Lady Locksley

Chapter 20

Alice

Life in Nottingham Castle was odd without Lady Roana. Alice hadn't spent a day away from her mistress in over five years, and it almost felt like her life's purpose had disappeared down that waste chute. If she had been a different person, she may well have struggled to cope alone in the huge, draughty citadel amidst so many strange faces. But Alice was resourceful and highly adaptable, as well as being intrigued by the strange goings on in the castle. She had inserted herself into the team of servants easily, as was her wont, regaling them with titbits of gossip and stories she had picked up over the years. Alice was a friendly, open girl amongst her peer group, and they accepted her as one of their own.
Lady Marian made a habit of seeking her out at least once a day to check she was coping well without Lady Roana. Alice had assumed that she would temporarily become Lady Marian's maid while her mistress was gone, but, as a stroke of luck, Sheriff Vaisey required a personal maid, which appealed greatly to Alice's inquisitive nature. And so began her new position.
Obviously, the money wasn't great; Vaisey was well-known for his stinginess, as well as his volatile temperament and unrealistic demands, which Alice tried her best to appease. But she appreciated his humour, liked his caged birds, and his devious conversations, which she enjoyed listening in on, sparked her insatiable curiosity.
He seemed pleased with her ministrations, and, on that particular day, had given her the afternoon off, which was almost unheard of amongst the other servants. Alice knew that they suspected she was taking care of other aspects of the Sheriff's personal needs, but it was untrue; Vaisey had never shown any interest in her in that way, which she was more than happy about. There were certain lines that she would not be willing to cross, for anyone.
Alice mused on this thought as she wandered around Nottingham market on that particular Wednesday afternoon. If she were Sir Guy of Gisborne's personal maid, would she be so adamant about lines and when to cross them? She wasn't so sure. Alice had developed an infatuation, and that infatuation was Sir Guy of Gisborne.
Alice had never been infatuated before. She wasn't even completely sure about her feelings for the black knight. But his stern countenance and barely contained emotions drew her in like a moth to a flame, piquing her interest in such a way that she was hungry to learn more. He was complex; a tortured soul. She sensed a depth of feeling within him that even he could not fully comprehend. She had made a habit of watching him, surreptitiously, hiding in the shadows, although she didn't need to. He wouldn't notice a nobody like her, even if he hadn't been obsessed with Lady Marian. Yet Alice continued to study him. He appealed to her analytical mind.
Although she would never admit it to anyone, he was the main reason that she had not joined Lady Roana when she had escaped the castle with the outlaws. Alice did not know how long she would be in Nottingham for, or what would happen in the future, but for now, she wanted to find out everything she could about Sir Guy, and she couldn't very well do that from Sherwood Forest. She only hoped that Lady Roana would forgive her.
Pausing at a ceramics stall to finger a beautiful silk scarf, Alice was jostled by a fellow customer and turned to give them a piece of her mind, only to find herself looking into the sea-blue eyes of Robin Hood.
He very subtly jerked his head to the left and melted into the crowd in that direction.
Alice looked at the stall holder, a stocky older man who was not paying attention. She then glanced around, surreptitiously. Satisfied that there were no guards around, she followed Robin into the crowd and down an alleyway beside the tavern.
Robin waited for her in the shadows, along with the one called Much, who had once been a servant like Alice. She nodded at him before focusing on Robin Hood.
"My Lord, how is Lady Roana?"
Robin smiled kindly at her. "First of all, Alice, my name is Robin, and you can address me as such. As for Roana, she is fine, but worried about you. May I tell her that you are well?"
Alice breathed a deep sigh of relief. Being accosted by a known outlaw in a public market place was not something she was accustomed to, and, for a moment, she had feared the worst.
"Please tell her that I am well," she informed Robin. "Lady Marian has been kind to me, and the Sheriff has taken me on as his maid. He is treating me very well."
"What?" Much exclaimed in disbelief, and Robin chuckled, his eyes crinkling.
"My sister said you could look after yourself," he said, visibly impressed. "And how is our good Sheriff keeping?"
"He is not best pleased at the moment. Prince John is unhappy with him. He has cancelled his arranged visit and is insisting that the Sheriff find the best sword makers for the weaponry instead of using unskilled, cheap labour."
Alice's penchant for listening in on private conversations, and strong desire to share her knowledge, made her the ideal spy on the inside, a fact Robin gleaned with satisfaction as he listened to her with barely concealed glee.
"Really? Prince John is correct, of course, but don't tell him I said so. What else can you tell me, Alice?"
Alice shrugged, feigning indifference even as she eagerly sought to recall the best gossip. "The Sheriff is so desperate to please Prince John that he does not care to find the men you rescued anymore. But Sir William is still furious that Lady Roana has not returned. He has ordered Sir Guy to search the forest for her."
"We had noticed," Much muttered, darkly.
Robin looked pensive. "They won't find her, but it does pose a problem. I don't want the Sheriff's men in my forest." He placed a hand on Alice's arm. "Thank you for your information today, Alice. I will pass your message onto Roana. And I trust we can rely on you for any other important facts."
"Of course, my Lord," Alice said, starry-eyed. She did so enjoy being relied upon for information. Realising her mistake, she quickly corrected herself. "I mean, Robin. I will keep an ear out."
Robin smiled, gratefully. "I appreciate it. But be careful. I don't want to put you in any danger. No matter how amenable Vaisey may appear, he isn't a nice man."
Alice nodded. "I'm always careful. Tell my mistress not to worry. And I hope to see her soon."