Chapter 11 #3
Blair blinked at the juxtaposition. Right.
It’s the twenty-first century. “Yes, thanks.” Blair considered if they were with a tour they would be seeing most of the same places.
They might be several minutes apart, but it was possible they could be within proximity.
Blair kept his eye on Emily while Will Scarlet placed the call.
“Aya, mate. Have you got room for two more?” He nodded.
“Brilliant. I’ll send them over.” He turned to Blair.
“He’s two blocks north. Ye can’t miss ’im.
He’s the dog’s bullocks. Trained me, he did. ”
“Thanks, mate.” Blair gave him a two-finger salute and briskly walked to where Emily was pacing. “Follow me.” He reached for the back of her elbow and guided her through the gathering crowds.
Ashley immediately spotted Little John, who was wearing an authentic-looking costume, with John’s notable blue tunic under his leather vest. She was all atwitter.
“Mom, look! There is our tour guide. He’s dressed like one of the Merry Men!”
“They take Robin Hood very seriously here, don’t they?” Jessica replied with a laugh.
“Well, the story of Robin Hood has captivated audiences for centuries, with tales of his adventures in Sherwood Forest,” Ashley responded.
“He’s the classic anti-hero known to ‘rob from the rich and give to the poor.’ He represents the fight for justice and the struggle against tyranny and oppression. ”
Jessica smiled at her daughter.
Ashley was thoroughly enjoying this trip.
Her mother seemed equally delighted with their adventure.
Ashley had underestimated how important these moments together would be.
Initially it was going to be a journey to find her birth parents with a vacation thrown in.
Now, it seemed as if it was the opposite.
Not that finding the Evans family wasn’t important, but the trip had become much more than that.
Little John gathered his gaggle of tourists and began to talk about the historic significance of Nottingham Castle, which loomed impressively in the distance.
Little John continued to explain that many believe King Richard the Lionheart may have stopped at Ye Old Trip to Jerusalem during the Crusades.
His exploits in the Third Crusade became legendary, and his lasting association with the Robin Hood tales has added to the mystique of Nottingham.
Perched atop a sandstone cliff, the castle has been a central landmark in the Robin Hood legend.
Two blocks away, Emily was craning her neck for any signs of her twin.
Blair was doing the same, but he had a four-inch advantage.
Both were resisting frustration. It had been a not-so-merry chase for several hours.
Blair tried to shake a disheartened thought: So close, yet so far.
Such a shame. He could only imagine what Emily was experiencing and hoped she wouldn’t have a repeat of this morning.
He had to admit he was worried. He turned to Emily.
“We can go along with the Friar Tuck group, if you’d like. ”
She moved closer to him. “What do you say we go to the usual places. Almost every itinerary makes the same stops, just in different order. We can pretend we are simply locals casually walking about.” She paused. “There’s no law that says we have to be escorted to any of the sights.”
Blair’s face brightened. This was the Emily he knew. Spunky. Confident. “Brilliant. Shall we?” He made a space for Emily to thread her arm through the crook of his.
They didn’t want to bring attention to themselves by storming the tour groups, so they stepped lively, but not aggressively. They decided their first stop would Nottingham Castle, which was a fifteen-minute walk away.
When they arrived at the castle a tour group was there, but it didn’t take much time for Emily and Blair to discover their targets were not part of that group.
They exited outside to the grounds where the bronze statue of Robin Hood stands since its unveiling in 1952. Again, they were nowhere in sight.
Blair took Emily’s arm. “May I make a suggestion?”
“By all means. Suggest away.”
“Every tour stops at Ye Old Trip to Jerusalem. Why don’t we head over there and wait?” Blair let out a huff. “Besides, I could use a pint right about now.”
Emily grinned. “Brilliant!.” The two made a swift move to the tavern, anticipating they weren’t going to miss them this time.
The aged, worn wooden bar stretched along one side.
Centuries of pints which had been served left their mark.
The low-beamed ceilings and uneven stone floors created a rustic ambiance, with candlelight flickering against the aged timber walls.
Alcoves had been carved into the sandstone walls, creating small cozy nooks, while aromas of beer and hearty food filled the hollows.
The tavern was half full, and a quiet hum of conversation filled the space. There were two empty seats at the end of the bar and Blair grabbed Emily by the hand to lead the way.
Emily hopped on a stool and Blair ordered. “Two pints and a plate of chips, please,” he said to the barkeep. He looked at Emily. “You must be hungry. Care for something more substantial?”
“I’m too nervous to eat. I might hurl.”
“No chips?” Blair scrunched his forehead and pursed his lips.
“Well, maybe a few.” Emily situated herself so she was in direct line of sight of the entrance. Their pints arrived quickly, followed by their chips. A small group of people entered. Blair stood up to get a better view above some of the heads.
“Anything?”
“Not this group.” He sat back down and took a pull of his beer.
They were halfway through their chips when Emily gasped and dropped one of her fried potatoes. “It’s them.” She could barely contain herself.
“Steady on. It looks like they’re going to have something to drink.” Blair noted that the women had removed their jackets along with the rest of their small group. “I have an idea. What do you say we order a drink for them?”
“What do you mean?” Emily was raring to go.
“I’ll tell the bartender that we would like to buy them a drink. They’ll be forced to look in our direction.” He raised his eyebrows.
“Well, talk about a surprise. I like it.” Emily was keen on his idea. She pulled out a wool cap from her pocket and placed it on her head, making sure all of her hair was tucked into it. She wanted her face to be unobstructed by any stray locks so there would be no mistake as to who she could be.
Blair asked again. “You’re sure she doesn’t know about you?”
“Not entirely, but I would imagine she doesn’t.” Emily watched as the barkeep walked over to them. He leaned forward and the two women looked startled. They didn’t know anyone in Nottingham. Not yet. As soon as he stepped aside, Jessica and Ashley had a full view of Emily and Blair and vice versa.
Jessica and Ashley’s jaws dropped simultaneously as they stared at Ashley’s double.
Blair encouraged Emily to do the thing she had set out to do. “I suppose you should go over there and introduce yourself.”
Emily’s legs were like jelly when she tried to stand. Blair helped with a steady hand. “Go for it. You’ve waited long enough.”
Emily finally stood tall and made her way through the crowd. Ashley turned toward her and continued to stare as the woman approached them.
“Ashley?” Emily said barely above a whisper.
Ashley was sputtering. “I, yes, Ashley.”
Emily gently placed her hands on Ashley’s shoulder and looked at her straight in the eye. “I’m yer sister.”
Ashley searched the woman’s face. It was identical to hers. She reached up and touched Emily’s cheek. “Who are you?”
Jessica was equally dumbfounded. She had no idea that Ashley had a twin. How was it that no one told them when they first adopted? Privacy perhaps.
“Emily Evans.”
“Oh my God!” Ashley cried out. “Emily Evans? Your mother is Kathleen?”
“Yes!” Emily burst into tears. Ashley quickly followed and threw her arms around Emily.
Jessica looked at the other side of the bar where the very nice-looking man had been sitting.
She shrugged and spread her hands wide. He had the widest smile on his face and nodded.
He picked up his mug and Emily’s and maneuvered to the other side of the pub as the twins continued to hug and cry.
Blair sidled next to Jessica. “You must be Ashley’s mum? ”
“I am.” Tears were rolling down her face as well.
Blair was trying to maintain a stiff upper lip.
“I am chuffed. This has been an agonizing journey for Emily.” He held his mug high above his head and raised his voice so the rest of the patrons could hear his announcement.
“Ladies and gentlemen. It is my great pleasure to share this most wonderful news. Emily and Ashley were separated at birth, and they have finally been reunited! Drinks all round!” He motioned to the man behind the bar while shouts and hoots reverberated off the historic sandstone walls beneath Nottingham Castle.
For centuries the pub has been a favored spot for pilgrims. It was fitting it should be the place where two sisters were brought together.
Questions were flying back and forth between the sisters.
Jessica’s face hurt from smiling. Blair was overjoyed for both families, especially Emily.
It was she who took the initiative to find her twin, but based on the few minutes he spent with Ashley, he knew if Ashley was aware of a sister, she too would have made the herculean effort to find her.
Once they got past the “What are you doing here?” queries, Ashley finally came around and asked about her birth parents.
Emily became rigid. What should she say about their father?
From the expression on Emily’s face Blair understood the quandary and immediately stepped in.
“What do you say we snag a table in a quiet corner somewhere?”
Emily was the first to answer. “Capital idea. Should we stay here? At the pub?”