Riding into Locksley the following morning, Marian saw a rare sight...Much without Robin.
Much was clearly enjoying telling the village about Robin's knighthood, something that interested his people even more than the king's coronation.
"Our master earned the king's respect," Much was telling a captive audience, "throwing himself into the thick of the rioting mob and quieting them. I was sure he would be killed!"
Will Scarlett, avidly listening, stopped sawing wood and stared off into the distance, his mind filled with thoughts of Master Robin's bold adventure. "Come on," his father Dan advised, laughing under his breath. "No time for daydreaming. Alice Little and her boy need a cottage of their own."
Marian was pleased but not surprised that Robin had agreed to let Alice Little be part of his village.
Entering the manor, she was told by Thronton that Robin was in his study, trying to balance his ledgers.
Robin, seemingly gifted in all things, struggled with one...tallying figures. No one called his condition with numbers "dyslexia," not knowing such a condition existed, but he was dyslexic with numbers. As a child, he had conquered his disability with letters, but no amount of struggle could help his mind from flipping digits when he tried to add columns or rows. Consequently, he hated working on the accounts for his village.
Quietly, Marian showed herself into his study.
Robin sat at his desk, a pen in his right hand, his forehead resting on his other hand's balled fist, trying to correct his mistakes. His hair was mussed from having run his hands through it. He'd even pulled it, hoping it would help him to think. But nothing seemed to work.
Seeing Marian, his face lit up in a smile. He started to rise, but Marian stopped him.
"Don't get up. Having trouble?"
"I added this column three times, and got three separate totals."
"Let me help you."
She moved to stand directly behind him, reading the ledger over his shoulder.
With Marian so close, any ability Robin had to concentrate flew completely out the window. He felt the same way he had last night when he couldn't seem to stop kissing her, warm and tingly and happy. His heart pounded within his chest and his head swam, dizzy from the sweet allurement of her warmth and the soft delicate scent clinging to her hair.
He turned his head to look at her. Her beautiful face had the same look of concentration it had worn when she was shooting at his archery lessons, and Robin found her adorable.
Marian was amazed at the numbers she was adding. She had no idea Robin's wealth had grown so much in the past year. Her father was always warning her to stop Robin "wasting" so much on his people after she became his wife, believing they would have nothing left.
"You're rich," Marian couldn't help saying. "How did your revenues grow, when you yourself paid most of your people's taxes?"
"Prosperity tends to build on itself," Robin told her, simply. "Let a man keep more of what he earns, and he'll earn more."
"That is not what I've heard."
"See for yourself. Numbers don't lie, Marian...at least, not unless I'm the one tallying them."
"Finished," she told him proudly. "Your first figure was the closest."
"Speaking of figures..." He pulled her onto his lap and kissed her. She laced her fingers through his hair, mussing it even further.
"I brought you a present from London," he told her, surprising both her and himself.
He hadn't bought anything for her, though he'd struggled to find a gift she would like. But watching her concentrate on his ledger had given him an idea.
Marian was pleased, though wary. Robin, thoughtful and generous though he was, was not the best giver of gifts. She got off his lap and he raced away to bring her what he'd bought.
"Close your eyes," he said, returning to his study.
Marian hesitated, then obeyed. Robin loved to tease, and closing her eyes was risky. But he wouldn't do something cheeky, surely, after she'd helped him!
"Hold out your hand," he told her.
"Why?" she asked, suspiciously. It couldn't be a ring. She already wore the one he'd given her for their engagement. A bracelet, perhaps?
"I want to hand you something," he explained.
Reluctantly, she held out her right hand. She felt what seemed to be a smooth stick of wood, and his hand wrapping her fingers around it.
"Open your eyes," he said, his voice excited.
Marian opened her eyes, and her mouth dropped open as well. A bow? She couldn't believe it. He'd brought her a bow?
Robin didn't tell her he'd bought it for himself, then was suddenly moved this morning to offer it to her. Instead, he said, excitedly, "It's the finest I've ever held. Feel it's weight, and it's balance! And, seeing as how you're such an amazing shooter, I thought you ought to have a bow of your own."
She tried to hide her disappointment, then found the entire thing funny and laughed.
She already had a bow of her own, at home. One bow was as good as another to her, but Robin seemed so delighted with the gift, she couldn't hurt his feelings. "I can't wait to test it," she said.
"Let's go then," he said, grabbing her by her hand and leading her outside.
With boyish enthusiasm, he set up targets for her to aim at. His people, never tired of watching him shoot, gathered around to watch. Marian grew nervous with them watching.
"I don't like performing," she told Robin.
They differed in that regard. He loved showing off. But he knew they both liked a challenge.
"Don't mind anyone watching, Marian. Just see how close your arrow can come to mine. May I?"
He took back the bow he had purchased for himself and fitted an arrow onto its bowstring. It felt wonderful in his hands, like a part of him. But that only made him more glad he had given it to Marian.
Effortlessly, he shot an arrow, hitting the center of the target. His people voiced their approval and admiration, making Robin feel happy and loved.
"Your turn," he said, grinning and handing her the bow.
She wanted him as proud of her as his people were of him. Remembering everything about archery she had struggled to learn, she focused all her attention, aimed, and shot. She was as surprised and delighted as Robin, when her arrow split his.
His people, soon to be hers, raised a cheer.
Marian smiled at Robin, looking as if she shot a bullseye every day of the week.
Robin's grin spread slowly across his face, as he looked at her with love and admiration.
