Lady Outlaw

Chapter 26

Worksop, Nottinghamshire

On the morning of the outlaws' failed rescue attempt at Scarborough Castle, Marian, Eve, and Averey began the long journey back to Nottingham. This time, their trip was a far more relaxed and agreeable event in comparison to the journey there, when Marian had harboured residual suspicion of Eve, and Averey had refused to speak to either of them. Although the big man still had little to say, he now rode alongside them instead of ahead, and his whole demeanour was softer and more amenable.
Eve was still in awe of Lady Marian, but her fear and apprehension had all but faded after their days together at Filey Manor. She had seen a different side to Marian, a less rigid and fiery persona, and it made her all the more approachable. Of course, Robin was to thank for that. Betrothal to the man she loved clearly suited her, and Eve had caught her surreptitiously admiring her ring on a number of occasions, her face lit up with joy. She also found a multitude of different reasons to bring him up in conversation, from talking about their childhood together, when Robin had been her best friend's older brother who she and Roana had followed around, wide-eyed and admiring, getting in his way until he had paid them some attention, to describing her feeling of desolation and abandonment when he had gone against her wishes and followed the king to the Holy Land.
Eve was sure that Marian would regret being so candid with the hired help at a later date, for she was a proud woman who did not invite close confidants, especially of the female kind. But it was nice for Eve to gain some insight into the lady she would be spending her time with, and part of her listened avidly in hope of a mention of Much.
Eve had never been in love before, and she wondered if her growing feelings for Robin's former manservant were the same as Marian's feelings for Robin. She first met Much many months before, when the Sheriff had captured him and promptly assigned him the role of Earl of Bonchurch. Eve was sent to work for him in the guise of his maid, while, in reality, she was spying for the Sheriff in the hope of infiltrating the outlaw gang's secrets, leading to the incarceration of Robin Hood.
Of course, it didn't work like that. Eve fell for Much's innocence, and his lack of guile. He was kind to her, which she was unused to from nobles. Having been in servitude since her twelfth birthday, Eve had encountered her fair share of pompous earls who felt it was their God-given right to treat servants as they liked, pushing the boundaries with no shame or conscience. Eve had learnt to toughen up and take as much as she could bear, for the money was good and it helped her struggling family after the death of her father. Upon meeting Much, she was already experienced in the art of pretence, and had taught herself to bury her emotions deep within and get on with the job at hand. But Much was different. He made her believe that there was more to life than the path she had chosen, and that not all men were the same. Some of them had beautiful hearts and genuine thoughts and feelings.
It seemed only right to betray the Sheriff and help Much to escape unscathed, but she suffered for it in the aftermath. Although she begged and pleaded with the Sheriff in an attempt to convince him that she had made a mistake, his trust in her had been broken, and he sent her to work for the Earl of Bakewell over in Derbyshire, as punishment. Roderick of Bakewell was a vile man with a volatile temper, and it took all of Eve's wiles to escape his groping hands and lecherous nature. For eight months, she lived in a state of abject fear and misery, regretting the choices she had made in the past, but feeling no remorse for helping Much. Part of her was resigned to her fate, but another part of her knew that she had to see him again one day. But she didn't know how to engineer it.
Fate delivered her a helping hand. Roderick was killed in a dreadful hunting accident, and Eve was sent back to Nottingham, where Locksley Manor was in need of a personal assistant for Lady Marian.
Much had told her his story. She knew all about Robin of Locksley, and how he had been stripped of his titles and outlawed. She knew the gang were living in Sherwood Forest, and she hoped beyond hope that her time at Locksley Manor would bring her together with him again.
As luck would have it, it worked. He found her. And the days that they had spent together in Yorkshire had cemented the bond that she knew she hadn't imagined, for he had felt it as well. He still felt it.
It wasn't only Lady Marian who had come away from Filey a happier, more content woman; of this, Eve was certain.
After travelling for the best part of the day, Marian decided that they should take a break once they reached Doncaster. They spent the night at Doncaster Hall with an ecstatic Walter, who was delighted to see them again, and in awe of Marian and Robin's betrothal. He kept them up far too late, drinking wine in celebration of the upcoming nuptials, and it was a slightly fragile threesome that set off for Locksley the following morning.
Leaving the Great North Road, they opted for the quieter route around the northern edge of Sherwood Forest and down through the small market village of Worksop. From there, it wouldn't take long to get to Locksley if they travelled along the main route through the greenwood. It was a well-worn track, busy at this time of day as people bustled to-and-from the villages along the way.
Marian, Eve, and Averey rode in companionable silence. Anticipation was thick in the air as they drew closer to home, although they allowed the horses to amble along quite naturally, happy to take in the sights and the sounds around them.
Ahead of them, there was a slight commotion on the track as a tall, blond man leading an obviously lame bay mare stopped to talk to a farmhand driving a cart pulled by an aging piebald cob. The conversation was becoming quite heated, with the blond man gesticulating furiously.
Nudging Fable into a trot, Marian approached them, wincing a little at the throbbing pain in her head - the after-effects of the night before.
"Excuse me," she called out to the blond man. "Is everything alright?"
Eve and Averey exchanged brief panicked glances and hastened after her. Marian's headstrong nature was a worry, especially when she could potentially put herself and those around her in danger. Eve hoped that the blond man was friend and not foe.
He had turned from the farmhand to look towards Marian at the sound of her voice, and Eve saw that he was wearing chainmail beneath a blue tunic. He was a knight of some kind, she surmised.
"I need a horse," he announced without preamble as Marian drew to a halt beside him. "As you can see, mine is lame, and I need to get to York in haste." He ran sharp blue eyes over Fable. "Can I take your horse?"
"I'm afraid not," Marian replied, coolly. "She was a gift from a friend. Also, we have been on the road for two days, and she needs to rest." She regarded him, curiously. "May I inquire of your business in York?"
The man looked disappointed, and ran his eyes over Averey and Eve, who had pulled up behind Marian. "I am looking for a man named Robin of Locksley. I have been told that he is around the York area."
Marian was mildly surprised. "What is your business with Robin? I know him well."
"I have recently returned from the Holy Land with a message for Robin of Locksley from the king." The man drew himself up imperiously. "I need to speak to him with some urgency. Whereabouts can I find him? Once I get myself a horse, that is."
His tone lost its pomposity as he regarded his mount, who looked exhausted. He did, too. His clothes were coated with dust from the road, and his eyes were red-rimmed with fatigue. Marian made a hasty decision.
"I cannot tell you with any certainty where Robin is, but he will be back in Nottinghamshire in the next day or so."
The blond man scrutinised her. "And may I ask how you know this?"
"My lady.." Eve murmured a warning, but Marian either didn't hear her or chose not to listen.
"I am his betrothed," she told him, proudly. "Once he returns to the shire, I will certainly know about it."
A sudden gust of wind blew along the track and into the greenwood, rustling through the trees in a tumult of sound and movement. The blond man looked pleased, although his eyes remained cold, and Eve experienced a vague feeling of forboding. Something did not feel right.
"Ah. The lady Marian, I assume." He smiled up at her, the line of his lips razor sharp. "I did attend Locksley, looking for Robin. The steward told me where to find Robin. My name is Carter."
Marian returned his smile. "Well, Carter, if you would like to accompany us to Locksley, I'm sure my father will welcome you while you wait for Robin's return."
Carter inclined his head, graciously, in acceptance. Eve and Averey fell into step behind as he and Marian began to make their way in the direction of Locksley. Eve was feeling a little uncomfortable, but she wasn't sure if it was the result of weariness after two days on the road, or a reaction to any certain danger. She did feel tired, and keen to arrive home, but also unsettled in a way that she couldn't pinpoint. There was something about Carter's expression when Marian had introduced herself that she didn't like. He had looked vaguely predatory for just the briefest of moments.
But King Richard had sent him from the Holy Land with an important message for Robin. Eve must be imagining things, she told herself. Robin and Much had been members of the elite king's guards; surely King Richard would not have sent Carter if he would pose a threat to Robin's safety.
Eve risked a glance at Averey, who was riding silently beside her. Although he was staring ahead, he had clearly been watching her from the corner of his eye, and he met her gaze immediately. He raised his eyebrows very slightly and gave an imperceptible nod of his head in Carter's direction. Eve felt a wave of relief at the confirmation that she wasn't imagining things, followed quickly by a lurch of anxiousness.
"What do we do?" she whispered out of the side of her mouth, hoping Averey could understand her distorted speech.
Averey said nothing for a long moment, and eventually, Eve looked at him, quickly, wondering if he had heard her.
He was watching Carter intently, listening to the conversation between him and Marian, which seemed harmless enough. Carter was describing the Holy Land, and talking of the king's well-being and success. He seemed to have relaxed and lost the initial prickliness that had set Eve's nerves on edge. Maybe she had been too quick to judge.
Averey seemed to be of the same mindset, and sent a half-smile to Eve. "I'm watching," he said, simply.
Eve was relieved. She knew that she could rely on Averey. She had no doubt that he could overpower Carter if he needed to. While of a compact, leanly muscled build, the shorter man would be no match for Averey's sheer size and weight.
Locksley village was a hive of activity, and villagers glanced towards them and stopped to greet Lady Marian as the small group passed through, heading towards the manor house. Thornton was in the courtyard, supervising the maids who were hanging out freshly laundered bed sheets to dry in the balmy summer breeze. He glanced up as they approached, and his face broke into a smile at the sight of Marian.
"My lady, you are home!" he exclaimed. "Your father will be pleased. Let me alert him."
His happy tone faltered slightly as his eyes fell on Carter, and he left them quickly, moving back into the house.
Marian dismounted and two stable boys appeared from the barn, hurrying over to take Fable and Carter's horse.
"This horse is lame," Marian told them, indicating the latter. "Please arrange for a poultice to be applied to the off-right hind hoof and rest her up."
The boys both nodded in acquiescence and lead the two horses away as Sir Edward appeared in the doorway, followed closely by a worried-looking Thornton.
"Marian, my dear! You are back." He stepped from the house and crossed to embrace her, then held her at arm's length to scrutinise her properly. "Something has changed. Is everything alright with Roana's family?"
Marian nodded, unable to prevent a satisfied smile from stretching across her features. "Everything is fine, Father. But I have news." Tentatively, she removed her left hand from his shoulder and showed him Robin's ring. "I am betrothed, Father. Robin finally asked me again."
Edward was suitably flabbergasted, as she had expected, and looked from the ring to her face in stunned surprise. "But, my dear. He is an outlaw."
"Who I love very much," Marian added, firmly. "And he will not be an outlaw forever. Once the king returns, he will be pardoned."
Pausing, Edward raised his eyebrows at her before realising he was heading into a battle of wills that he would never win.
"Very well, Marian. But I would like to speak to Robin as soon as possible."
"You'll have to join a long line, I think." Marian indicated Carter, stood just behind her. "This is Carter. He is searching for Robin, too."
Thornton cleared his throat. "Umm, yes. This man was here earlier, asking for Robin. I told him he was in Yorkshire on business."
The way Thornton looked at Carter seemed a little off, and Eve and Averey, in the process of dismounting, noticed and glanced quickly at each other.
"And now I'm back," Carter replied evenly, staring at the steward with a strange glint in his eye. "My horse is lame, and Lady Marian has very kindly offered me a place to rest while I wait for Robin's return."
"Oh, I'm not sure we have the room.." Thornton began, his tone stricken, before Edward interrupted, tensely.
"What business do you have with Robin? We don't want any trouble here."
Marian, who had been watching the exchange with growing concern, gasped loudly as Carter suddenly grabbed her, winding an arm around her neck. At the same time, he drew a dagger from his belt and held the tip of the blade to her throat.
With a roar, Averey dropped his horse's reins and made to run at them, but Carter second guessed him, pulling Marian to the side so the barn wall was at his back.
"Don't even think about it, big man," he said in a low and threatening tone. "I don't want to harm her, but I will."
"What is it you want?" Edward asked, fearfully. "I have money..."
Carter shook his head in one tight movement. "I want Robin of Locksley." He glanced at Averey and Eve. "You two will know where he is. Depart now and bring him straight home." He blinked slowly and threateningly. "Tell him I have Marian. Tell him if I don't see him soon, she will die."