Chapter 4 – Going under
Nottingham had gone completely mad. The Sheriff had received yet another late night visit from Robin Hood asking for something or the other, and now he had become completely paranoid, demanding more security, punishments and of course a chase down of the outlaws.
"This is my land, not his!", the Sheriff was bellowing on and on …
Gisborne was more than happy to comply. Since his failed wedding to Marion, the Sheriff had not given orders for any attacks to be carried out in the forest. Guy had a slight suspicion it had something to do with punishing him, with showing him just how little his dishonor meant to the Sheriff. "The time will come … the time will come". That was the only thought that had kept him calm all these months. Now there was something else that was giving him more patience that he thought he had … but he avoided facing that "detail".
As he was making his way out of the Great Hall, on his way to the stables to pick up his horse and prepare his men, the Sheriff stopped him:
"Gisborne … where are you going?", he asked with pretended ignorance …
"Into the forest, my lord", Guy replied with obvious haste.
"Oh, no, no … you are not going after Robin Hood, Gisborne …I've sent Huntington, the new leftenent, after him" …
This seriously unbalanced Guy … to such an extent that for a second the Sheriff could actually feel shivers down his back … that was mostly why he did what he did with Gisborne. He was the only one to ever make him truly afraid … "Thank God, I've got him under my thumb …. If he ever realizes what he could actually do I would be in grave danger" …
"My lord", Guy was trying very hard to control himself. He looked at this little, ridiculous man and he knew how easily he could squash him but he also knew the consequences of such an action so he shoved his feet into the ground firmly and spoke with as much restraint as he could manage… "With all due respect, my lord, Robin Hood was my project from the beginning … I should be in charge of any new developments that might …"
"La di dah di dah … Gisborne … you're as plain as song, forever on one note …You are my master-at-arms so you're place is with me in these difficult times, not off to the forest as some slighted, in love poet! "
"My lord!", Guy raised his voice and stood as straight at he could … This put him comfortably above the man that was giving him such offence … "Huntington is new … he does not know the proper ways of dealing with the outlaws …"
"Well … we'll see what happens … he might surprise us! But in the meanwhile there is a man in the prison that I want you to give 'our special treatment' to"… "After all that is your greatest talent, is it not?", the Sheriff concluded in a tone that was meant to give the greatest of compliments …
But Guy knew better. What he actually meant was that he was an unthinking brute who was only good at causing pain …
It was not the case, but he had learned very early on that most men can go into battle and cause terrible destruction and death, they can plan the end for hundreds of people at the time, but they get squeamish when it comes to being face to face with someone and inflicting pain in order to get something out of them. So in order to move up and get what he wanted, he took on that job. It was difficult in the beginning but he found that with time you just didn't care anymore. A mother, a man, a child … they all become the same thing: steps on your way up … so you do what is necessary.
"And besides, Gisborne" … the Sheriff was not yet done … "you are a recently married man … What would it look like if you would leave for the woods for what could possibly be days, when you have a new wife at home waiting for you. How is my little dove?".
Guy crossed his arms and just looked away, as he often did when dealing with the Sheriff … "She is fine".
"I shall understand of course if you have to leave early for Locksley …We wouldn't want your wife to be angry with you for arriving late for dinner … Be careful Gisborne not to be put on a very tight leash … most married men are … which is why I never got married". The Sheriff finished making his little "wedding contribution", as he liked to think of it, and then moved slowly away leaving Gisborne alone outside the stables.
"Damn Huntington", he thought and pushed a bench with his leg. "Damn Robin Hood". He picked up the same unfortunate bench and threw it upside down.
He started pacing around in anger. He had planned on arriving home in time for dinner, but now that he thought about it better, he was going to be late. "Very late" … Could she actually think of ordering him what hours to keep?
He arrived at Locksley late into the night. He expected everyone to be asleep. Well, Thornton would be up, of course, as he was every night, waiting to receive him but as he was getting closer to the Manor he could also see that there were lights in the dining hall …
As he was getting of his horse, Thornton came out. "Good evening, my lord".
"Good evening, Thornton. Why are there still lights in the dining hall?", he asked in an angry voice … "who is still up?"
"It's the mistress, my lord", the man answered quickly, "She said she was going to wait for you."
"No doubt to reproach my arrival at such an hour", he thought. There would defiantly be raised voices, angry looks, even tears. "Her kind always cries". But she had picked the wrong man to have a fight with, and the wrong night. He was tired and angry and had had his fill of attacks for one day. He was not going to put up with them in his own house … "If she thinks that just because of my behavior that first night, she can have her way with me, she is mistaken. I will show her who is master of this house!".
Since their wedding night, they had shared intimacy every night that fallowed, and although it was still very pleasurable, he had found her quite different form that first night. She was much more reserved. She had not caused the same emotions in him.
That being said, she had started causing other types of emotion. She seemed so innocent, so pure … almost ashamed of what she had done that first night, of the way she had charmed him that he could not help but feel tenderness at the thought of spending the night with her. Their night activities were a little less varied then Guy would have liked, and with any other woman he would have imposed his will a long time ago but she was his wife … and the thought of possessing something that innocent and of not having her afraid of him was motivating him in quite the same way as marring Marion had done once.
Tenderness was, however, the last thing on his mind while he was making his way towards the dining hall, with large yet unhurried steps. As he was getting ready to burst in and sit on his chair in a very theatrical manner, he saw her near the fire. Her face glowing in the light. It seemed like her hair was mixed with the fire. It was shining and burning in colors of black, and red … and gold. He could tell that she had recently taken a bath because her hair was still a little damp and wavy.
She was wearing a very simple white dress that was quite lose around her body. That combined with the fire did not leave much room for concealment. She was sitting on the large armchair and absently shoving the burning logs with a stick.
As he looked across the room he could see the table had been set, his favorite wine brought from the cellar, his place at the table arranged along with hers, his chair prepared… Everything was done just the way he always liked it to be …
He approached the fire quietly and put his hand on her shoulder … "Isabelle", he said softly.
She clearly had not heard him and jumped up the armchair, instantly, looking quite disheveled … "My lord … I did not hear you come in …"
He looked down at his boots …"Yes, I can tell. I'm sorry if I scared you …". As if he had just remembered something he asked: "What are you still doing up?"
"I was waiting for you my lord", she answered to his great pleasure, "I took the liberty of allowing the servants to eat and go to bed. I hope I have not caused offence" …
"You are the mistress of this house, my lady. It is your decision", he answered with a cunning smile measuring her from top to bottom …"Have you eaten?", he asked already suspecting the answer …
"No, my lord … I was waiting for you", she answered with the sweetest honesty in her eyes. He now had someone who would wait to eat with him, and that person wasn't being forced. This was deffinatly a first for Guy.
"Would you like me to serve you now, my lord?" … He nodded as he made his way to his chair … She left the room only to return minutes later with the food …
"She has kept it warm", he thought as he began eating … As she poured him some wine, he could suddenly hear a very familiar noise coming from his wife's stomach … he looked up at her in amusement …
She blushed almost instantly, "You must excuse me, my lord", she said evidently embarrassed, "I must be hungrier then I thought." … she tried to pull away but Guy grabbed her arm and pulled her near him until she ultimately fell in his lap … He caressed her face … "You know …you do not have to wait for me with dinner every time I am late", and kissed her softly … then his eyes turned from tender to wolfish and a very familiar half smile appeared on the left side of his mouth … "but I do expect you to wait for me before you take your bath" and with that he moved his hand under her dress …
From that day on, Guy made it a rule to arrive on time for dinner every night …