To my surprise, this raised cheers from the women and hollers from the men. I felt myself burn red, glaring at her for even teasing at our secret, and Rob tucked me closer to him. “Mind your business,” Rob said, grinning. “Isn’t there a tax to pay?”
“You’ll never get them to the altar,” Much said, winking at me as he took the baby. “Unless it were up in a tree. Or a prison. Then Scar might attend.”
“Nonsense,” Brother Benedict said, hefting a stack of peat bricks onto the cart. “Lady Huntingdon spends more time in a pew than the rest of you.”
“Leave Scar alone,” Rob said, rubbing my back. “Benedict? Much? How are we doing?”
Benedict rubbed his forehead. “I think we’re coming along.”
Much tallied the bricks with a frown. “If we split the cargo to two different markets we’ll do better for price. Considering that, we’re a little over the tax amount.”
Rob started. “Over?”
Much nodded. “Well, given our luck and the nature of thieves here about, we really have to consider that we’ll lose some of the money somehow. Fortunately, we’re well ahead of the deadline and we have a lot of forest yet.”
“Still, let’s not use that opportunity if we don’t have to. One thing we certainly know is there’s always another tax.” Rob looked around. “I know everyone isn’t here, but those of you that are, gather close for a moment,” he called.
People drifted in, and children whooshed past me, bumping me closer to Rob. He kissed my temple.
“Our work is done,” he proclaimed, and everyone whooped and cheered. He grinned. “And now, we need to take all this to market and receive our bounty in coins. But before that,” he said, and people sighed, crestfallen. “I think we need to celebrate.”
Everyone cheered again, and I laughed.
“Anyone who can hunt, you can have one more day to hunt the royal forest, and we will feast tomorrow in Nottingham. Anyone in the shire who wants to come is welcome. We will share what we have, and then we will see what the sustenance of this noble shire really is—hope. And love. And caring for the fate of your fellow man.” He nodded solemn. “We will honor the lives of those we’ve lost and we will toast to those new lives who have just begun.”
Much held up Maryanne in answer as the people cheered.
“Let’s do it in the forest,” I said quick and loud, catching Much’s eye and nodding. Winchester saw this and looked confused.
“Yes,” Much said. “The forest gave us all this, it can host the feast!”
“And Rob, you and I can ready things at the castle.”
“Shouldn’t we be in the for—” he started.
“And Winchester will help us in the forest. You’re not needed, Rob,” Much said, nodding him off.
Rob started to smile and looked at me with a shrug. “I confess I don’t know what’s going on, but I will definitely take a few moments with you, my love,” he told me, putting his arm around me.
“Well, I think we will both have much to do,” I told him, smiling. “But I’m sure we can find a few moments.”
“And maybe,” he whispered into my ear, “with Sir David in the forest, you can stay with me tonight.”
I elbowed him off, beaming at him. “We’ll see about that.”
He grinned. “As long as there’s a chance, I’m a happy man.” I smiled at him, but he grew serious, tugging me closer again, flush against him. “I mean it, you know. Whether you’re never ready, whether we never beat Prince John, whether this never ends—as long as there’s a chance, as long as there is some kind of hope for us, I’m happy.”
I touched his face. “I’ll be ready. And we’ll beat Prince John, and this will end. We deserve more than a chance, Rob. We deserve a happy ending.”
His mouth grazed over mine, like a ghost of a kiss. “Strange words from you.”
“You inspire them,” I told him, rubbing my nose on his. “You inspire me.”
No sooner did his mouth fit over mine than I heard, “My lord, my lady! I must insist!” from David.
Rob twisted me in response, holding me careful and tight in his arms while he dipped me and gave me an awful dramatic kiss.
Chapter 22
I went to the forest as soon as I were able, and Missy and Ellie near jumped on me to keep me from the place we’d been setting up for a wedding.
“Well, what are you two up to now?” I asked. “I thought this was my secret.”
“Not anymore,” Missy said. “Come on, my mum says there’s much to do with you.”
“Your mum?” I asked. From railing against my thievery to thinking I were corrupting her daughters, Mistress Morgan hadn’t ever been so keen on me.
“Yes,” Missy said. “And Bess has a present for you!”
This eased me a bit. At least Bess, I were sure, would prevent Mistress Morgan from poisoning me or some such thing.
“Ladies,” I heard. We turned to see Much and Winchester there.
“His lordship has been quite the help,” Much told me, and Winchester smiled.
“Mr. Miller isn’t aware that I have other motives,” Winchester said. “I seem to rely on Lady Huntingdon’s help to get my own lady to the altar.”
I beamed at this. “She’ll be arriving any day,” I told him.
“You’ll never get them to the altar,” Much said, winking at me as he took the baby. “Unless it were up in a tree. Or a prison. Then Scar might attend.”
“Nonsense,” Brother Benedict said, hefting a stack of peat bricks onto the cart. “Lady Huntingdon spends more time in a pew than the rest of you.”
“Leave Scar alone,” Rob said, rubbing my back. “Benedict? Much? How are we doing?”
Benedict rubbed his forehead. “I think we’re coming along.”
Much tallied the bricks with a frown. “If we split the cargo to two different markets we’ll do better for price. Considering that, we’re a little over the tax amount.”
Rob started. “Over?”
Much nodded. “Well, given our luck and the nature of thieves here about, we really have to consider that we’ll lose some of the money somehow. Fortunately, we’re well ahead of the deadline and we have a lot of forest yet.”
“Still, let’s not use that opportunity if we don’t have to. One thing we certainly know is there’s always another tax.” Rob looked around. “I know everyone isn’t here, but those of you that are, gather close for a moment,” he called.
People drifted in, and children whooshed past me, bumping me closer to Rob. He kissed my temple.
“Our work is done,” he proclaimed, and everyone whooped and cheered. He grinned. “And now, we need to take all this to market and receive our bounty in coins. But before that,” he said, and people sighed, crestfallen. “I think we need to celebrate.”
Everyone cheered again, and I laughed.
“Anyone who can hunt, you can have one more day to hunt the royal forest, and we will feast tomorrow in Nottingham. Anyone in the shire who wants to come is welcome. We will share what we have, and then we will see what the sustenance of this noble shire really is—hope. And love. And caring for the fate of your fellow man.” He nodded solemn. “We will honor the lives of those we’ve lost and we will toast to those new lives who have just begun.”
Much held up Maryanne in answer as the people cheered.
“Let’s do it in the forest,” I said quick and loud, catching Much’s eye and nodding. Winchester saw this and looked confused.
“Yes,” Much said. “The forest gave us all this, it can host the feast!”
“And Rob, you and I can ready things at the castle.”
“Shouldn’t we be in the for—” he started.
“And Winchester will help us in the forest. You’re not needed, Rob,” Much said, nodding him off.
Rob started to smile and looked at me with a shrug. “I confess I don’t know what’s going on, but I will definitely take a few moments with you, my love,” he told me, putting his arm around me.
“Well, I think we will both have much to do,” I told him, smiling. “But I’m sure we can find a few moments.”
“And maybe,” he whispered into my ear, “with Sir David in the forest, you can stay with me tonight.”
I elbowed him off, beaming at him. “We’ll see about that.”
He grinned. “As long as there’s a chance, I’m a happy man.” I smiled at him, but he grew serious, tugging me closer again, flush against him. “I mean it, you know. Whether you’re never ready, whether we never beat Prince John, whether this never ends—as long as there’s a chance, as long as there is some kind of hope for us, I’m happy.”
I touched his face. “I’ll be ready. And we’ll beat Prince John, and this will end. We deserve more than a chance, Rob. We deserve a happy ending.”
His mouth grazed over mine, like a ghost of a kiss. “Strange words from you.”
“You inspire them,” I told him, rubbing my nose on his. “You inspire me.”
No sooner did his mouth fit over mine than I heard, “My lord, my lady! I must insist!” from David.
Rob twisted me in response, holding me careful and tight in his arms while he dipped me and gave me an awful dramatic kiss.
Chapter 22
I went to the forest as soon as I were able, and Missy and Ellie near jumped on me to keep me from the place we’d been setting up for a wedding.
“Well, what are you two up to now?” I asked. “I thought this was my secret.”
“Not anymore,” Missy said. “Come on, my mum says there’s much to do with you.”
“Your mum?” I asked. From railing against my thievery to thinking I were corrupting her daughters, Mistress Morgan hadn’t ever been so keen on me.
“Yes,” Missy said. “And Bess has a present for you!”
This eased me a bit. At least Bess, I were sure, would prevent Mistress Morgan from poisoning me or some such thing.
“Ladies,” I heard. We turned to see Much and Winchester there.
“His lordship has been quite the help,” Much told me, and Winchester smiled.
“Mr. Miller isn’t aware that I have other motives,” Winchester said. “I seem to rely on Lady Huntingdon’s help to get my own lady to the altar.”
I beamed at this. “She’ll be arriving any day,” I told him.
