No one were screaming, which were a fair good sign.
“—all. I trust you’ll give him the message.”
Someone touched my arm, and I turned to see Rob crouching beside me, John behind him. John pushed a finger against his mouth, and I glared at him. Did he think I were thick? What were I like to do, announce myself?
“Yes, milord,” Tuck said.
There were footsteps, and a moment later Tuck called, “John? Rob? You still back there?”
They stood and I stood with them. “Scar too,” John said.
“How much of that did you lot catch?” he asked.
We came to the front side of the bar. “None,” I said.
“He said he wants to meet with Robin,” John said. “After Vespers, at the well.”
“Vespers? He said Vespers?” I asked. “Do you think he knows about the monastery? Or the ribbons and the barn?”
“Vespers is just faster than saying a little after sunset, and the well is a central place,” Tuck said with a shrug. “He probably doesn’t.”
“What else?” I asked. “Did he say what he’s about?”
“No. Just said he reckoned I knew how to get a message to Robin Hood.”
Rob’s hands settled on my shoulders, his body warm along my back. “It has to be some sort of a trap.”
“He doesn’t have men with him; I’m sure he’s free to use the knights, but he doesn’t have men of his own,” I told Rob, turning to look at him.
He crossed his arms, frowning at me. “Oh? How long have you known he was back?”
My face ran hot. “I heard things. Just found out he were back today.”
“And you didn’t tell me.” His eyes met mine, and I looked away. “Of course you didn’t,” he said, and this were low and sad.
Much burst into the room. “Rob! Rob! Gisbourne’s back!”
We all just stared at him.
“Little late, Much,” John told him. “He wants to meet with Rob.”
“Well, all of us,” I said. “It ain’t like you’re going alone.”
“You’re not going,” John and Rob said at the same time.
“Of course she is,” Much said. “Even if you ignore the fact that whatever he wants from Rob will definitely have something to do with Scar, don’t be stupid and think she’d be at home knitting, lads. Better to know where she is.”
“Thank you,” I told Much. He grinned at me.
“Up high and well armed,” Rob said.
“Fine,” I said. “But don’t think I’ll sit idly by if he tries something.”
“We wouldn’t expect you to ever keep yourself out of needless danger, Scar. Don’t worry,” John said.
I glared at him.
“Am I the only one who thinks we just shouldn’t bother? Who gives a damn what he has to say? I’ll kill this or hurt that—doesn’t that pretty much cover it?” John asked.
“Why come back at all?” I said. “He’s been gone for months.”
They all looked at me.
“Oh, for Heaven’s sake, I don’t think he cares that we’re married.”
“No man doesn’t care that he’s married,” John grunted, looking at the stairs. “Much is right, whatever it is definitely has to do with Scar. Without a sheriff to hire him on as a thief taker, he doesn’t have any interest in Nottinghamshire.”
“Well, he can’t have Scar. No matter what,” Rob said, looking at me. “I think we have to find out what he wants. He simply causes too much carnage for us to ignore him entirely.” I looked down and Rob came closer, catching my hand and running his fingers through mine. “Can you do this?”
I nodded, meeting his eyes. “I’m not afraid of him.”
Rob leaned closer and kissed my cheek.
“Let’s get going,” Rob said. “We need to get to the monastery and back by sunset.”
After such strange quiet in the past few months, it felt fair right to be walking through Sherwood, armed to the teeth the four of us. John and I went high on rooftops and Much were hidden behind a house while Robin stayed behind another house.
Gisbourne rode in alone on a dark gray horse, and I gave Much a nod. He started to move round the back to look for Gisbourne’s fellows. “Do I have an audience with the elusive Master Hood?”
“Yes,” Rob said, still hidden.
“And I imagine my darling wife is here as well. Missed me, Marian?”
John caught my eye and shook his head before I moved. I scowled evil at him.
“You can talk to me, Gisbourne,” Rob said.
He smiled. “You can call me Lord Leaford now, Hood,” Gisbourne said.
Angry heat rushed over me, and I raised myself over the edge of the roof. “What have you done to my father, Gisbourne?” I yelled, even over John swearing at me.
Gisbourne looked up and touched his fingers to his forehead, mocking a bow to me. “Apparently it’s easier than I thought to draw you out, my dear.”
The sight of him made my scar itch. He looked well enough—a little thinner, but still tall, harsh, clothed entirely in black with spots of silver gleaming from his weapons, his fastenings, his sword belt. I had spent so long fighting this man, running from him, fearing him, and he were here, alone. He almost seemed unimpressive.
I couldn’t help peering round him to look for some sort of ambush. I caught sight of Much, and he shrugged and shook his head.
“—all. I trust you’ll give him the message.”
Someone touched my arm, and I turned to see Rob crouching beside me, John behind him. John pushed a finger against his mouth, and I glared at him. Did he think I were thick? What were I like to do, announce myself?
“Yes, milord,” Tuck said.
There were footsteps, and a moment later Tuck called, “John? Rob? You still back there?”
They stood and I stood with them. “Scar too,” John said.
“How much of that did you lot catch?” he asked.
We came to the front side of the bar. “None,” I said.
“He said he wants to meet with Robin,” John said. “After Vespers, at the well.”
“Vespers? He said Vespers?” I asked. “Do you think he knows about the monastery? Or the ribbons and the barn?”
“Vespers is just faster than saying a little after sunset, and the well is a central place,” Tuck said with a shrug. “He probably doesn’t.”
“What else?” I asked. “Did he say what he’s about?”
“No. Just said he reckoned I knew how to get a message to Robin Hood.”
Rob’s hands settled on my shoulders, his body warm along my back. “It has to be some sort of a trap.”
“He doesn’t have men with him; I’m sure he’s free to use the knights, but he doesn’t have men of his own,” I told Rob, turning to look at him.
He crossed his arms, frowning at me. “Oh? How long have you known he was back?”
My face ran hot. “I heard things. Just found out he were back today.”
“And you didn’t tell me.” His eyes met mine, and I looked away. “Of course you didn’t,” he said, and this were low and sad.
Much burst into the room. “Rob! Rob! Gisbourne’s back!”
We all just stared at him.
“Little late, Much,” John told him. “He wants to meet with Rob.”
“Well, all of us,” I said. “It ain’t like you’re going alone.”
“You’re not going,” John and Rob said at the same time.
“Of course she is,” Much said. “Even if you ignore the fact that whatever he wants from Rob will definitely have something to do with Scar, don’t be stupid and think she’d be at home knitting, lads. Better to know where she is.”
“Thank you,” I told Much. He grinned at me.
“Up high and well armed,” Rob said.
“Fine,” I said. “But don’t think I’ll sit idly by if he tries something.”
“We wouldn’t expect you to ever keep yourself out of needless danger, Scar. Don’t worry,” John said.
I glared at him.
“Am I the only one who thinks we just shouldn’t bother? Who gives a damn what he has to say? I’ll kill this or hurt that—doesn’t that pretty much cover it?” John asked.
“Why come back at all?” I said. “He’s been gone for months.”
They all looked at me.
“Oh, for Heaven’s sake, I don’t think he cares that we’re married.”
“No man doesn’t care that he’s married,” John grunted, looking at the stairs. “Much is right, whatever it is definitely has to do with Scar. Without a sheriff to hire him on as a thief taker, he doesn’t have any interest in Nottinghamshire.”
“Well, he can’t have Scar. No matter what,” Rob said, looking at me. “I think we have to find out what he wants. He simply causes too much carnage for us to ignore him entirely.” I looked down and Rob came closer, catching my hand and running his fingers through mine. “Can you do this?”
I nodded, meeting his eyes. “I’m not afraid of him.”
Rob leaned closer and kissed my cheek.
“Let’s get going,” Rob said. “We need to get to the monastery and back by sunset.”
After such strange quiet in the past few months, it felt fair right to be walking through Sherwood, armed to the teeth the four of us. John and I went high on rooftops and Much were hidden behind a house while Robin stayed behind another house.
Gisbourne rode in alone on a dark gray horse, and I gave Much a nod. He started to move round the back to look for Gisbourne’s fellows. “Do I have an audience with the elusive Master Hood?”
“Yes,” Rob said, still hidden.
“And I imagine my darling wife is here as well. Missed me, Marian?”
John caught my eye and shook his head before I moved. I scowled evil at him.
“You can talk to me, Gisbourne,” Rob said.
He smiled. “You can call me Lord Leaford now, Hood,” Gisbourne said.
Angry heat rushed over me, and I raised myself over the edge of the roof. “What have you done to my father, Gisbourne?” I yelled, even over John swearing at me.
Gisbourne looked up and touched his fingers to his forehead, mocking a bow to me. “Apparently it’s easier than I thought to draw you out, my dear.”
The sight of him made my scar itch. He looked well enough—a little thinner, but still tall, harsh, clothed entirely in black with spots of silver gleaming from his weapons, his fastenings, his sword belt. I had spent so long fighting this man, running from him, fearing him, and he were here, alone. He almost seemed unimpressive.
I couldn’t help peering round him to look for some sort of ambush. I caught sight of Much, and he shrugged and shook his head.
