"Sir Guy's Atonement" (Book 3) by Gratiana Lovelace, 2015 (a Wattys2015 Nominee)

Ch. 31 (PG-13, S): Baron Guy Arrives Home This Night

"Sir Guy's Atonement" (Book 3), Ch. 31 (PG-13, S): Baron Guy Arrives Home This Night, May 18, 2015 Gratiana Lovelace

[An Original Historical Fiction Fan adaptation of the characters from the BBC's Robin Hood;

& a Sequel to "Sir Guy's Dilemma"(Book 2) by Gratiana Lovelace]

(All Rights Reserved; No copyright infringement intended)

[From time to time, I will illustrate my story with my dream cast of: Richard Armitage as Sir Guy of Gisborne, Clive Standen as Lord Archer of Locksley, Emma Watson as Lady Roseanna Gisborne, Tommy Bastow as the young Seth Gisborne, Lucy Griffiths as the spectre of Lady Marian, James McAvoy as Lord George Middleton, Toby Stephens as Prince/King John, Dakota Fanning as Lady Caroline Havorford, Chris Hemsworth as Sir Roderick Merton, Tamsin Egerton as Lady Rebecca Oxbridge Merton, Lee Ross as Sir Jasper, Sir Derek Jacobi as Fr. Bale, Judi Dench as Mother Superior, David Harewood as Brother Tuck, Kevin McKidd as Lord John Oxbridge Earl of Leicester, and Lucy Griffiths as Lady Anne/Marian, etc.]

Author's Mature Content Note: "Sir Guy's Atonement" is a story of romance and intrigue set amidst Medieval times. As such there will be some passages in this story involving heartfelt love scenes (S) and some passages involving highly dramatic moments (D). I will label the maturity rating of those chapters accordingly. Otherwise, the general rating for this story is PG or PG-13 due to some mature situations and topics. If you are unable or unwilling to attend a movie with the ratings that I provide, then please do not read the chapters with those labels. This is my disclaimer.

Author's Recap from the previous installment: After Lady Roseanna takes her distressed and anguished returned cousin Lord John Oxbridge to his children sleeping in the nursery, then everyone heads to bed. And Baron Guy of Gisborne having finished his work with the rebuilt Nottingham Castle's rededication and a few days with his brother Lord Archer's family, he heads home. And Baron Guy needs to reach home, his sanctuary of happiness with his wife Lady Rose and their children. Then all will be right with his world-or so he hopes.

"Sir Guy's Atonement", Ch. 31 (PG-13, S): Baron Guy Arrives Home This Night

Just as Lady Roseanna had hoped earlier this late evening of Wednesday July 9th, 1199-when her cousin Lord John Oxbridge Earl of Leicester, Lady Anne, and Brother Tuck arrived unexpectedly around nine o'clock-her husband Baron Guy of Gisborne finally makes his way home to their Gisborne-Middleton Manor in the wee hours of the morning the next day. Baron Guy as of yet has not been informed about the arrival of Lord John, nor the departure of Lord John's widow Lady Rebecca now married to Sir Roderick Merton and with child by him.

Riding by himself on his steed Pegasus, Baron Guy made the trip from Nottingham to the countryside West of Leicester quicker than by carriage-even stopping for an hour at an inn to rest and feed his horse Pegasus and himself before continuing on. Upon entering his Gisborne-Middleton estate stables around midnight, Sir Guy wakes up the stable boy sleeping there, asking him to remove Pegasus' saddle and blanket and wipe him down to make him more comfortable.

Then upon entering Middleton Manor through the servants' entrance in the back-so as not to waken anyone but the footman who lets him in-Baron Guy takes a quick and much needed bath in the kitchen mud room tub since the coals are still warm on the stove for heated water. He bathes often here when coming in from hunting so as not to trek dirt throughout their home. It is a lesson learned from Baron Guy's beloved late Mama Lady Ghislaine Gisborne, and now appreciated by his wife Lady Roseanna. And Baron Guy grabs a robe that he has stashed in a cupboard to go over his night shirt from his traveling bag. And he leaves his boots and dusty traveling clothes there for his valet and their servant laundress to tend to them.