Robin felt sick to his stomach, watching Marian sit beside Guy of Gisbourne at the table built for his family in his house.
What had he done to distance her from him? Had it truly been only last night when she had let him hold her so lovingly in his arms?
She seemed a stranger to him again, a furious stranger whose gorgeous blue eyes flashed contempt toward him.
It took all his pride to stop him from asking her for forgiveness. But the blood of kings coursed through his veins, and he had a great deal of pride to draw upon. That, and the dark, vicious presence of his enemy, whose steely eyes blazed through him, fueled his anger and held him back.
He returned to his mockery of Gisbourne's "hospitality," and his false gallantry toward Swete.
"I thank you, milady," he told the drunken slattern in a warm, tempting voice, all for Marian's benefit, "for honoring me with your charming company this morning. Were I to choose among all the ladies present, I would choose you."
Her head bobbed, then hit the table with a thud, as she passed out.
"She fainted! I'm used, however, to ladies passing out in my presence. Something about me makes them swoon."
"It's the stink that clings to your foul person," Marian told him, with superior snideness. "Thankfully, my stomach is strong, and I never grow faint, no matter how offensive you are."
"You happen to know I bathed recently. Or have you forgotten?"
"How would she know that, Hood?" Gisbourne growled.
Too late, Robin realized his mistake. Marian's eyes went wide with alarm, and Robin wanted to beat himself for endangering her. He needed to think up an excuse, and quickly.
His clever tongue did not fail him. "I ambushed her the other day, and she pushed me into the stream and got away," he lied.
Gisbourne's narrowed eyes searched their faces. Wanting to believe the tale, he accepted it as truth.
"You mustn't ride alone through the forest," he told Marian.
"Thank you, Guy, for your kind concern." Her hand trembled slightly as she placed it on top of one of his.
Robin leaped to his feet.
At that moment, Thornton entered the hall. "Master!" he cried, surprised to see Robin in the house.
Guy of Gisbourne rose to strike the faithful servant forcefully across his cheek, sending him reeling backwards and falling to the floor. Marian shuddered.
"I am your master now!" Gisbourne bellowed.
Before Sir Guy had finished speaking, Robin had leaped across the table and was on him, knocking him to the ground. Both men rolled across the floor, locked in wrestling grips, pummeling each other with their fists.
Marian ran to offer aid to Thornton. How dare Gisbourne strike the kind old servant? She fervently hoped Robin would break Gisbourne's bones, or worse.
As the fight raged on, Much's voice was suddenly heard to cry out, "Robin! Sorry! I was only looking out the window, when they overpowered me! They're coming! Run, Robin! Run!"
Robin pulled himself away from the fight. "This isn't finished yet, Gisbourne," he snarled. "Much?"
Seeing his loyal friend panting as he ran into the hall, Robin delivered one final kick to Gisbourne's ribs, then pushed Much out the door, and followed him on rushing feet. Once outside the door, he stopped and looked back for an instant, meeting Marian's eyes with a sorrowful, longing gaze. His eyes hardened at the sight of her cold withering glare.
"Master! Come on!" Much cried, pulling his sleeve, then shoving him forward, just out of the reach of Gisbourne's stampeding guards.