Lion Heart (24 page)

I looked to the knight; if a woman felt uncomfortable with a man there, I wouldn't betray that. “No. I'll be well enough, but thank you.”

The knight looked grim at Essex, and Essex gave him a good scowl in return.

We walked out through the open gate, heading into the forest. We seemed to be walking straight in, rather than off toward Edwinstowe.

“Where are we going?” I asked the knight, glancing back behind me to where he stood.

“Just a little farther, my lady,” he said.

I turned forward again, and just as I did I heard the whisper of metal sliding.

Turning back once more, I gasped and ducked as the knight swung his heavy blade at me. I ducked and he swung wide, and I ran past him, trying to grab at my
knives. With my hands covered, I couldn't draw them out.

He turned and raised his sword again as I yanked at the bandages, tearing one with my teeth. He swung his blade toward me again, and I dived behind a tree. The metal bit deep into the wood, and I earned a moment.

The tear were enough to unravel the bandage on my full hand, and I grabbed for a knife as he came at me again. He lunged at me, and I crossed my body to push the sword off with my good hand, leaving me off balance.

He saw this and grabbed for my hair, but I were quick and he didn't get me. He tripped me at the same moment, though, his foot hooking round mine while I tried to escape him.

I fell hard to the forest floor, and his sword thrust down, glinting in the afternoon sun.

Rolling to miss it, I got my hands under me to push up, but his foot smashed down on my back, pressing my face into the dirt.

“
Stay
,” he growled.

A roared yell came from behind us, and the knight—if he were such—turned. I heard metal scrape on metal, and I scrambled to my feet to see Essex fighting him, swords flashing bright.

“Stay out of this!” the knight yelled at Essex.

Essex hammered a hard blow. “What is
this
?” he demanded.

The knight moved fast, parrying and lunging, forcing Essex back. “No business for an earl,” he returned.

“You are a traitor,” he accused. “Trying to harm your lady!”

“She's not my lady,” the knight snapped. “I owe allegiance elsewhere.”

“To whom?” Essex demanded, but I already knew, and the knight wouldn't tell Essex that.

Essex were
excellent
. He had perfect form, and a practiced speed and precision most nobles were far too lazy to develop. I already knew the knight were quick and skilled, but they were a surprising good match.

With a hard blow, Essex disarmed him, and without a moment's breath, ran him straight through. My breath stopped and I covered my mouth.

“My lady, are you hurt?” Essex asked. He pulled his sword out and the man fell; Essex bent down and used the man's tunic to wipe his blade clean before he sheathed it. “My lady?”

“No,” I said quick, shaking my head. “Let's get back to the wall.”

He nodded, and I walked to him and we went to the gate. I looked back once, seeing the man's body lying in the woods.

Once the gates were shut tight behind us, Essex kept walking, but he turned to me.

“If you ask me if I'm hurt once more, I swear I'll flatten you,” I warned him, walking faster.

He glanced at the gate, then back at me. “You're bleeding,” he told me.

I touched my face. The side of my face were scratched up good, and the skin above my eye were cut. I swore, and he looked at me. “Oh, for Heaven's sake,” I grunted. “Don't look at me like that. I think you've rather discovered I'm a different sort of girl than Isabel.”

He looked ahead. “In some ways,” he told me. “Yet I think if she found a way to break free of court, she'd be rather similar to you indeed.”

This thought startled me, but I thought it better not to say anything to that.

We reached the castle and the knights set running about, and before we reached the upper bailey, David were there with Allan behind him, and Rob were striding across the courtyard.

“My lady!” David cried when we were closer. He dropped to one knee. “I didn't think—I should have thought to protect you, my lady. I cannot ask for your forgiveness.”

“Forgiveness isn't needed, David. Please stand up.”

“What happened?” Rob asked, shouldering past David. “They said you were hurt.”

I turned my face to him. “A few bruises and scrapes, Rob, nothing serious.” His hand slid into my unbandaged one, unthinking, like it belonged there.

“A man, either one of the Nottingham knights or dressed to look like him, drew her outside of the city and tried to kill her,” Essex explained, his face ever stern. He were watching me, and watching Rob, and looking at our hands.

Rob's hand tightened on mine. “He's dead?” Rob said, looking at me.

I nodded. “He had me,” I admitted. “I wasn't expecting it, and he nearly got me. Essex stopped him,” I said, looking to the earl.

“How were you there?” Rob asked him.

“I saw them going out. The knight refused my escort of the lady, and the more I thought about that, there was no good reason he would do such a thing. So I followed you,” he told me.

Rob's frown turned grim and dark. “Prince John tried to assassinate you.”

“Again, it would seem,” I told him. “Who else was with these knights and wants me dead?”

“I should have been there,” David said.

“Yes,” Rob said. “You should have.”

I pulled my hand away from Rob's. “Rob!” I snapped.

“And I should have been there,” Rob snapped back, turning away from me with a curse. “If he can get to you here, Scarlet, you will never be safe.”

“Oh, stop, the lot of you,” I said, glaring at each in turn. “I'm not safe. I was never
safe
. Of course he wants to kill me. He also seems to want his brother dead, and I will not let that happen.” My eyes rested on Rob. “If you want me to be safe, we need to pay the tax, protect the money, and bring Richard home.”

Rob sucked in a breath, shaking his head. “How about we start with cleaning you up, and then we'll save the kingdom.”

I crossed my arms, then winced when it made me feel a bruise on my side. “Fine.”

Essex bowed to me. “My lady, I should go speak with Winchester, but we should speak tomorrow. I have a matter I'd like to discuss with you.”

I nodded. “Very well. Thank you for your valor today, my lord.”

He straightened, and nodded once.

Rob brought me inside, fixing me up, cleaning the scratches on my face. Nothing needed stitching, and he didn't speak to me until he were finished.

“Tomorrow,” he said. “Will you hunt with me?”

I looked at his face, his handsome face, and nodded. “Yes.”

That night I slept in the hayloft, half hoping Rob would go there looking for a place to sleep, but he didn't. I slept alone, cold and wary as the night crept on.

I woke in the early morning, and before I found Rob, I found Essex in the Great Hall, eating bread. He saw me and stopped, coming from the table to me.

“My lord,” I said to him, inclining my head.

“My lady,” he said, bowing. “Do you have a moment for us to speak?”

I nodded, glancing at Rob as he entered the hall. “Yes. Why don't we walk down to the tournament grounds?” I suggested. It were the only part that were close to the castle and still far enough to allow us privacy.

He nodded once, and offered me his arm. I hesitated for a moment, but I took it.

Once we were away from the noise of the others, he glanced at me. “I've been frank with you thus far, my lady. I'm hoping that's a trait you appreciate.”

My eyebrows pulled together. “Yes. Quite so.”

“I support your efforts to curb the power of the prince,” he told me. “And I believe that I can help you win Isabel's favor. But as yesterday clearly demonstrated, you are vulnerable.”

“I will always be vulnerable,” I admitted.

He looked at me. “Not necessarily. You command a tremendous amount of land and wealth now; if you
were to ally with another earl, your power would be greater than that of the prince.”

I stopped. “Ally.”

He drew a breath. “Before I left her, the queen mother asked me to consider whether you would be a suitable wife for me.” I stepped back. “I told her no. Yet over the past days, you have impressed me, and that is not easily done.”

“My lord, I—”

“You care for the sheriff,” he said low. “And you have already guessed my affections lie elsewhere. But both of those are people we cannot have, Lady Marian. And I do believe we could be friends, which is more than I've hoped for in a match. More importantly, it would protect us both against Prince John. And your grandmother would be very pleased.”

“Stop, please,” I said.

He looked at me, with his same stern expression. “Consider it.”

I shook my head slow. “No, my lord. Thank you—you're right that it would be a wise decision. We'd be powerful beyond measure, and maybe that would stop Prince John. Or perhaps it would make him more angry, and more desperate. But I won't let Prince John steal my choices or force my hand. Especially not concerning this.”

His mouth opened, but I shook my head.

“You cannot marry Isabel because she's already married, but I can marry Rob. I will marry Rob.”

He nodded once. “Does he want to marry you, Marian?” he asked me. “He cares for you, that much is clear. But he's an honorable man—and though he was born a noble, he's not one now. He knows better than most what a marriage could purchase you. Will he marry you, knowing what he will be keeping you from?”

I stared at him, horrified that I didn't have a sure answer for that.

“As I said, Marian, this would be a match of friendship and gain; if he will have you, I wish you the best.” He stepped closer to me, catching my full hand and bringing it to his mouth. “I must go attend to the queen. I'll leave in the afternoon, but should you find yourself in need of a husband, my offer will stand.”

He kissed my hand, and let it go.

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