Two parts in one day: my apology to everyone who's sticking with my eratic posting
Recap; last time posters had just gone up and the press were disrupting searches
Oh yes they could.
One plucky reporter tailed Edward all the way back to The Manor and set up camp on the drive, pestering anyone who emerged with questions about the currant situation. Others quickly followed to try and make a scoop of the latest news.
"Whew" Guy walked into the sitting room, theatrically wiping his brow "You do realise this house is under a press siege; it's taken me three minutes to get from the gate to your front door"
Marian smiled slightly "Whenever we try to go anywhere the Gang have to be on hand to act as a bodyguard ring" she sighed "particularly me, all everyone wants to know is 'how I'm coping?' The answer, Badly"
"Why have you come Guy?" Edward finally lifted his head from the paper he'd been trying to read.
"...To congratulate you on how well you did on the program last night Marian, none of us could believe how steady you seemed"
She raised her head and met his gaze for a few seconds "Thanks"
A month since that morning the children had vanished, the police had asked her to go on the news to talk about it. The whole gang had come with her, as guards and moral support.
"For heavens sake if she doesn't want makeup then leave her be, let them see her as she is" Djaq had intervened numerous times to protect Marian from the 'Look' advances that TV seemed to be full of.
Finally it had been on air, a few preliminaries from the presenter and then she turned to Marian.
"It must be terrible: waiting and not knowing" the woman said with a sickly sweet voice "Do you have any message to give out?"
"Only this..." Glancing up she saw Robin and Edward behind the camera, willing her on "Nobody who hasn't been through this can imagine what it's like... If someone out there has taken my children then please, please let them come home..." she swallowed "Grace, Mary, Freddie; if you've got away and are lost anywhere in the world, call us and we'll find you: wherever you are. Come home safely darlings, we miss you so much."
Then the presenter had cut in with "And that was a stirring plea from Marian Locksley whose three children vanished on this date last month... If you have any information please contact your local police" As she finished and the credits rolled Robin slipped into shot and hugged Marian tightly, letting her cry.
"That night was the hardest thing I've ever done, the woman didn't make it easier. She knew nothing, yet was so poisonously sweet toned... I couldn't face it again"
"When you go back there my darling it will be with Grace Mary and Freddie clinging to our hands" Robin entered the room behind Guy and threw his wife a supporting smile, dropping down on the sofa next to her.
"We'll all keep searching until their found Marian, don't worry about that" Guy spoke softly and turned to go.
"Guy" Edward's voice carried his 'can I ask a favour' tone "will you go out and speak to the reporters from our top step, tell them what you just said to us?"
Outside Guy was forced to throw up his arm as a shield from the flashing lights. Questions blared at him like car horns "Mr Gisborne... how are they? Mr Gisborne... why have you just visited?"
"The family are coping. I have assured them and now you that the search parties will not give up until these children are found. Thank you" ignoring everything he pushed straight through the pack of hungry wolves and marched home.
Night after night on the local news a small section would be devoted to the Locksley children; re-explaining what had happened and who could be suspected. Though he trained himself to ignore most of it, knowing that Robin, Edward or Marian would let him know if anything happened, Guy found it interesting to listen to the viewers comments. Most were on the lines of sympathy but one read;
"I am sorry for the family, not only to have lost their children but because they are under constant harassment from the press. It is shameful that they cannot even leave the house without being quizzed on the story everyone one knows"
It came from someone in Lincoln who, Robin later confessed, then received a large bunch of flowers as a thank you for stating exactly what they'd been thinking.
Three weeks later and nothing had changed. The Locksleys and Edward sat at the kitchen table, listless and failing to eat lunch for the third day in a row. Any of their friend's could now enter easily as Robin had provided them with keys to the side door.
Suddenly the doorbell rang three times!
What is going to happen? Sorry, dramatic! I already know
Reveiw please