The Unpayable Debt

Chapter 15

XV

"Robin, we have a problem; he's not alone."

It had been Sarah's idea that they talk to her neighbours. She suspected that her family was not the only one to be in debt to Henry Dartford and so it seemed logical to ask around. Robin led his men to Nottingham and although at first many were reluctant to speak with them, they soon discovered that quite a few families were suffering under such a burden.

She had been right.

Gisborne suspected that Dartford would at some point return to collect his money and so perhaps they could catch him in the act.

He had been right as well.

They had not been long in Nottingham before the man himself appeared. Guy knew him on sight. In the days of his service to the Sheriff, he had seen him once or twice at the castle. At the time, he had assumed that he was just another one of the Sheriff's cronies but now he realised that the visits were probably to grease the Sheriff's palm, a tactic that always got Vaisey to look the other way.

Now the man was there, in Sarah's street, visiting a house a little further down from them and Guy ached to hurt him. The problem was, as Little John had pointed out, he was not alone - he had a group of mercenaries in tow.

They were outnumbered. Guy reasoned that that had never stopped Robin and his men in the past but before his hand could go to the hilt of his sword and he could give in to the urge to gut Dartford like a fish, Robin stopped him. He pointed to a group of children playing nearby and Guy understood: there were too many people around, if they attacked Dartford and his men, innocents could get caught in the crossfire.

So the men had to look on as Dartford went about his business.

"This isn't over." Guy hissed, his body shaking with suppressed rage.

"No, it isn't." Robin replied, his eyes never leaving Dartford.

**********

"We need to find a way to lure him." Robin was deep in thought. He and his men had retreated to the outskirts of Nottingham for they could do no more today.

"What do you suggest? We can't just invite him to the forest." Tuck was sitting on the ground nearby fiddling with his crucifix.

"Perhaps we could find out where he's staying, surprise him there." Gisborne offered.

"That could work..." Robin was considering this but was interrupted by Allan arriving with Kate:

"It gets worse Robin..." she began,

"Seems he's been a bit heavy handed at the Trip as well..." Allan pressed his lips together tightly; he never liked to be the bearer of bad news.

"He got drunk there last night and lost his temper with one of the girls who works there..." Kate grimaced,

"Yeah, gave her a right shiner..." Allan gestured to his eye to signal where she'd been hit, "and in the melee he even kicked the dog..."

"Not Bertie!" Much was aghast.

Little John spat on the ground in disgust. Tuck looked furious. Allan nodded unhappily.

"The man is evil!" Kate declared. For once, she and Gisborne were in agreement.

"Did they throw him out?" Robin asked.

"Of course they did! Nobody kicks Bertie!" Allan replied. Collective nodding ensued.

After a few moments of silence, Robin looked around the group, a smile spreading slowly across his face: "I think I have a plan."