Hurt, angry, and confused, Marian left the stables and entered her house. What had Robin meant, smugly telling her she would only be dealing with his men from now on, instead of himself?
For a brief moment, she was surprised to see Jess and Sarah, uncomfortably nervous with their former employer, her father. And then, of course, she remembered telling them to come to Knighton.
Sir Edward showed signs of nervousness himself. "I hear you saved these two," he said to Marian, torn between pride in his daughter and fear for all their lives. "If Gisbourne comes, what will you tell him?"
"I can handle Gisbourne, Father," Marian assured him.
"I hope so." Turning to their "guests," he continued, "And now, I hope you will excuse me. I feel the need to lie down."
"Father, are you alright?" Marian asked, concerned.
"I will be, as long as you're safe. Good day."
Slowly, he climbed the stairs, made frail by fear, unhappiness, and constant worry.
"We should go," Sarah offered, once Sir Edward had departed. "We don't want to bring trouble to your house."
"Stay, please. You heard me tell my father, I can handle Gisbourne. I intend to clear your names, and get your house rebuilt."
Despite her troubles, Sarah couldn't hide her amusement.
"What?" Marian asked, mistakenly thinking her former cook didn't believe her.
"Forgive me, milady," Sarah answered. "It's just...you remind me of Robin."
Marian blushed to the roots of her hair, partly from anger. "Spare me your comparisons," she said, more curtly than she meant to. "Believe me, Sarah, I have no desire for him. I mean," she hastened to correct herself, "to be compared to him."
She blushed brighter red, all traces of composure gone.
"Why are you mad at him?" little Jess asked. "Robin's a hero!"
"Hush!" her mother warned. "That's none of your concern!" Turning to Marian, she apologized, "I'm sorry, milady. Like all of us, Jess wants to see you and Robin together again."
Marian found her mouth had gone dry, making it difficult to speak. A wave of sorrrow washed over her, and she forced it back by summoning her anger.
It was easier to be angry at him, than to hurt. And so, she wore her anger, like a warrior carried his shield, as her best defense against the pain of having lost him.
The sound of hoofbeats warned them that Gisbourne was approaching.
"Hide in here," Marian told the frightened mother and daughter, ushering them into an adjoining chamber. "I'll explain everything to him."
"But then, he'll know-"
"He won't. Unfortunately, since you left our house, I've become quite skilled at lying. I'm actually glad my kind confessor's no longer here to know how far I've fallen from grace."
"Brother Tuck would absolve you, milady, just as I excuse you. You're only doing what you must, to survive."
Grateful, Marian nodded, then readied herself to face Sir Guy of Gisbourne.
...
"Sir Guy," Marian said, placing the small wooden box on her table without bothering to look what it held inside, "you bring too many gifts."
Another ugly trinket, to buy me? she was thinking. I am not so easily won. But I'll smile for you today, and endanger my immortal soul with my lies, to save good, honest people who need me.
"Have you recovered from your weakness?" Gisbourne asked, almost protectively.
The unexpected kindness in his voice made her grow unaccountably nervous. "I feel much better," she answered, trying to appear calm and at ease. "I must have breathed in too much smoke. I trust the fire's out? I feel for that mother and her child. It must be hard to lose one's home to fire. I can't imagine."
Gisbourne sneered. "Don't waste your tender heart's mercy on them. They collaborated with outlaws. They deserve to die."
"But surely, they were innocent victims. Robin Hood had broken into their home, to rob them."
"I told you, Lady Marian, not to waste your sympathy on them. That was Hood's concocted lie, meant to protect them. Since when has Hood robbed the poor?"
"The people would turn against him, wouldn't they, if they thought so?"
Marian waited for her suggestion to take root in Gisbourne's mind. Unfortunately, the man wasn't half so clever as Robin, and so, she found she needed to speak again, to help her lie take hold.
"If people believed Hood capable of such an act," she continued, meaningfully, knowing full well they never would, "he'd find himself with fewer friends. Perhaps, he'd find himself a prisoner, for surely, someone would come forward to collect the twenty pound reward on his head."
"It's fifty now, and rising. The sheriff hates parting with money, but he hates Hood more."
And then at once, Marian's words sunk into Gisbourne's mind. Feeling he'd come up with a brilliant scheme all on his own, he couldn't wait to ride back to Nottingham, and tell the sheriff.
"Now that I'm assured you're well, I must leave you...milady."
But Marian had not yet accomplished her mission to clear Sarah and Jess's names. "Please stay, at least until I open your gift."
Her sparkling eyes and smiling, rosy red lips proved irrestible. It was rare pleasure indeed, to see her smile at him. Gisbourne felt he could wait, for the time being.
He hovered over her, lurking in the shadows, intently watching her every move, her every expression, as she opened the wooden box he had given her. To her surprise, it didn't contain the customary ugly trinket, but something extremely precious, something she recognized from years ago. Something a handsome young boy with a dazzling smile, heir to the manor, had shown her one rainy afternoon at Locksley, some fifteen years ago.