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Chapter 5: Observations

She was assisting Sarah with waiting on Marion the next day. "Eleanor, would you accompany me to Locksley?" she asked. "I would ask you, Sarah, but I know you have a daughter. Can you be spared today, Eleanor?"

"If you wish it," Eleanor said. Griswald, nor any of the other servants, would dare contradict anyone of any title.

It was a short journey to Locksley. "You heard about the boys being abducted?" Marion asked her quietly. Eleanor nodded. "Such a pity."

Eleanor tried to study the lady's reaction before speaking. "Surely Robin Hood will do something. I can not believe he will let a little boy be harmed," she offered.

"Yes, I hope it all works out," Marion said distracted as she thought of a backup plan.

They arrived and took their places on the stage, Eleanor standing behind everyone as they all waited for Robin Hood to show up. She had meant what she told Marion—she didn't believe Robin Hood would let a child suffer, especially on his account. Everything she had heard about him since she arrived in Nottingham made her think well of Hood.

"Hood!" the sheriff yelled as he dragged the boy around with him. Eleanor looked everywhere for a sign of Robin.

The crowd parted to reveal Robin walking towards them. "Stop right there." Eleanor found herself scanning the crowd trying to find Allan. "You make the exchange, Sheriff, otherwise your men will kill me. And if your men kill me, my men will kill you," he shouted. Suddenly she saw Allan burst out with the others. She couldn't explain her reaction at seeing him—happy, excited to see him fighting with Robin Hood, sad to know he had told Guy of Hood's plan as the sheriff took out the rocks.

She caught his eye for the briefest of moments and she thought she could see his pain in them.

"Wait!" Marion yelled drawing her attention. "You can not release this child to him, he is an outlaw."

"Eleanor," Marion said as she unchained the boy. She passed the lad off to Eleanor. "Let me see," Eleanor said and grabbed the boy's wrists, gently massaging them. "Are you hurt anywhere?" he shook his head. They both turned their heads to see what the commotion was and saw an armed man burst out of the barn, causing the boy to gasp in horror. "Shush, it will be alright," Eleanor tried to assure him although she wasn't sure of that herself.

She watched the fight ensue. When Robin was holding Gisborne under water she didn't know what to think or feel.

So she turned the boys head away. "It will all be fine," she promised him as Marion burst forward.

She led the boy to Marion's horse when it was all over. She looked back and caught Allan's eye before he had to rush off with the others.

She couldn't explain it to herself, but something had changed seeing him in this predicament. She knew it was hard for him, but seeing it all first hand was different. Marion returned and as they were traveling back to Locksley she watched as she let the boy loose. If she peered closely she could make out a figure in the woods. "He'll get home safe," Marion told Eleanor.

The one thing Eleanor decided she hated about working at the castle was how everyone talked down to her as if she was a simpleton. She knew very well the boy could find his way home—he certainly was old enough. She also knew that someone else—it looked a lot like Robin—was out there.

But she bit her tongue. "Of course, m'lady," she agreed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

She walked to the well to fetch more water. "The boy looked thrilled to have seen Robin Hood face to face," Eleanor told Allan when he joined her.

Allan nodded. "Looked like Christmas came early when Robin made them all honorary members," he told her.

She pushed her hair back away from her face and he couldn't help but wish it was him. "Your hair reminds me of fresh honey," he told her, startling her. He liked to startle her.

"Honey?" she repeated baffled.

"Such a light, golden brown that shines when the light hits it," he tried to explain, embarrassed.

She smiled. "Thank you. That's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me," she admitted. "Don't make a big deal out of it, it was just nice to receive a compliment," she said embarrassed when she saw him smirk.

"You were there," he said. "With the boy."

"Obviously. I am assuming you told Guy about a plan? Robin looked fairly disappointed at one point."

He frowned. "You don't have to remind me of what I am doing."

"Have you thought about stopping? About telling Robin what happened?"

"Yeah, I've thought about stopping, but so far it has all been harmless information," he said. "No one's gotten hurt…"

"How long are you going to justify it to yourself?" she demanded, her hands on her hips. "What about when it goes to far?"

"Why do you keep pushing me?"

"Because you are a good man, and you can be a better one."

"Why do you have faith in me?"

The question threw her for a loop as much as it did Allan. "That's the question, then, isn't it?"

He ran his hand through his hair. "look, I still trust you, and it's not because you are the only other person who knows besides Guy. I just want you to help me with something," he said.

She looked at him wary and confused. "Nothing like what you are probably thinking. I just want you to hold onto this," he said tossing her a money pouch. "I have some buried, but I don't like keeping all my things in one place."

"Allan, I…"

"I trust you with it, and, you know, if you need anything…"

"Now that is entirely too much," Eleanor protested. "I am just surprised. I mean, this is yours… if anyone found me with this…"

"I'll worry about that," he grinned. She looked at the pouch for a moment. She had never held so much money in her life. She finally—after a long battle—put it inside her dress to keep it safe until she could get to her rooms. "Thanks." She heard the sincerity in his voice.

"Allan, just at least think about telling Robin, or quitting. You clearly have more than you had before," she motioned.

"I will…" he said as he left.

He was meeting with Gisborne the next night. "You seem quite taken with one of my servants," he mentioned.

Allan hid his surprise. "So she's pretty," he shrugged. "You were, after all, the one who introduced us."

"Which I think I am beginning to regret. Is she how you are getting your information?"

Allan became angry and fearful. If Guy thought Eleanor was passing on secrets then she would be in danger; a need to protect her rose in him. "I've told you before; I don't know how Robin is getting his information. But I know she has no clue about what is going on. She's a pretty face, but that's about it."

"If I begin to think differently, you can imagine what will happen," Guy warned.

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