Chapter 20 ... and earlier then usual ... I'm impressed by me:)) Anyway, hope I didn't scare you too much with the last one and hope you like this one ...I also hope that you like my slightly crazy, hard Josephine ... There are several parts that I find are the most interesting and that I've found hard and at the same time great to write: Guy's ride back to Locksley, Josephine's speech and then there is the introduction of a new plot (that of the count ... I wonder what kind of havoc he might cause:) ) ... Anyway, you already know: reviews equal love and thank you for reading.

Chapter 20 – My Lady of the Manor

The soldier was directing his cart straight to Nottingham. When Lady Gisborne had given him the order to escort the prisoner to the dungeons, he knew he had to improvise. There was no proper prison cage in Locksley. Lord Gisborne had taken them all to Nottingham a short while after getting married. The man guessed so that the lady's sensibilities would not be injured … Clearly, Gisborne did not know his wife well. She had given the order to kill with so much decision and ease that the man reasoned she was capable of as much cruelty as her husband, if not more.

The boy's blood was still on his hands and he felt his gut turning around and around in agony. Of course it was easy for these people to give orders. They never got blood on their hands … Lord Gisborne had the comfort of his large, black gloves and he doubted Lady Gisborne had ever put a hand on a sword ….

And, still, his job was not done … After leaving the kitchen maid in Nottingham, he would have to go back and cut that poor creature's head off ….

He had tied Mary in the back of a hay cart, since it was the only available transport and he could hear her desperate moans and sobbing … Still he tightened his heart to them … He had his own children to feed and protect. He could not agonize over someone else's.

As they were approaching Nottingham's main gate, he saw the guard signaling him to stop. The man came out and soon recognized him:

"Oh! Cedric … It's you …". "Wha' do ya' have there?", the man asked amused to see a soldier of Gisborne's in a hay cart.

"It's a prisoner … I was instructed to take her to the dungeons", the man responded quickly. He was not up to much talk today, especially with the gate guard. He talked too much for Cedirc's liking.

"Wha' she do?", the man asked ironically while he gave the order for the gate to be lifted. "Steel one of Gisborne's chickens?".

"No.", Cedric answered coolly. "She tried to poison his wife …" and then pulled on the reigns and walked through the main gate.

The guard stood still and scratched his head in disbelief. "This is not good …".

"Wha's no good?", one of the stable grooms asked getting closer to him. He was a young lad … not more then fifteen and had always had a curious nature. He always lurked around the gate guard to hear the latest gossip. Most of the time, the man made him beg for information but this time he was quick to answer: "That woman …", he said pointing back at Mary that was now dragged out of the cart by Cedric, "poisoned Lord Gisborne's wife." … Then turning to the boy with a wicked smile, he ordered through his teeth: "Now go tell him!".

The boy faltered for a second. He did not want to do this. Most of the time he tried to stay completely out Gisborne's reach … That man scared him senseless … And now to have to tell him such news … "No, no …", he said shaking his head. "I …I …".

The guard came closer menacingly. He did not want to give such news to Gisborne either. Better the boy's neck then his, he thought … "Go now, boy!", he barked pushing him away.

The groom started walking back from the gate and towards the castle. He had no choice. "Me and my thick skull", he thought slapping himself over the head. Now he would have to tell Guy of Gisborne his wife was dead.

-oOo-

Guy did not know what was worse … Staying away from Locksley for three days or having to listen to the Sheriff for that equal amount of time. There was no reason to choose, of course… For he was enduring them both.

And even if his wife had hurt him terribly and had one of sharpest tongues he had encountered, he had to admit that she never produced as much noise as the Sheriff.

"So … you've been here for three days now, Gisborne …", the Sheriff said while tending to his birds. "Has she thrown you out?"

The mockery made Guy shift his position and fold his arms, looking away from the Sheriff. "Of course not, my lord … There were things that I had to attend to here …", he lied …

"Oh, Gisborne …please", Vasey cut him off. "You've been walking about for three days with nothing to do … So do not lie to me. Did you have a spat, hmmm?", he demanded to know , biting his lower lip. "Buy her a trinket or two …", he offered as advice, dismissing of it. "She'll be fine …".

Guy wondered just how much the Sheriff knew of women. He was always giving him advice and Guy knew very well most of it was wrong. Vasey thought of women as simple creatures … That would have been easy, Guy thought except that they weren't. They had their own ideas about what they wanted and could conjure up ways of getting it just as successfully as any man.

"My poor deluded friend …", the Sheriff continued approaching Guy and patting him on the shoulder. Guy did not like the closeness, neither did he like the Sheriff's eyes on him in this way but he grinned his teeth. "You have to keep her on a much tighter leash!", he whispered moving around Gisborne. "You must remember … women are lepers …", he began his usual speech but this time Guy stopped him abruptly and in a cold, decided voice:

"My wife is not a leper!", he said stepping away from the Sheriff and turning to face him with an icy look.

This unbalanced Vasey. He had not seen this obverted attack from Gisborne. He could usually get away with a great deal in front of his master-at-arms but this was a most unwelcome change. He had felt for some time now that he was starting to lose his grip on Guy and he had a sneaking suspicion it had something to do with that little cunning dove … He had to admit even he could see the attraction but he would not allow her to drive a wedge between him and his toy.

In his usually cunning way, the Sheriff made no visible note of Gisborne's attitude. Instead he turned away and shook his finger while passing in front of Guy: "Tsk, tsk, tsk … She's got you, my friend. But still", he continued changing his tone and slapping his hands together, "I require you both to be on the best of terms. A week from today I want you and my little dove here in the castle."

This surprised Guy. And not in a good way. He did not want Josephine near the Sheriff, at least until their problems had been resolved one way or another … "Why is that, my lord?", he asked razing his eyebrows.

"Because Gisborne …", the Sheriff replied with a wicked smile, "money … a great deal of money and power will be coming our way". "Have you heard of Lord Alessandro of Savoy?"

"The name is familiar to me". Guy was intrigued so he approached the Sheriff and stood near the window. "He's the Italian count, as I remember. He has a considerable fortune …".

"Considerable, Gisborne?". The Sheriff looked appalled. "He practically owns Naples in it's integrity …". "He is also a good friend of Prince John", he added with a glim in his eye. "I have received a letter from the 'king'", he put a mocking emphasis on the barrowed title, "announcing that Savoy is coming to London" …

Guy started grinning for he knew now what the Sheriff was up to …

"Where do you think he's going to stop along the way, Gisborne?". The Sheriff smiled wickedly as he thought of his guest. "He is a man of parties and gamble …those Italians", he said laughing.

"Ah!", Guy concluded. "The changes to your Great Hall".

"Exactly, Gisborne!". "We are going to give the count all the entertainment that we can muster up … keep him happy for King John and perhaps get money in the process. What could be better?" … "So …", he whispered, "I want you here with your dove. I have invited the other lords with their wives ... but all of them are useless lepers … Not one to choose from except for yours …I'm sure she will manage to extract more then just a yawn from the count and his guests …. I want her to act as a host of sorts …".

Guy did not know exactly what the Sheriff was implying with this but he agreed to it … It was very sensible to be on good terms with John's friends and especially those of Savoy's stature.

-oOo-

The poor unfortunate groom had been searching for Lord Gisborne for some time now, when he finally spotted him. He had his back turned but there was no mistaken that leather figure. He was obviously very busy discussing something with his trusted man, William Shepard. There was another that the boy did not like. There was too much cunning in that man, he thought. He knew he was Gisborne's eyes and ears every where and he always felt uncomfortable having him close.

The boy did not want to disturb. He knew the consequences of such an action as he had discovered them through others and on his own. But he also knew that the news must be delivered fast, otherwise he would have Gisborne's wrath upon him, which could be even worst.

So he finally conjured all the courage he could at the moment and slowly approached Gisborne: "My lord …", he said with a broken voice and looking down into the ground … But there was no answer … He cleared his throat and tried again, this time more decidedly: "My lord!".

Guy turned around aggravated …He had heard the boy the first time. Didn't he know he was meant to wait? "What do you want boy?", he asked in a harsh, menacing voice.

"My lord … I … I", the boy struggled to get it over with under the icy look of Gisborne, "I bring news from Locksley …".

Gisborne was, at the very least, intrigued. "What of it?", he asked getting closer. Had Hood broken in, he wondered. It could be possible … perhaps Hood had robed his home …Then his face turned darker and his eyes started burning. Perhaps she had gotten away ... perhaps she had stolen the rest of his money and ran. Could she have done that? For the whole world to know? Could she have shamed him so?

He closed his eyes quickly, thinking of it. "What of it?", he asked again this time razing his voice and grabbing the boy by the arm and shaking him.

The boy crumbled under Guy's iron grip. "Your wife …", he gasped, "your wife is dead …".

The word sent a sudden sharp current through Guy's body, leaving him breathless. His grip on the boy lessened and his hand dropped down numb. "Dead!", his mind was screaming. His vision became blurred and he kept hearing a loud, undefined sound in his ears. He wanted to make sense. He wanted to ask questions but he found he could not speak.

"She was poisoned …", the boy added quietly. Shepard gave him a quick nod to leave and so he did, as fast as he could.

"Poisoned …", Guy repeated dumbly and then without even realizing started walking towards the stables. First he walked but soon enough he started running, pushing people out of the way, shoving the groom aside for taking to long to prepare his horse. All this without uttering even a word. Now and again undefined sounds would escape his mouth … violent, animalic sounds but nothing else. His mind was too busy to bother with speech. He finally got his horse ready and jumped on it, storming out of Nottingham.

-oOo-

All those nights ago when he had sharpened his dagger thinking of killing her, he had thought it would bring him peace. He thought he would feel avenged …

Now he thought how on earth he had been able to contemplate such a thing. He did not know. He did not know this feeling of hollowness then.

His body felt empty, his head ready to burst and it seemed to him that his heart was bleeding. He felt a throbbing pain in his chest that kept him constantly out of breath.

"So this is what it's like …", he thought. This is how he's going to live from now on. A hallow body that is completely unaware of its emptiness and keeps insisting upon hurting and screaming out in agony: "Dead!"

"How can you die without me knowing it?", he wondered. Shouldn't his body have announced such a loss? When you lose your arm do you not feel it? But it did not ... The only thing his body was urging was that he reach Locksley …

"Get to Locksley!", he thought. But the road took too long. It had never seemed so long to Guy in the past. But when you go back to encounter the motionless body of your entire existence, there is no time …There's just pain.

As soon as he could see the Manor, he stopped the horse and jumped off. He started running desperately, throwing his gloves away in the process, as if they were slowing him down. He wanted to see her. He wanted to hold her in his arms and take her away from anyone else that might have touched her until he had arrived. He wanted to take her to their bedchamber and swear to her there that he loved her.

He thought of the last words he had spoken to her. Words spoken in anger. … "Well, I'm off …", he had said. He never thought that his last words to her would be so stupid and childish.

He expected to find the Manor drenched in silence and black mourning, as was only fitting. What he found was not at all that.

The yard was filled with people, house serfs and peasants … all of Locksley seemed to be in this yard. They were rather surprised but at the same time happy. And in the middle of the yard three long, large tables had been joined together in a square. Thornton and a few other maids started bring out three large, steamy pots of what seemed to be stew and placed them in the middle of the square. People started cheering and made their way to the tables. It was a feast!

No one even noticed Guy standing close by. He could not move so he simply watched all of these people in the middle of his yard and could not believe it. They could not be here to celebrate his wife's death … Surely not. He must be imagining all of this … But the more he looked, the more it became apparent that this was reality.

Just as he was getting ready to pull out his sword and take all 200 of them at once, she stepped out of the house. For a moment he thought he was dreaming. Her beautiful face, her precise, soft step … the undulating movement of her hips … He had dreamt of all of it so many times that he thought it possible but as she approched him, he knew she was real. All questions were momentarily left aside. All he wanted was to hold her to him and never let go but she did not get close enough for him to do that … and his knees were trembling so hard, he feared he might fall if he attempted walking.

She seemed in control and composed to everyone, except him. He saw her eyes moving quickly from one side to the other, the tight manner in which she kept her hands. Her jaw was pressed down and her face was of wax. "She must be scared out of her mind!", he thought.

"Ah!", she said looking over Guy's shoulder, not even acknowledging him. "Come with me!", she commanded, calling him with her fingers.

Guy looked back and saw one of his soldiers standing right behind him with a tall basket in his hands. He asked Guy with his eyes what to do, and he gave him leave to fallow his wife towards the tables.

Guy also fallowed, having regained some of his composure back. She seemed fine. Disheveled but fine. He would have to put that groom through a thorough flogging for having scared him so … But at the moment he was much more interested in what his wife was planning.

Josephine stood in the middle of the center table looking over all the people that had been sited. When she was sure she had everyone's attention, she began speaking:" I'm very glad you could all come and share this meal with me", she said. The soldier who was standing behind her handed her the basket … "Ah! Thank you!". She placed it in front of her and continued: "As mistress of Locksley I will take care of each and everyone of you". She put her hand over her chest and nodded while looking into the eyes of the people that were watching her carefully. "And in return ..,", she said smiling, "I expect respect and loyalty from each and everyone of you." Her tone changed suddenly from hospitable to deeply sadden: "There has been a rather unfortunate even today. Someone poisoned my food …". She paused long enough to see people starting to squirm and even some spitting food out of their mouths … "Not to worry …", she whispered in reassurance. "I have ordered fresh food for all of you so I think you will find it quite adequate. The matter has been resolved and the person in question has said she acted alone so do not worry …There will be no measures taken against you." As if that had been the end, she turned around and took a few steps towards the house. People seemed relieved and some even returned to the food. But she returned, folding her arms and looking as if she had forgotten something: "However,", she began again, only this time in a menacing, cold voice, "if I should ever find out that any of you had anything to do with this or if you try something like this again, I will be merciless.". She leaned in, looking straight into their faces, moving her eyes around the table. "I will strike against you, your homes, your belongings, your loved ones … no one will be safe! This I promise you!", and with that, she took the basket and spilled it's content in front of the shocked peasants that could not keep their eyes off of the head of Mary's son… No one ate that night.

-oOo-

"Well … now that was an exit!", Guy said standing in the doorway of Josephine's bedchamber. And for the first time in a very long time, there was no mockery in his voice. His tone was warm and he had a large, genuine smile on his face.

She was alive, he thought … and he could not help feeling proud of how she had handled the situation. She seemed so strong and decided. And he was more then sure the peasants had gotten the right message. She was a quite remarkable woman and he loved her … He could not deny that any longer.

She looked at him with tired, annoyed eyes from her dressing table. She was weak both in body and spirit. She had not eaten anything all day, even if Walaa' had brought her some bread and cheese earlier … and she had killed a child. "I'm not in the mood, Guy …Come stick pins in a few hours. I'll be more responsive then.". He looked good, she observed. She would have wanted to see bruises and scratches on him left there by Marian, but all she could see were her own marks … the ones she had left three days ago.

He approached her with concern and leaned against the table, attempting to put his hand on her face. "How are you feeling?"

She tilted her head back as to avoid his hand and started laughing. "Is that why you came here?", she asked getting up from her chair and heading to the bed. "To see how I was doing?". "Bloody perfect …". She laid on the bed, streching her limbs in the same manner a cat would.

She was beautiful, he thought. He came closer to the bed only to notice how many blankets she had placed upon it. She was also dressed with very warm garments. All this even if the fire was burning high. "Why are you dress like this?", he asked placing his hand on her belly.

She shifted her position, feeling uncomfortable by the question and this unexpected closeness. She didn't understand what he wanted from her. "I'm cold … In the abbey the windows would stay open through out winter and we were never dressed in anything warm … so I was always cold. I swore I would never feel like that again", she said looking away from him.

His hand moved upwards on her body and he leaned his whole body closer to her. His mouth lingered softly over her ear. "I thought I lost you", he said in a pained voice.

She turned her head towards him and with a finger removed his hand from her face, looking coldly into his eyes. "What makes you think you ever had me?"

She thought she saw real pain in his eyes as he straightened his position. Still he kept looking at her. And this time it was his eyes that were pleading with her … So she moved to the other side of the bed and turned her back on him.

Soon … all too soon she felt the pressure of his body upon the mattress vanish and he closed the door softly behind him.