”

She looked back at David before she mounted Blackstar and answered, “It doesn’t matter whether I say yes or no. You will believe what you want.”

“Yes,” he muttered, aggravated by her calmness, “I suppose I will.”

Rina rode past him, and paused a moment to look down at him. “Take care, David.” Urging Blackstar on, Rina rode away and left him standing alone among the giant trees swaying in the wind.

When Rina neared home, she decided it would be best if no one knew of her encounter with Lieutenant Greerson.

D
URING THE NEXT MONTH
, the Angel in Black continued to raid dinner parties and coaches. With each passing day, evading the lieutenant and his men proved more and more difficult. Finally, Rina came to the decision the danger outweighed the good, and she must no longer ride as the Angel. Sitting at the table with her men, she waited for their reaction.

“Well, I agree with the child.” Jake nodded. “We’ve had luck on our side so far, but ’tis best not t’ push a good thing too far. I ain’t gettin’ younger, you know, and I need a break from all this excitement.” Laughing, Jake patted Rina fondly on the hand, knowing she had been worried over something. Perhaps this was it.

John also nodded. “You know best, Rina. Whatever you want is fine with me. We all knew it couldn’t last forever, but while it did, we helped a lot of people. The Angel in Black will always be remembered and loved by everyone.”

Tom and Charlie smiled, willing to do whatever she asked.

“Shall we make tonight our last night?” asked Tom.

“Yes, I think it fittin’ we ride together one last time. What do you say, Rina?” Jake’s eyes glittered with excitement as he winked at her.

Rina laughed in agreement. No matter how Jake talked of being too old for their line of work, he loved the last months of derring-do. It showed in his face, in his walk, as it did in all of them. Rina poured five cups of wine and raised her own cup to propose a toast. “To the men who risked much for me — friends I shall never forget.”

The four men drank deeply and watched their leader as she emptied her cup in salute to them.

In turn, John looked at Rina, “To a remarkable woman, who is truly an angel — a woman we would ride into the very pits of hell for.”

Rina flushed proudly as her men drank to her, leaving her speechless. Charlie finally broke the awkward silence with his question, “What are we goin’ t’ hit tonight?”

“Let’s make it somethin’ special,” suggested Tom.

“Well, there is a fancy dinner party at one of the estates tonight.”

“And it’s crawling with Lieutenant Greerson’s men, Jake, waiting for us to take the bait,” warned Rina. Suddenly, an idea struck her. “Lawrence Langsford is attending the dinner party and Camray is empty. We started this because of his greed, so I think it only fitting to dedicate our final effort to robbing his precious Camray.” Her eyes lit up mischievously as she thought of the delight it would give her.

They all agreed and rode out to Camray. The house stood silent; the servants had sought out their own beds. Carefully, Rina led the way to the back entrance and into the interior of the familiar house. Without speaking, each went to carry out his assignment. Rina headed for the library. After closing the doors, she turned to look about, old memories flooding through her. The full moon lit the room well, its faded yellow glow illuminating the room well enough she could envision her father sitting at the large, mahogany desk.

Rina felt as if her father would see the humor in her actions. She moved over to the bookshelves, quickly finding what she sought. A safe, hidden by several books, opened easily under her swift fingers as they remembered the combination from her childhood. Her father had been more farsighted than he could have imagined when he taught Katrina this secret. She grinned as she pulled several bundles of money and boxes of jewels from it and carefully placed the booty in a bag. Pleased, she closed the safe, replaced the books, and turned to glance again at the empty desk; her life and memories of Camray seeming so long ago.

“Soon, Papa — soon, I shall claim what is mine.”

The others were already waiting outside. She handed the bag to John before mounting her horse. Quietly, they rode away. Once they were safely away from the estate, the five horsemen urged their mounts into a run. In a short while, they plunged into the woods, each ready to take a separate route back to the winery.

Rina paused to watch each of her men ride on, as she always did. Something caught her eye when she searched the trees. A rider appeared out of nowhere and, having spotted Tom, disappeared in pursuit. It was Lieutenant Greerson. Rina moved forward, scanning the area for other soldiers. There were none. Rina rode hard to cut off the lieutenant before he caught up to him.

Like a madman, she surged toward Greerson and ran directly into his path. The lieutenant’s horse reared nervously from surprise, catching the young man off guard. Tom was far enough ahead not to see or hear anything. Rina turned her attention to David, fighting to keep his seat. She yelled to him, “It’s me you want,
monsieur
! Catch me if you can.”

As quickly as she had appeared, the Angel darted off again, determined to draw him from her men. The dense forest swallowed her in its blackness and the lieutenant followed. The two horses thundered through the woods, Rina’s pursuer close behind her.

Rina crouched low, urging her horse to go faster. Her horse stumbled slightly, and David was beside her in seconds. In a daring move, he lunged at her and pulled her from her horse, sending them both tumbling to the ground. Nimbly, Rina pulled herself free, and dashed to the safety of the shadows, searching for her mount. A loud moan escaped David, and when she looked back, he remained where he had fallen.

Rina paused as indecision flooded her. Her horse was close and she moved toward him, ready to flee. Another groan reached her ears and stopped her. David did not move. Cautious, Rina turned back, unable to leave him injured. He did not open his eyes when she stood over him. She knelt beside him and tried to locate the origin of his pain. His hands shot out and grabbed her wrists, his grip strong and steely.

Rina gasped; her eyes wide with surprise. “You — you tricked me.”

David rolled to his feet and as he did so Rina brought her knee up, catching him in the stomach. She twisted free and pulled her sword. She took a defensive stance and faced him, anger at his deception surging through her.

David pulled his own sword in defense, the fury in his opponent’s eyes making his instincts kick in.

“I’ll not be so easy to take down, David.” Rina’s words came out a furious hiss and they dripped with sarcasm.

“I have no doubt about that,” he replied in a calm, steady voice.

The Angel’s strength surprised David as he fended off her agile attack. Again and again she struck; her prowess with a sword shocking him. His own expertise proved a good match, but steely determination and temper gave the Angel the edge. He could not believe it when she continually outmaneuvered him, placing him at a disadvantage. Rarely had he fought anyone so talented with a blade. Where did the woman get her power and stamina?

There was no time for answers, for Rina disarmed him with a deft move, and brought her sword to his throat. She stood there, unable to move, confusion playing in her eyes.

“It is your move, Angel. Kill me now and be rid of your enemy.” David waited, his gaze locked with hers.

Rina lowered her blade. “I am a thief, not a murderer. If I could not ride off earlier and leave you injured, I certainly cannot kill you now.”

David sighed, relieved. “You deliberately cut me off from your man and led me away. It was a brave thing to do, but foolish.”

“Perhaps,” She shrugged, seemingly unconcerned. “Now what do you plan to do?”

Rina waited for an answer, but none came. David reached up and pulled the scarf and mask from her face. She made no attempt to stop him — the time for truth was upon them. He showed no surprise as he looked into Rina’s eyes.

“I would have given anything for it not to be you.” His voice came out strained, and it touched Rina. “You have put me in a difficult situation, and I know not what to do. God, Rina, why couldn’t you have done as I asked? Why?”

“I was,” she whispered; a sad smile touched her lips.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“This was our last raid, David. It was decided tonight, there will be no more Angel in Black.”

Doubt was clear on his face. “How can I believe a thief? You have lied to me before.”

“I have no reason to lie, not now. I will not risk the lives of my men any longer, or yours. We all knew it would end, eventually. Either I would stop on my own, or you would end it. It is unfortunate for me both alternatives happened at the same time. If I hang, it was worth it.”

“You are the most confusing woman. How is it you are so unselfish and good?” His eyes filled with admiration.

She shook her head and her voice tensed. “No, David. You are wrong. At times I’m so filled with malice and hate I can’t feel any other emotion. This evil provides my strength and determination. My life, my future, belongs to this hatred. I have no control over it; it burns in me like an eternal fire.”

Rina understood the darkness within and her words shook with intensity. “Sometimes I believe it’s this hate that leads me to do good things. In order to keep my sanity, I must balance the overbearing violence — I must counter hate with love. The love I have for these people keeps me from losing myself completely to the ugliness. You must understand — I could kill for this hate, and I would gladly die for this love.”

She paused and took David’s hand in her own smaller one. “David, I am no different from anyone else. Perhaps I am a little more passionate — whether passionate in hate, or passionate in love. You have only seen what I do for love. Should you witness my all-consuming hatred, you would
not
find me unselfish and good. So dispel your saintly visions of me, for I don’t deserve them. I am a thief, no matter what my reasons, but I can live with that. Can you?”

He leaned down and gently kissed Rina on the cheek. “Yes, I can. I expect you to keep your word, Rina, no more Angel in Black.”

“No more Angel in Black,” she agreed.

She turned to leave and he watched her, knowing if her heart did not belong to another, he could easily fall in love with the woman. Though it was not to be, he knew he would never regret letting the Angel go.

R
INA PUSHED HER HOOD
back from her head and lifted her face to feel the sunshine on it. There was still a chill in the air, but the sun had decided to make an appearance. Taking a long walk, Rina ended up in the forest nearest the village. The sun filtered through the trees and cast shadows over the soft earth as she followed a well-worn trail. She listened to the sounds around her and felt at peace, something she felt little of lately. It had been several weeks since Rina last rode as the Angel and nightmares haunted her nights, leaving her spent.

Finding a soft pile of leaves, Rina sat down and leaned against a giant tree. She pulled a cloth from her cape and unfolded the cheese and bread she’d brought along. After eating her fill, she relaxed against the trunk and closed her eyes. Exhaustion took its toll and she fell asleep.

Startled, Rina awakened, scrambling to her feet. The sound of horses riding hard filtered to her ears, followed by the baying of hounds — they were coming toward her. Suddenly, a small red fox darted from the underbrush. Unaware of her presence, the animal paused to catch his breath, searching for a way to escape the dogs not far behind. Another round of baying sent the creature scurrying past Rina, actually brushing underneath her skirts. She watched the tiny critter disappear, and concern for his safety made her forget her own.

Only a minute or two passed and she found herself facing the hounds as they came crashing noisily through the trees, the scent of the fox still strong in their nostrils. Confusion filled them when her own scent mingled with the quarry, and they surrounded her, cutting off any attempt Rina may have made to flee.

Unconcerned the dogs might harm her, she decided to wait until the riders appeared, so she could go about her business. But to her disgust Lawrence and Randolph Langsford rode up, and following not far behind was Catherine Ramsey.

“What the hell is going on here?” Lawrence Langsford yelled; his anger apparent at having lost the fox. “Who are you, girl?”

Catherine Ramsey’s green eyes narrowed at Rina. “She is from Tattershall, Lawrence. I believe her name is Rina, one of the peasants who work in your fields.”

Langsford took another look at Rina and licked his lips, his eyes roaming boldly over her. His lascivious leer made her stomach tighten.

“Get these bloody hounds out of my sight,” he bellowed over their persistent baying. A small, wiry fellow appeared out of nowhere and blew his horn for the hounds to follow. As the noise trailed off, Langsford turned his attention back to her.