Chapter four: A brief discussion
Meg smirked as Guy surveyed the manor. "Well?"
"It smells."
She laughed and elbowed him. "Funny! Of course it does. But the wood looks as if it were just cut. Admit it!"
"Why?" He glances down at her. "And give you the chance to gloat about it?"
"I'm going to gloat about it even if you don't admit it, so you might just as well admit it!"
"No." Meg laughed at him, smiling broadly at him. She watched him closely, sure enough, a corner of his mouth tilted up.
She reached up and ruffled his hair, causing him to scowl. "There you go!" She exhaled and turned towards the two women who'd come from Nottingham to help her. She walked towards them, reached inside her pocket and pulled out several pounds. "Here you go. Five for the each of you, I believe that's a fair price." Both women started crying and Meg looked at Guy in confusion. "What? What's the matter? What have I done?"
"I doubt that they've seen this much money before." He stated as he crossed his arms. "Nottingham has a difficult time paying their taxes. What you paid them would pay for the taxes of five families." Meg blinked and lifted up her skirt, reaching into the deeper, inside pockets that she had sewn into her petticoats. She pulled out a few bags that went all around her skirt. "What are you doing?"
"You'll see." She handed the bags to the women. "Here. I figure there to be about twenty pounds in coins here. Take them, hand them out among the villages. That way, everyone can pay their taxes and if anyone has a loved one behind bars, they can now buy their freedom."
Guy began shaking his head. "You don't need to do that. They're not charity cases."
"I believe as Christians we're all supposed give in charity." She stated firmly as she firmly pressed the bags into their hands. "I insist and I demand that you take it and share it."
Both women were crying so hard now they could barely thank her. Meg smiled as they bowed low before her, before backing their way out of the room. She turned towards Guy and found him shaking his head at her. "You shouldn't have done that."
She shrugs. "I think I should. My annual salary is about 100 pounds a month. I'm scarcely going to miss that 50 I just gave away."
Guy's eyes widened. "You said 20."
She smiled as she shrugged. "So, I lied. Times are hard Guy, I'm sure you'd like to see some of the suffering relieved."
"Of course, but, what I was referring to was you keeping your money in your," she arched a brow at him, he shifted as he tried to keep his face from turning red. "your uhm, petticoats."
"The coins serve as necessary weight to keep my skirts down and, Robin Hood missed my fortune since he failed to search my dress." She stepped towards the doorway. "I must be going. I've got to talk to Marian about tomorrow." Meg stepped outside and her first step imbedded a rock in the pad of her foot. Meg hopped backwards, tripped over the threshold of the door and fell backwards on her back, clutching her foot. "Owww!"
"What are you doing on the floor?" Guy demanded as he hovered over her.
"I stepped on a rock." She explained as she sat up, before biting on her lip to pull the sharp stone out. She held it up for him to view. "See?"
He straightened up. "Where are your shoes?"
She blinked, irritation had immediately leaked out of his voice once he'd seen her foot. "The kitchen."
He nods and walks away towards the kitchen. She glances at her foot, finding it bleeding, she reaches into her bodice and pulls out a handkerchief and begins to dab at the blood. She shakes her head. She looks up as Guy kneels down beside her with a damp cloth in one hand and her shoes in another. "Here"
"Thank you." She finds herself feeling a little uneasy so close to him as she gingerly dabs the blood. "Ow."
"Here" He reached for the cloth and her ankle. "Allow me."
She arches a brow at him as he puts her ankle in his lap. "Do I have a choice?"
"No." she let out a hiss as he began cleaning it. "Hold still."
"It hurts!" he doesn't comment as he reaches for her shoes and slides them on her feet. "Thank you." Suddenly, Guy picks her up and moves towards the door. "Ahh, what are you doing!?"
"Ensuring that you will be safely off my property before you cause anymore damage to yourself!" he grouses as he sets her astride her horse. "Now, be on your way."
"Uhh, Sir Guy," she winks at him before whispering. "I don't ride sidesaddle. I ride astride!" She slings her foot over on the other side of her horse. She reaches for the reins and smiles at him. "See you tomorrow!" and with that, she kicked her horse into a canter and rode off towards Marian's home, leaving Guy there probably rooted in surprise.
That evening, the moment Marian was on her way up to her room for rest, Meg grabbed a hold of her arm and pulled her into her room. "Oh, no you don't. You've got a lot of explaining to do and I am going to be all ears." Meg closed the door and leaned against it. "All right, spill it. I want the truth, right now, if so!"
Marian blinked at her in surprise. "I don't know what you mean."
"Let me tell you what I know and you fill in the details. You agreed to marry Robin Hood, but he left many years ago, you never got over him. In spite of the fact that he's one of those 'good' outlaws, you're still in love with him. Somehow, Guy got you to promise him your hand in marriage. So, you're going through with the marriage tomorrow, even though you don't love him. The only good thing that I can think of is that he loves you. Am I wrong?"
Marian moves to sit on the bed. "No, you're not. But you cannot possibly understand why I seem to despise Guy. It is for his actions with the sheriff, that I find most unacceptable, therefore, making him less favorable in my eyes."
"He loves you Marian. I'm sure you know that. Use your love, to help him change."
"I can manipulate him Meg, to do the right things on occasion, but I know that he cannot change, his heart is too black."
She shook her head. "No one's heart is too black for redemption Marian." Meg sat down beside her. "I believe that you must ask Guy to postpone the wedding tomorrow."
Marian shook her head. "I gave him my word and I won't break it."
She frowns. "Just what every man deserves to hear. You're marrying him because you can't break your word."
"You couldn't possibly understand."
"No, I don't understand Marian!" Meg's irritation rose. "Does Guy know that you can't stand the sight of him?"
Marian's eyes flash. "That is not true!"
"You give a pretty good imitation of it. You're still in love with Robin, and he's in love with you. Am I wrong?"
Marian frowns. "Why should that matter?"
"Because if you love Robin, then you should tell Guy."
"I won't."
"He doesn't deserve it Marian." She shook her head firmly. "He doesn't deserve to be treated this way. If you want him to be a changed man, then be honest with him. If you're lying to him, he cannot change, because one day the truth will come crashing down around him and it will not be a pretty sight. He will see that he's been blind for a long time and that all his affection for you was wasted on someone who didn't care for it. He's not a toy."
"You assume that I do not care for him." Marian says plainly and simply to her. "You're wrong. I do."
"You have a funny way of showing it!"
"And what do you know of him! You've only met him twice and you've decided that you know him so well."
She shrugged her head. "My aunt is the mistress of the Spanish court, remember? I know the way a man's mind works. He will always love you, but you, you will loathe him. You can hide it, but I know you, after a while you cannot take it. And all because, you couldn't be honest with him."
"And have you no concern for me?" She demanded. "I cannot admit to still loving an outlaw! It would put myself and my father in danger."
"For a brief time maybe, but doubt it, he would protect you. I think Marian; he would wait until the sun had ceased to shine if there was a chance that you'd love him. He wouldn't intentionally spoil the chances of losing your love if you offered him an open, honest truth, with a promise for an open future with a heart dedicated solely to him."
"I won't say anymore on the subject because we are friends and after tomorrow," Marian said. "I will need your friendship."
"I don't doubt it. I don't want to end this discussion here, but you are getting married tomorrow to a man who loves you while you loathe him." Meg said sarcastically. "So by all means, let us end this discussion here and now!"
"You don't know Guy. You do not know what he is capable of." Marian pointed out. "I hate to remind that you're staying here for a matter of days. Guy is a much harsher man than you realize, but he does have some qualities."
"Do you; know what he is capable of becoming if you were to open your heart to him?" She jumped up, shaking her head. "I'm going to go get some air, clear my head."
"Be careful, it's not safe out there."
Meg shrugs. "I've got a dagger, whether or not I'll wound somebody is another story though."
Marian sighs. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
Meg grabbed ahold of her violin and bow, before mounting her horse bareback and kicking it into a trot towards the hills. Once atop the hill, she tested her bow, tuning it, before lifting it to her violin to play. The sound of the violin filled the hills of Locksley, carried far by the night breeze.
The tune was wistful, a favorite of hers. It sang of warmth, love, comfort, caring, and beauty as it serenade the night sky. The crickets chirped as she began squeezing out notes that hinted of summer rays upon a field of flowers. Then again, the music changed to the beauty of a moderate rainstorm, when the scent of damp grass and earth filled the air.
After finishing, she exhaled and closed her eyes, breathing in the night air. "That was lovely." She spun around to see Guy of Gisbourne, approaching her on his horse. He glanced at her, surveying her. "What are you doing out here on your own?"
She shrugged as she flung her hair back out of her eyes. "Couldn't sleep."
"It's not safe for a woman to be out here all alone."
"I'm not alone." She pointed out. "You're here with me."
"For the moment. How is Marian?"
"She is tired, but she seems happy."
She felt terrible lying to him. However, she couldn't tell him that Marian loved another. He was so much in love with her, how could she shatter his illusions the night before the wedding? Marian, maybe her heart would change. After all, she didn't deny that she had feelings for Guy. If her feelings took a turn for the better towards Guy, why put a cloud of doubt over his head? After all, once you were married, you were stuck with him for life.
Guy nods. "I'll escort you back."
She shakes her head. "I'm not ready to leave." She dismounts and moves to tie her horse to a nearby tree. "You go on."
Guy shakes his head. "I can't leave you out here all alone."
"Keep your window open." She arched her brow as she settled down on the grass, arranging her skirt around her. "I'm quite the screamer." She closed her eyes, realizing that innocent comment did had a very suggestive tone to it.
He shook his head. "I don't doubt it."
"I'm agitated and I will play until I've calmed down." He went and tied his horse next to hers. "What are you doing?"
"Marian, will never forgive me if I let her bridesmaid stay out and get kidnapped or captured by Hood and his gang. So," he settles down next to her. "I'll wait for you to finish calming down."
She rolls her eyes. "You're so silly." He scowls darkly at her and she lifts her violin to her chin. "But sweet."
He leans back against the grass without a word. Meg plays the same piece again; her heart catches in her throat as she plays it. Once she finishes, she starts another one. After that one finishes, she glances over at Guy, finding him sound asleep. She shakes her head in amusement at the sound of his soft snores. She decides to play another tune or two before waking him up. He had a big day tomorrow, one he would undoubtedly be looking forward to.
To those wondering what song Meg was playing it's 'Anne's theme,' from 'Anne of Green Gables'.
