"If you want to look the part," Maggie fussed over Marian, replacing a pale blond wig with a vivid red, curly one, "try this on for size. Beggin' your ladyship's pardon, but you'd never pass for a whore in that yellow one. What with your doll like face, you looked like one of God's blessed angels, too sweet to be tempting!"
"I don't have time for this, Maggie," Marian fumed impatiently. "Robin needs me! Just give me something and let me go!"
Fluffing out the red flowsey curls she'd pulled onto Marian's head, Maggie nodded appreciatively, then mentioned, "Just let me paint your face and we'll be ready, 'cause I wanna come along, too, for old times sake." Generously applying red carmine to Marian's lips and outlining her eyes in charcoal, she commented, "You could make a good living here at the Cherry Pit, your ladyship, if you'd only learn to be friendlier to the gents. You got assets, you know, spillin' right out the top of that gown I give you." Giggling, she added, "In fact, them guards are gonna be so busy feastin' their eyes on what you're sellin', there's no need for the wig or the facepaint! No men's eyes will be lookin' that high up!"
Embarrassed, Marian tried tugging the neckline of her bodice higher, but only succeeded in spilling further out of it. "No!" she cried in frustration. Turning to Maggie, she begged, "Is there anything less blatant I can wear?"
"That's as less as you can go," Maggie answered, not understanding. "Any less than that, and you'd be half naked."
"I don't want to be naked at all," Marian tried to explain, readjusting her bodice into some semblance of decency. "I just want to fool the guards, get them drunk, steal their keys, and free my husband."
"Why'd he get locked up again?"
Leaving the Cherry Pit together, Marian told Maggie the entire story, finishing with, "It's not Robin's fault. Women just naturally fall in love with him."
Despite Marian's obvious unhappiness, Maggie exploded into laughter.
"What?" Marian asked, annoyed.
Maggie ended her laughing fit with a deep sigh, giggled a bit more, then explained, "It's true what they say...Love really is blind."
They were hurrying through the back alleys of Nottingham to reach the castle, but Marian was confused and wanted an explanation.
Wiping the tears from her eyes, Maggie told her, "It's just...it's funny! You...thinkin' he's so fine!"
"What do you mean?"
"His lordship!" Maggie chortled, giggling again. "Robin! Oh, he's alright, now that I know him, not stuck up and snooty, like lotsa them other snot nosed lords. But you...thinking he's good looking!" She burst into fresh peels of laughter, stopping Marian in her tracks.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Marian snapped. "Of course, my husband's good looking!"
Maggie laughed so hard at that, she doubled over, clutching her stomach. "What, him?" she snorted. "I'm sorry to be the one to tell you, your ladyship, but your Robin's goofy looking, what with his little boy face, looking all smashed in!"
"Smashed in...? What?" Marian inwardly decided there must be something wrong with Maggie, or at least, be suffering from weak vision. But there wasn't time to debate her husband's stunningly handsome face. They were nearing the castle, and needed to begin their charade.