There was no doubt about it...Sheriff Vaisey was smitten.
His little charade with "Hoodley," the sheriff's new pet name for Robin, combined from "Hood" and "Locksley," was going so well, Vaisey displayed a new spring in his step and a gleam in his eye.
"Hoodley" was his special pet, his pride and joy, and...his secret desire.
Wanting him in his bed, however, did nothing to stop Vaisey from also wanting him dead.
The sheriff held no delusions about this little game they were playing. He was under no false impressions that Hood had truly changed sides, or would give him back his Pact. He knew that Hoodley wanted something from him as well...chiefly, information he could feed to his pathetic little gang of outlaws. Still, it was so rewarding to spend time with him on a daily basis! And...he looked so enticing in his tight black leather!
"Hmm...someone needs to give Hoodley's pretty little smug face a kiss! I wonder who it will be? A leper? A clue...no!"
...
But Vaisey was wrong. Unknown to him, a "leper" had scaled the castle walls and was now locked in Robin's embrace, desperately enjoying his kisses as he enjoyed hers.
"Come back to the forest," Marian pleaded breathlessly. "Come back and join your gang."
"In your dreams," he teased with a wink, echoing her answer to him just a few short months before.
She pulled away, rolling her eyes at him.
Trying to recapture her previous mood, he defended himself, saying, "It's a joke, Marian."
"It's not funny! And neither is your performance here. You're courting danger, Robin. You act as though nothing can hurt you, when all the time, the sheriff and Guy-" She drew a quick breath and corrected her mistake, "-the sheriff and Gisbourne are toying with you, waiting for you to let down your guard, so they can killl you!"
"Well then," he said, smiling, "I'll just have to make doubly sure I don't let them."
Marian heaved an exasperated sigh. How one man could look and sound so lovingly reverent yet arrogant at the same time was beyond her comprehension, yet Robin managed it perfectly.
"Well, see that you don't, if you must stay here. But, Robin," she pleaded again, "why stay at all? What good are you doing?"
"My gang needs a spy," he said simply.
"And you're that spy?"
"Have to be. The previous one escaped...shimmied down a very thin makeshift rope and rode away with her love, to live happily ever after."
Marian could tell he was trying too hard to sound casual and clever. He was coming across as neither, and she did not appreciate his evasiveness. Forthrightly, she told him so.
"You're doing no good at all. Face it, Robin. You're a terrible spy."
For a split second he was angry, but he dropped his anger and chose to be amused instead.
"Agreed. But remember, I'm new at this. I've barely begun. Give me a month or two, and I'll outspy any work you ever did."
"A month or two? Robin!"
Her face looked so distraught, he found himself moved. She didn't want him away from the gang! She missed him! If she hadn't been so upset, he would be ecstatic.
He took her in his arms again and tenderly held her close. How he loved her! He so wanted to protect her, yet recognized that was what she was trying to do to him, scolding him while worrying for his safety. If he believed for an instant she'd say "yes," he'd ask her to marry him this moment. But it didn't feel right. It wasn't the right time. Not yet.
But she was speaking. He pushed aside his practiced proposals from his mind and listened.
"If you must be a spy, you must learn to do it right. You mustn't seek attention, Robin...you need to watch and listen to others."
A familiar male voice startled them both. "Yeah," it agreed. "Not bein' funny, but you got this spy game all wrong. Now, if you'll allow me to teach you, you'll learn the game in no time."