Robin's View
"Robin! Robin!" Will and John run towards me, both breathing heavily, I get up as soon as they approach.
"What is it? What news have you heard?"
They stop in the clearing, the others eagerly gathering around.
"It's that new woman, who we stopped a few weeks ago, the one who's in Knighton Hall." Will says.
"Aye, turns out she's kin to Sir Edward and Marian." John nods his head.
"I knew I recognised her!" I exclaimed, then frown, "Why did she not tell us she was related to Marian?"
"It wasn't as though we asked her." Much says. John shushes him, but Djaq raises her hand.
"Much has a point."
I smile on seeing Much's proud look.
"Careful Djaq, don't want Much turning into a peacock."
"Did you know of her, when you were younger?" Will asks, he puts his arm around Djaq's waist and I feel a flicker of envy spill into my stomach and up my throat. I push aside the thought, I am not one to grow envious over my friends' happiness, it would be callous. I bade them all to sit, though have Allan stand guard while we talk.
"A little, I don't think she particularly liked me when we were young, but she loved Marian. They were very close. But what has happened?"
"A man, Mark Devyn was accused of stealing. He stole a poultice for his sick daughter, when he could offer the Healer only a trade for it, not money." John says.
"The Sherriff was going to have him hanged or have his hand chopped off." Will continues, I give a nod. There's no change there, though the punishment for stealing in the past was often sitting in the stocks or a fine.
"Well what happened?" Tuck asks.
"The Lady Anne stood up in front of the whole of the Council and begged for his life."
Silence falls over the circle and even Allan turns his head in amazement, "Was she ignorant of the Sherriff's temper or just foolish?" he asks and the others shush him.
"And then?" Djaq asks.
"The Sherriff spoke with her in private, ranting, raving, everyone heard and after all that, he agreed with her. No one knows how she did it, she persuaded him to let Mark Devyn live and work as a guard in her household. He's not allowed to see his family for some time, but he has a wage and his freedom."
A long low whistle was heard from Allan's direction, "How in hell did she do that? No one persuades the Sherriff of Nottingham to spare a man's life."
"Well from what we've seen she seems a gracious lady, runs an efficient household, but looks after her son and attends Mass, she even passed out coins to the poorer folk in the church." John said, considering his treatment to her during our robbery I was surprised by the tone of awe in his voice. Tuck nodded his head, he was impressed too. I wasn't so sure, something didn't quite sit right.
"What do you think Robin?" Kate asked. I hid my irritation, her voice annoyed me, but she had only asked a reasonable question and I preferred a warm bed to a cold one.
"I don't know. Marian and her used to be close, but a few years after she was married and Marian was invited to France they had a blazing row, they never apologised after that. I doubt this has been done for Marian's sake."
"Well maybe it's been done for her own. Maybe the Lady Anne is like Marian, she cares about others." John said.
"Or maybe she feels guilty because she never apologised to Marian." Much supplied.
"Either way, Robin, you should visit her." Djaq said.
"Why?"
"Because if we win her over to our side, then she'd be a useful ally to have, apologise to her and then ask her to support us."
I frowned, something was stirring in the air, making it cold and I didn't like it one bit.
"You're not normally this quiet." Kate's arms came round my chest, her own pressing into my back.
"I don't like this Kate, it doesn't feel right. What if Anne betrays us?"
"Find out, go to her at night when she's most defenceless and either persuade or threaten her into revealing what she's really about."
"And if she lies?"
"Well then we'll find out sooner or later." Kate said, though I don't think she realised how foolish her words sounded, she circled round me and embraced me, before lifting her chin and kissing me fully on the mouth. I close my eyes and desperately tried to feel Marian's waist beneath my fingers, her lips against mine, the dark, silky richness of her hair. I used to feel like a prick for doing that, but I can't help it and Kate never wonders why I am so silent when we make love. At least I don't think she does.
A/N: Just to make up for my relative stupidity, I'm posting this chapter too. It's only a short one.
