"Lady Who?"
A harlot named Maggie reached behind herself to scratch her ample bottom, listening to Allan a Dale joke that she sounded like an owl.
"Lady Godiva. Robin told us all about her. A Saxon, wife to the Earl of Mercia, lived more than a hundred years ago. Rode naked on a horse through the streets of Coventry."
Maggie snorted with laughter. "A noble, riding her horse, naked through the streets? Doesn't sound like any snot faced noblewoman around today!"
"You're right. But she did it for a good reason. Same reason, in fact, Robin and me rob the rich."
"What's that, Sugar?"
"Taxes. Bloody, greedy taxgrubbers like the sheriff, and Prince John. And in Lady Godiva's case, her own husband. Raised taxes so high, the people were sufferin', same as today. So guess what did Lady Godiva did?"
"I don't know."
"She begged her husband to lower 'em, but he said no, not unless she rode naked through the city streets. And that's what she did, surprisin' her husband and callin' his bluff, when he hadn't meant it. And guess what? That's just what you're gonna do today."
"What? Me? Ride a horse? Are you daft? My bum's never been on horseback before!"
Allan grinned, finding it amusing that Maggie raised no objection to appearing naked in public, only to riding a horse. "It won't be hard," he consoled her. "I'll be walkin' alongside you, holdin' the reins. Think of it as a sure way to drum up business."
"You got something there! But how is that gonna free your friend?"
"What guard in his right mind would keep his eyes on a prisoner, when he could look at you, naked on a horse?"
Maggie giggled, jiggling up and down as she laughed. "I like you," she said again.
"Yeah. I like you, too. We already covered that. Now, the only question I got is, who are we gonna get to spring Robin out?"
...
"Please, Holy Mary, Mother of God, don't let it be so!"
Marian couldn't believe her ears when she heard that Robin was once again being held a prisoner in the castle dungeons. But when she learned that he had been captured visiting Gisbourne, becoming the instrument that had freed Sir Guy, her sympathy and concern turned to scorn.
"The fool!"
What had he done, and why? Marian knew Robin better than to think he'd tried to rescue Gisbourne, just to please her. No, the story of him showing his smug face in the dungeon, just to taunt Gisbourne, seemed more likely.
"You deserve to die, you fool," she muttered, then caught her breath at the thought.
"No. I lost you once," she murmured, picturing him suffering. "I'll die myself before I lose you again."
Determinedly, she pulled out a twisted lockpick she had secretly obtained after the first time Robin had been imprisoned, just in case he should ever wind up in the dungeons again.
"I'm coming, my love," she whispered, as if to herself. "I'm coming."
...
Robin lay on his back on a hard wooden bench in his cell, staring up through a grate over his head. Sheriff Vaisey had peed on him through that grate, just moments before, laughing gleefully down at him as Robin ducked the stream and swore.
"Serves me right," Robin muttered, scratching himself, for the fleas he'd picked up in the old monk's robe seemed to have multiplied since he'd entered the dungeon cell.
"Why did I do it? Five years in battle, and never once captured by Saracens. How did setting foot back in Nottingham turn me into such a fool?"
He knew the answer. Love, coupled with jealousy, had stolen his reason.
He needed to get out of here. But how? "Think, Robin, think."
All of a sudden, he heard a commotion throughout the castle. Men's voices were raised, whooping and shouting out lewd catcalls.
What was going on? A naked woman on horseback? Another Lady Godiva, riding through the streets of Nottingham? Even the grim faced jailor had run off to investigate. If Robin hadn't been in such dire straits, he would have laughed.
But who was this, rushing toward his cell? Marian? What was she doing here?
...
"Hurry!" Marian hissed at him, prying a pick in his cell door's lock. "You can make your escape through the East Gate. Lady Fortune is smiling on you again, Robin, for the guards have clustered around the walls on the west side of the castle, watching something." She too, had heard the rumors of a naked woman on horseback, but she wasn't about to mention her to Robin!
"Nottingham's own Lady Godiva?" he said, in a teasing tone. "Why don't you ever-"
"Do you want me to free you? Keep that kind of talk flowing, and I'll turn straight around and leave you here to rot!"
"I'm sorry, Marian," he grinned, somehow managing to look both sheepish and mischievious at the same time. "It's just, you're such a splendid horsewoman. It'll be a fine sight to see you-"
"Ooh! You're infuriating!" She manged to spring the lock at last, and Robin paused to kiss her cheek before darting up the steps.
"Thank you, Marian," he told her, deeply sincere. "Once again, I owe you my life."
"You're not safe yet," she reminded him, pleased all the same. "Go!"
Almost reluctantly, he tore himself away, to dash up the stairs, two at a time.
"Men!" Marian fumed, grinning up after his retreating form.
...
Marian hastened to follow Robin, praying all the while for his escape. But why wasn't he rushing east? Hadn't he listened when she'd told him the East Gate would be his way to freedom?
The fool! Robin was heading toward the West Gate!
Holding her breath and watching him from the castle, Marian saw Robin pass unaccosted, straight past a squadron of guards, under the portcullis, to safety. She couldn't stop smiling, until her eyes took in the sight that confirmed the rumors she had heard.
Allan a Dale led a horse through the streets. Astride the horse rode a naked woman with flaming hair, a color Marian had never seen before, hanging on tightly to the pommel of the saddle, her opulent flesh bouncing in all directions with every step of the horse.
Marian stared, transfixed by the sight. Everything about the woman seemed obscene to Marian, even down to her lack of a neck. Tuning out the whistles and lewd comments of the crowd, she focused her attention on Robin's elegant figure, beautifully poetic in its graceful running movements. He ran like no other man, fluid and lovely, like an animal. It was a joy itself, just to watch him. It always had been.
Suddenly, Marian wasn't alone, watching the outlaw escape. Sheriff Vaisey, the only man present who had no interest in watching Maggie, had spied Robin.
"It's Robin Hood!" he screamed from the castle ramparts. "Get after him, you blithering oafs!"
Robin heard the cry, saw the men rushing toward him. Without giving it a thought, he leaped onto the back of Maggie's horse, clutching her breasts to steady himself, then let go with a charming apology, dug his heels into the sides of the horse, and was off, with Maggie screaming for Allan to save her.
Allan coughed away dust kicked up by the horse, then ducked under his cloak and ran away, glad Robin had escaped, but not liking it that he had escaped on the horse he had taken pains to steal, with his woman!
As for Marian, her lovely smile had faded away, to be replaced by flashing eyes.
How dare he? How dare he ride away with that vile creature?
She vowed, as she had so many times before, that she would never speak to Robin of Locksley ever again.