“Morning, Aggie,” I called. “Sirs.”
Aggie’s face dropped, and her body fell back against the well. She crossed her arms. “Imagine meeting you here.”
The second knight took in Aggie’s change and turned back to me, sauntering closer. “Why aren’t you at the wall, lad? All able-bodied men were called—even small, rather flimsy-looking ones.”
“Oh, for Heaven’s sake, she’s a girl in pants.” Aggie pouted.
The knight took new interest in me, looking me over. “Well I suppose that’s lucky. Look, one for each of us. I’ll even let you have the pretty one.”
Aggie looked wounded as the first knight put the pail down.
“Don’t put your hands on her,” I warned him.
The second knight grinned. “Jealous? I’ll keep you busy, pet. Though it looks like you’ve already had a man’s hands on you.” His eyes hooked on my neck.
I put my hand over it, swallowing under the pain. I knew it were swollen, but it must have bruised up overnight.
“I’m right glad Rob finally taught you a lesson,” Aggie told me with a sniff. “That’s what you get for being so meddlesome.”
The mood changed quick, and the first knight grabbed Aggie’s arm. “Rob?” he asked. “Robin Hood?”
“The vagabond?” the second knight said, and took quick steps toward me. I stepped to the side.
Aggie had the sense to be sorry, even if it were late and little at that. “N-no,” Aggie lied quick. “Her husband. Robert of Gisbourne.”
“Lord Gisbourne,” I snapped, and the knight halted his advance.
The knight laughed. “There’s no way in hell you’re Lady Leaford.”
His fellow coughed, though, and the second knight looked back to see the first one leaving Aggie be. “We should go.”
“She isn’t Lady Leaford!” the second said.
“Didn’t you hear any of the stories?” the first knight muttered to him. He shook his head and prodded his fellow farther down the lane.
As the knights disappeared, Aggie stomped her foot and turned on me. I frowned at her, going to the well and tying a scarlet ribbon to the hook. “How could you?” she snapped. “How am I ever supposed to get a husband with you interfering?”
“Go home, Aggie,” John said, coming from behind a house with the others. “Or I’ll tell your father what you’re angling for.”
She crossed her arms. “Oh, I’ll tell him what you angled from me right back, John Little.”
John frowned at her like he were losing patience. “Yes, Aggie, I’m sure you’re eager to tell your father that.”
“Go,” Rob told her, bare glancing her way. “And don’t speak to Scar like that again, Agatha.”
“I didn’t mean to let it slip—” she started.
“No,” he said sharp. “You meant to be cruel to the girl who saved your father’s life. Who fed you when you were hungry. That’s what you meant. Go home, Agatha.”
She turned heel and left, and Rob came close to me and let his fingers brush over mine. My heart caught the sunlight and tried to tuck it in so close I felt near to bursting. I beamed at him, remembering again—he loves me.
He gave me a soft, small smile, but it blew off like smoke when his eyes dropped to my neck.
Rob turned from me, my fingers going cold where they had been warm, and I pulled my collar up tight against the bruises.
“Come on,” Rob told us, and we continued on to Lord Thoresby’s manor.
Thoresby’s loyal guards let us pass unbothered, and we went to the barn. It were warmer in there, full of animals and horses and wide-open space in the middle. There were three little people waiting for us.
Jack and Will Clarke came over to us, trailed by the littlest Morgan girl, Missy. She came and stood beside me, quiet, in a way that always made me want to tuck her under my coat. Jack went over to Rob and started yapping at him, and Will drifted slow to me.
“Hullo, Scarlet,” he said.
“Morning, Will.”
His cheeks threw up a red flame, and he looked at me and then away. His small chest puffed with breath and he looked at me again, his face turning angry and sour. “Did someone hurt you?” he demanded, his voice loud. “Was it a knight? I’ll kill him! I’m a much better shot now!”
At twelve, he weren’t much shorter than me, but I felt a need to kneel down. “No, no,” I told him quick. “My coat snagged on a tree and yanked me back, that were all.” I saw Rob turn away from me at the lie. “Besides, who would hurt me when you’re around to protect me?”
He looked at me, very solemn, and said, “I’ll cut down the tree if you show me which one. And if it’s not too tall.”
Trying to swallow my smile, I shook my head. “We can let the tree live.”
The barn door opened, and a few more of the children and women from the town came in. Will went to his brother, and Rob slipped up beside me.
“I hate to make you lie,” he whispered, his breath rushing over my ear and making shivers trickle down my spine like water.
I shrugged. “I’m a liar. Besides, he wouldn’t understand.”
“Are we supposed to understand?” John asked, glaring at Rob and not looking at me. “Because I don’t.”
“Shut it, John,” I told him with a frown.
Aggie’s face dropped, and her body fell back against the well. She crossed her arms. “Imagine meeting you here.”
The second knight took in Aggie’s change and turned back to me, sauntering closer. “Why aren’t you at the wall, lad? All able-bodied men were called—even small, rather flimsy-looking ones.”
“Oh, for Heaven’s sake, she’s a girl in pants.” Aggie pouted.
The knight took new interest in me, looking me over. “Well I suppose that’s lucky. Look, one for each of us. I’ll even let you have the pretty one.”
Aggie looked wounded as the first knight put the pail down.
“Don’t put your hands on her,” I warned him.
The second knight grinned. “Jealous? I’ll keep you busy, pet. Though it looks like you’ve already had a man’s hands on you.” His eyes hooked on my neck.
I put my hand over it, swallowing under the pain. I knew it were swollen, but it must have bruised up overnight.
“I’m right glad Rob finally taught you a lesson,” Aggie told me with a sniff. “That’s what you get for being so meddlesome.”
The mood changed quick, and the first knight grabbed Aggie’s arm. “Rob?” he asked. “Robin Hood?”
“The vagabond?” the second knight said, and took quick steps toward me. I stepped to the side.
Aggie had the sense to be sorry, even if it were late and little at that. “N-no,” Aggie lied quick. “Her husband. Robert of Gisbourne.”
“Lord Gisbourne,” I snapped, and the knight halted his advance.
The knight laughed. “There’s no way in hell you’re Lady Leaford.”
His fellow coughed, though, and the second knight looked back to see the first one leaving Aggie be. “We should go.”
“She isn’t Lady Leaford!” the second said.
“Didn’t you hear any of the stories?” the first knight muttered to him. He shook his head and prodded his fellow farther down the lane.
As the knights disappeared, Aggie stomped her foot and turned on me. I frowned at her, going to the well and tying a scarlet ribbon to the hook. “How could you?” she snapped. “How am I ever supposed to get a husband with you interfering?”
“Go home, Aggie,” John said, coming from behind a house with the others. “Or I’ll tell your father what you’re angling for.”
She crossed her arms. “Oh, I’ll tell him what you angled from me right back, John Little.”
John frowned at her like he were losing patience. “Yes, Aggie, I’m sure you’re eager to tell your father that.”
“Go,” Rob told her, bare glancing her way. “And don’t speak to Scar like that again, Agatha.”
“I didn’t mean to let it slip—” she started.
“No,” he said sharp. “You meant to be cruel to the girl who saved your father’s life. Who fed you when you were hungry. That’s what you meant. Go home, Agatha.”
She turned heel and left, and Rob came close to me and let his fingers brush over mine. My heart caught the sunlight and tried to tuck it in so close I felt near to bursting. I beamed at him, remembering again—he loves me.
He gave me a soft, small smile, but it blew off like smoke when his eyes dropped to my neck.
Rob turned from me, my fingers going cold where they had been warm, and I pulled my collar up tight against the bruises.
“Come on,” Rob told us, and we continued on to Lord Thoresby’s manor.
Thoresby’s loyal guards let us pass unbothered, and we went to the barn. It were warmer in there, full of animals and horses and wide-open space in the middle. There were three little people waiting for us.
Jack and Will Clarke came over to us, trailed by the littlest Morgan girl, Missy. She came and stood beside me, quiet, in a way that always made me want to tuck her under my coat. Jack went over to Rob and started yapping at him, and Will drifted slow to me.
“Hullo, Scarlet,” he said.
“Morning, Will.”
His cheeks threw up a red flame, and he looked at me and then away. His small chest puffed with breath and he looked at me again, his face turning angry and sour. “Did someone hurt you?” he demanded, his voice loud. “Was it a knight? I’ll kill him! I’m a much better shot now!”
At twelve, he weren’t much shorter than me, but I felt a need to kneel down. “No, no,” I told him quick. “My coat snagged on a tree and yanked me back, that were all.” I saw Rob turn away from me at the lie. “Besides, who would hurt me when you’re around to protect me?”
He looked at me, very solemn, and said, “I’ll cut down the tree if you show me which one. And if it’s not too tall.”
Trying to swallow my smile, I shook my head. “We can let the tree live.”
The barn door opened, and a few more of the children and women from the town came in. Will went to his brother, and Rob slipped up beside me.
“I hate to make you lie,” he whispered, his breath rushing over my ear and making shivers trickle down my spine like water.
I shrugged. “I’m a liar. Besides, he wouldn’t understand.”
“Are we supposed to understand?” John asked, glaring at Rob and not looking at me. “Because I don’t.”
“Shut it, John,” I told him with a frown.
