Sherwood Manor, 2016
As the number of tragic deaths continued to reveal themselves, Emma and Henry were more determined than ever to uncover the whole truth. So far, they had four confirmed deaths, but only complete knowledge about two of them. The details behind Marian and Regina's deaths remained unknown, for now.
"Let's see…Robin hung himself and Zelena played a fatal game of Russian Roulette. All that's left are the two murders." Emma started walking towards the adjacent balcony that overlooked the garden- she needed fresh air, and if she was being honest with herself, a cocktail. "Brace yourself kid, it's only going to get worse from here on out." Henry leaned on the metal railing, resting his head on crossed arms.
"How do you know?" His question was muffled by his sweatshirt.
"I just have a feeling." Was it merely intuition, or was it the otherworldly atmosphere of the manor?
"Let's just…rest here for a while." Not finding anything wrong with that request, Emma copied her son's lazy posture and chose to lean against one of the massive white columns. She was content just relaxing, watching a few squirrels dash across the yard, when her eyes fell back on the railing, mentally scolding herself. Why hadn't she noticed earlier?
"Hey Henry, is that railing you're leaning on stable?" Really? He had been putting his weight on it this entire time, and she just now asks about its structural integrity?
"Yeah…why?" Emma pointed to the portion right beside him. It was broken and cracked in places, parts of it missing, even. Right then Henry felt like an idiot for not realizing that important detail.
"Whoa." He bent down to inspect it further. "Looks like something hit it pretty hard." It was a decent analysis, but Emma had other ideas.
"Not what Henry, who." And it wasn't a completely ridiculous assumption: the damage done to the metal grate was pretty severe, and given the history of the house…
"Marian?" As soon as the name left his lips, Emma felt a push from behind, causing her to loose her balance- almost falling off the balcony herself.
New Orleans Opera House, Mardi Gras Masquerade Ball, 1876
"I simply cannot believe I fell into your trap yet again, Will Scarlet." Robin grumbled, reaching to grab a glass of wine from the waiter's tray.
"How dare you say that! Firstly, it was not a trap, it was an invitation. Secondly, you willingly accepted said invitation. And thirdly, you are the head of the company that's hosting this event! You are technically obligated to attend, I just sent out the invitations." Robin rolled his eyes at his childhood friend, sighing deeply.
"Remind me why I hired you, Scarlet?" His colleague took another sip of his wine, grinning.
"My dashing appearance? My charm? The fact that I'm your best mate and you need me?" Robin sighed, looking at his watch- was it too early to excuse himself?
"You're full of it, Will. Go and find a dance partner before I come to my senses and release you from my employment." Will bowed mockingly, walking off to mingle with the many noblewomen in attendance.
"I hate these things." He growled, not one for pomp and circumstance. His company, or rather his parents' company, was responsible for importing the finest British and French goods for those who could afford it. After a few years, Gracey and Co. came to be well known throughout the south for their quality and reasonable prices. They were sought out by the French Opera House on Bourbon Street, who proposed a partnership. One of the…benefits of the partnership was the grand masquerade ball held annually on Mardi Gras, which the Gracey Company paid for. Hence, Robin's forced appearance.
In truth, Robin wasn't completely miserable. He passed the time admiring the décor of the venue, which included chandeliers and banisters decorated in purple, green, and gold ribbons, matching the evening's dress code color palette. Ladies were instructed to wear dresses displaying the Mardi Gras colors, and the same went for their gentleman's' cravat. The in-house symphony played in the background, providing the masked attendants with the evening's entertainment. As Robin watched couples twirl across the floor, he was approached by a young woman in gold, fanning herself vigorously.
"Fancy some company?" Robin gestured to the space next to him.
"Be my guest. Are you allowed to tell me your name or is that against the rules?" She laughed, removing her feathered mask.
"Lady Marian Nottingham, sister of Lord Edward." Ah yes, he knew her brother quite well- he had been pestering him for months about a merger with his own company, but Robin refused to budge. Lord Edward was more concerned about turning a profit than pleasing the customer, which Robin completely disagreed with.
"Pleasure to meet you, milady. Lord Robin Gracey, at your service." Robin shook her gloved hand, grinning. "I can't say the same about your brother. He's been a thorn in my side for quite some time." Marian chuckled knowingly.
"I'm terribly sorry about that. My brother is not as clever as he claims." With the tension cleared, Robin remembered his manners.
"Would you care for a drink?"
"How thoughtful of you, that would be delightful." He called over the server and poured them each a glass of champagne. Will just happened to glance over at this time, giving his friend a knowing smirk. Robin raised his glass in his direction as a response.
They conversed for the remainder of the evening, ending the night with a dance. Robin ended up enjoying himself so much that he decided to voice his thoughts.
"I'd very much like to see you again, after tonight." Robin admitted. "I had a wonderful time." Marian returned the sentiment.
"The feeling's mutual, Lord Gracey."
Sherwood Manor, 1877
"I'm terribly sorry to keep you waiting Ms. Leota." Robin apologized as he strode into his office, slightly out of breath. He hadn't expected the meeting with Lord Nottingham to drag on for one and a half hours.
"It's alright. I've been kept busy by all these lovely books." Bright blue eyes met his own, studying him intently. He was a fine looking man- she was going to enjoy working for him.
"Finally! Someone that appreciates fine literature!" They shared a laugh, and any awkwardness in the room was now dissolved.
"Shall we discuss the terms of your employment, Ms. Leota?" The woman shifted on the sofa, drawing some paper and a pencil out of her bag.
"Please, call me Zelena. Have you read my letter?"
"Yes, you wish to work full hours and live in the manor?" The redhead nodded, noting to herself that if she played her cards right Robin might take an interest in her.
"I believe that can be arranged. I will have my wife discuss the particulars of the job at your convenience." Did he just say wife? This complicated things, but nothing she couldn't deal with. Life as Robin's mistress would be just as satisfying.
"I look forward to meeting her then. Lady-?"
"Marian. You would have met her today, but she had previously scheduled tea with a few acquaintances in town." Robin signed the agreement and handed it back to his new employee.
"I'm sure we'll get along swimmingly." And this was true- as long as she got what she wanted, there wouldn't be any problems.
"Excellent. I'll have my butler arrive at your home next Monday morning to gather your belongings."
"I'll see myself out then, thank you." When she left the manor, Robin spent the rest of the afternoon in his office, writing Zelena into his company's payroll.
Meanwhile, the aforementioned young woman chose to occupy the remainder of her day perfecting her seduction technique.
Three months later
Zelena's original idea was never going to work, and it was all because of Marian. Robin's wife, charismatic and kind, always put the needs of others before her own. She doted on her husband endlessly- and Robin was clearly grateful. They were inseparable, jointly attending everything from charity events to weddings. It was evident through his adoration of Marian that he would never entertain the idea of a mistress. So, in order to obtain her goals, she had to resort to drastic measures.
The following days passed in slow motion: Having put all the components in place, all Zelena had to do was wait for a prolonged period of time where Marian would be isolated from Robin. That turned out to be more difficult than she expected, as the pair were rarely in separate rooms for more than a couple of minutes. Her solution was to wait until Robin left for his monthly meeting with Lord Nottingham downtown, which would leave her alone with Marian for a few short hours. Therefore, her plan had to be quickly and effectively executed before Robin returned home.
Luckily for Zelena, that meeting took place only two weeks after she had initiated her scheme. And so far, neither Marian nor Robin suspected a thing.
"Alright ladies, I must be off." Robin gave his wife the usual goodbye kiss and then departed, thinking to himself about how well the two women were getting along- falling right for Zelena's charade.
The two remaining members of the household continued to sit in the parlor and make small talk. As they passed the time, Zelena happened to notice the weather. Conditions were bright and sunny, but not too hot- it was the perfect setting for what she had in mind.
"It's such a lovely day, care to join me on the balcony for lunch?" She knew Marian would agree, given the woman's love for the outdoors.
"Of course, how thoughtful of you." The lady of the manor stood up, making her way towards the staircase. "I shall see you shortly, then. This dress isn't suitable for warmer weather."
Zelena took the opportunity to prepare the afternoon meal- sandwiches and teacakes, as per Marian's instructions. And who was she to deny her victim one last request?
"I have to confess; I don't know much about you." The statement came out of nowhere, and Zelena narrowly avoided choking on her sandwich. Did Marian have some kind of ulterior motive, or was she simply being cordial?
"What would you like to know?" Zelena would play along, for now.
"Are you local to New Orleans? What kind of home did you come from?" Ah. Just harmless questions. This she could deal with.
"I grew up in the area, yes. My father was a carpenter, and my mother a nurse at Charity Hospital." Zelena's expression darkened at the recollection of her family. "We're not exactly seeing eye to eye at the moment, however."
"How terrible. May I ask why?"
"My sister was, and probably still is, their favorite. Ever the obedient daughter, doing what was asked of her, while I elected to get an education. That was frowned upon, as you can imagine." Marian's sympathetic nod encouraged her to continue.
"One day they decided enough was enough, and that I was to be disowned from the family. Having nowhere to go, I sought out this job. And here we are." That was harder than she expected- dealing with her inner demons seemed to never get easier.
"I can relate, to a degree. My brother Edward got all the attention when we were younger, as he was expected to run the family business. When it came to me, all they asked from me was to find a husband, marry well. I believe I've done that, Mother and Father would be proud."
"They're no longer with us?" Zelena couldn't help but feel sorry for her, she knew how it felt to lose the ones you love- abandonment hurt just as much as death did.
"Both caught a nasty case of tuberculosis some months ago, and never recovered. I miss them every day." She reached a hand out to comfort her, maybe there was no need for her plan after all.
"Robin helps with that, the loss. He's such a good husband." And then Marian had to go and ruin it all by bringing that up. Suddenly, her initial plan was looking better and better by the second. "I do hope you'll find love just as I have." Zelena saw red.
There was a pause in the conversation, electing Marian to walk over and lean her body on the railing, taking in the lush landscape of the garden.
"I love a good summer breeze." Mrs. Gracey sighed, letting the wind sweep through her tousled hair. With the younger woman's back turned to the the redhead, Zelena began closing the distance between the two.
"As do I, but I can think of something better." Before Marian could ask what, Zelena quickly placed two hands on the small of her back and pushed. Robin's wife sailed over the edge, plummeting twenty feet and landing on the brick walkway- skull cracking on impact.
As soon as Robin made his presence known later that day, he heard Zelena's terrified shout of: "Come quickly, there's been an accident!"
