Marian leaned with her shoulder on the door jamb, she watched Guy and Allan going away from Locksley at a gallop, and she stared at the black knight until they both disappeared beyond the bend of the road.
She smiled at herself thinking that that morning Guy had seemed to be in a good mood. They had shared some tender and pleasant moments while having breakfast together, even though her attempt to cook had failed miserably.
Eventually, Thornton had brought some slices of fresh bread, cheese and honey, and he had discarded with discretion the inedible and carbonized mess cooked by Marian.
The girl paused to look at Locksley's people's activity and she thought that she should find something to do.
Once, bringing help to the poor as the Nightwatchman kept her busy, and, even when she was living in the castle, she rarely remained in idleness for too long. There was always something to do, sheriff's plans to be discovered, informations to pass to the outlaws, and then Guy was trying to spend with her every single moment he could, though, at that time, she didn't appreciate his constant presence at all.
Now her days were long and she felt useless. She helped her father to manage Locksley's manor and she committed herself to help as well as she could the poorest villagers, but she no longer had the opportunity to bring them food or money like she did in the past.
Even if she could go back to acting as the Nightwatchman, she would have to take enormous risks to steal the money and the supplies to distribute to the needy.
Marian sighed.
In the past, Robin had told her that she should stay home to embroider instead of putting herself in danger, and in recent times she had also considered to actually do it, just to spend her time.
In the last few days she had checked and repaired all her clothes that needed to be fixed, and she considered the idea of mending even her father's and Gisborne's clothes. Happy that she had found a useful task, she decided to start with Guy's clothes.
Her father had a quiet life compared to the black knight's, it was much less likely that the clothes he was wearing would need to be mended or replaced.
The girl entered the room of Gisborne with a slight hesitation. Perhaps she should have asked for his permission before, she thought, but that idea came to her only after Guy had gone away, and she wasn't doing anything wrong, was she?
Anyways, the servants went to clean up and tidy the room without any problems, and that wasn't very different from what she was doing, after all.
She looked around for a few seconds. She rarely had the opportunity to be in that room alone, without Guy.
Her mind came back painfully to the time when she had thought he was dead. Then, she sometimes entered the room that had belonged to Robin first, and then to Guy, and she remained silently waiting, hoping to still feel the presence of Gisborne next to her. But it never happened.
At the castle, before Vaisey drove her out, every passageway, every corner, every passage could evoke memories of Guy, but the room at Locksley, where he slept, had been too simple and bare to be able to hold his presence, as if it had never really belonged to him.
Now it was different. Since Guy came back and lived there, every inch of it was talking of him, even though the room was still so simple.
Perhaps it was for this reason that Marian's eyes were attracted to a fragment of parchment that stood in the corner of the fireplace. The fire was almost gone now, and that scrap with burnt edges was far too visible against the soot that blackened the interior of the fireplace.
The girl looked at it, surprised. Why had Guy felt the need to burn that scroll? Usually the parchments were scraped and reused, if someone burned them, it was just to completely destroy their contents.
Her heart began to beat faster.
What if it was a document about Archer or the Sheriff?
She shook her head.
No, Guy hated the sheriff, he didn't want to have anything to do with him.
But with Archer he did.
She glanced at the fragment, and she didn't recognize the writing that covered it.
Since he had dealt with the sheriff after saving his life, Guy had been free, but he no longer had the wealth or power he had in the past. Marian feared that he might miss it and that he could be tempted by some proposal from Archer.
No. Guy wouldn't. He had changed.
And yet...
Marian reached out and picked up the parchment from the fireplace, taking care that she didn't burn her hand. The fragment was burnt on the edges, but the words that had remained intact were still perfectly legible.
"...tter to avoid any risk.
I''ll wait for you tonight at Nottingham's tavern, the one near the city gates.
Don't be late,
Meg"
Marian read to the end, but her eyes returned immediately to the beginning of the message. She read the message at least four times to make sure that she had understood what was written on it, but her heart refused to believe it.
She had been afraid to find out that Guy had been involved with Archer in something wrong, but that was worse and it confirmed all her fears without any doubt.
Guy betrayed her.
And this Meg didn't seem to be a tavern girl. She could write and her handwriting was elegant, one from the populace wouldn't be able to write that message.
Who is this Meg?
Was it just a distraction for Guy, or there was something more? Was that the reason why he hadn't yet asked for her hand in marriage?
No, Guy. Please no!
A part of Marian felt the impulse to tear that fragment of parchment, to grab the first object that came under her hand and hurl it against the wall, she wanted to shout, to destroy something or to hit Guy, but another part of her was simply petrified.
She couldn't believe it, she didn't want to believe it, and she only wished that she could change the past, to have never seen that note, and to continue to be happy in her ignorance.
What should she do now? To keep pretending she didn't know anything? To face Guy and find out the truth, risking to lose him forever?
If Guy loved another woman, she might have already lost him. But how could he have given his heart to another woman when he behaved so lovingly and passionately towards Marian?
The girl couldn't understand.
Guy's behavior didn't make sense and Marian didn't know how to behave.
First she had to go away from there, she said to herself, she couldn't allow her father or the servants to see her standing in Guy's room with her face wet with tears.
She clutched the fragment of parchment in her fist and forced herself to move. She walked the few meters that separated her from her room as if she was sleepwalking, and she locked the door behind her.
She had to stay alone and think.
She looked at the message again.
I''ll wait for you tonight at Nottinham's tavern, the one near the city gates.
Suddenly it was clear what she was supposed to do: that night she would go to the tavern, too, to see who this mysterious Meg was.
Maybe after all she was just a pretty girl who had learned to write for some reason, or maybe Guy wouldn't show up. Maybe it was just that woman who wanted to meet him while he was not interested and that's why he had burned the message...
I have to know. Or I'll become mad.
Allan sat on a stack of boards and he broke the bread in two, passing half of it to Gisborne before wolfing down his own.
"So, did you say that Meg might be coming?" He asked, still chewing and washing down the food with a sip of wine.
Guy looked at the workers who kept working at the manor. After the fire, the work went on quickly, and even during the time when Guy had been forced to stay in bed to recover from his wound, Allan had made sure there were no slowdowns.
"Do you think it's possible to plant an apple tree there?" He asked, pointing to the place he had seen in his dream.
Allan nodded briefly, not at all concerned with the subject.
"I do not see why not. But what did you say about Meg? Did she really say that I should come too?"
Guy looked away from the house and stared at Allan, perplexed.
"I told you, Robin said that he would send instructions through a gang member, probably Meg. But why do you keep asking me questions about her?" Guy paused and realized that Allan seemed to be embarrassed. "Oh. You like that girl, don't you?"
"Has there ever been a pretty girl I didn't like?" Allan said, lightly, but the sudden blush of his face betrayed him, and Guy laughed.
"Careful not to let her scratch you, I don't want to get into another fake fight with you to hide the traces."
"Don't worry, I have no need to hide the marks left by a beautiful woman, indeed..."
"She has already rejected many suitors, what makes you think that she might consider you?"
"Let's go, Giz, don't you see me?" Allan said, smiling. "How could she resist?"
"Don't marry before I do, then, or Marian will start doubting my intentions."
"And who talked about marriage?" Allan whispered.
Guy smiled, then he sighed.
"If only I could tell her how impatient I am to ask her as a wife... I know that she is wondering why I haven't done it yet, I wish I could dissolve all her doubts."
Allan smiled at him, then he ate the last piece of bread and stood up, dusting the crumbs from his clothes.
"Let's get back to work then. The sooner this house is finished, the better will be for everyone."
