Lion Heart (32 page)

Eleanor stiffened, and Rob pushed at Winchester's shoulders. “Outside with you,” he ordered, and then, much quieter, “You're scaring her, Quin.”

He glanced at Margaret, who were looking at him with wide, lost eyes, and he hung his head. He let Rob push him out of the room.

I went to them. “All is not lost,” I told her, kneeling in front of her.

“It is,” she sniffed. “My father won't change his mind. He's going to meet me in London within a fortnight and the marriage will happen within the month.”

“Winchester will change his mind,” I told her. “Let him ask for your hand.”

“Winchester is right,” Eleanor said soft. “I can't imagine this happened without my son's urging. And if my son has promised your father something, it may be difficult to match.” She looked at me, and back to
Margaret. “Particularly,” she added with a sigh, “if your theory about his plans for Richard is correct.”

Margaret drew a breath and it came out with tears. I caught her hands in mine. “No,” I told her. “I won't let this happen. I promise. The only way you'll marry de Clare is if you damn well want to.”

She shook her head. “I don't. But my father—”

“We'll deal with him.”

“You must escort her down to London,” Eleanor told me.

I shook my head. “I can't leave Nottingham. Not now.”

“You must,” Eleanor told me. “I gave you the option of a strong, protective alliance, and you chose your own path,” she said, her eyebrow arching up.

“You never thought I'd marry Essex,” I scoffed.

The eyebrow dropped. “Well. Still, you need more of the nobility at your side to quell John, Marian.”

“What, and show them how Prince John has repaid Winchester for his aid? No one will help us then.”

“Really?” she said. “They don't have wives and daughters? People they wish to protect? People they love?”

I frowned.

“Whether it makes them bold or not, the other nobles need to see that Prince John is acting out against their
way of life. And besides, if you're in London you can protect the silver we're sending down there.”

“No,” I told her. “I can't leave Nottingham. Not when Prince John has already proven he can strike within these walls.”

“But that's it exactly—he can strike within these walls. He can strike you anywhere. If you're only concerned with your corporeal body, you will lose. The battle you are fighting now, Marian, is not one of physicality. Your knights can stay here and protect your shire, but you need to wage a much more subtle war, of diplomacy and shifting loyalty. Go to court, and perhaps you can stop him, once and for all.”

“Please,” Margaret said, squeezing my hands. “Please come with me. If you're there—I'll feel so much better if you're there.”

Frowning fast at Eleanor, I looked to Margaret and nodded. “Very well. I'll go with you. I won't let you go alone.”

The door opened behind us, and Rob stepped inside. Winchester followed him, crossing his arms again.

I stood, turning to them, and Margaret wiped her face. “I'll go with Margaret to London, Winchester. I'll make sure this doesn't happen.”

He nodded. “I'm coming with you,” he said. “If your father is headed for London, I'll meet him there. And
you can be damn sure I won't let this marriage happen,” he promised, looking at Margaret.

Rob were looking at me, and I met his gaze. “Maybe you should stay here,” I told him.

His mouth tilted up, and he chuckled. “Not a chance, Scar,” he told me, and it sounded the same as when he said he loved me.

I nodded. “We'll leave for London as soon as Nottingham is sorted.”

We stayed in Nottingham for another week. For the time, we arranged for people whose houses had burned to live in the castle and with families in Edwinstowe. Most of our people were farmers, and the spring were a busy time they couldn't afford to miss. Some knights were sent to help, and several others stayed behind to start rebuilding the homes in Nottingham.

I weren't keen to leave Nottingham. It felt like we were finally home, and more than that, home in a way we could defend and protect. We had built up our walls and turned back our enemy, and now we were leaving to ask for more.

Or so it seemed. God knew it were hard to look at Bess and Maryanne and not remember why Prince John had to be stopped and King Richard had to return
safe.

Despite any worries or fears, we prepared the carriage, full of nothing but riches, and I stood in the courtyard with Rob, Winchester, Allan, David, and Margaret as people gathered to see us off. Much and Bess were there, and she let me hold the baby, like my touch might bless the girl.

“I hope you'll hurry back,” Bess told me. “Things won't be the same until you return.”

A shiver ran down my neck. “No. And if there's any sign of trouble—”

“We'll hide. In the forest. Much will take care of everything, I'm sure.”

She looked at him then, drawing in her breath, and I saw something different in her eyes. Bess loved John, that were true, but looking at her then, I didn't think Much's heart were in poor keeping.

“He will,” I agreed. “But I knew that already, and Rob agreed with me.”

She looked confused. “What do you mean?”

I nodded toward Rob, and waved Maryanne's little arm at Much.

“My dear people,” Rob said, standing on the step of the carriage. “Some of you are aware, as the new earl, I can no longer be your sheriff.”

A murmur ran through the crowd, and Much,
standing beside him, frowned.

“But Scarlet and I must go to court, and we want to ensure your safety and your protection while we are gone.” He nodded to me.

I kissed Maryanne's cheek. “You could say Rob and I know something about what it takes to protect this shire,” I said with a smile, and people chuckled. “So there was only one person we could appoint as sheriff, if he'll take the position.”

Much looked at me, then looked round.

“Much Miller,” Rob said, beaming with a wide grin, “will you be the Sheriff of Nottingham?”

His throat bobbed, his mouth slack and open.

Bess laughed, going beside him and kissing his cheek shy. “Say yes, Much.”

He looked at her, his eyes full of wonder. “Yes,” he said to her.

Rob grinned. “Repeat this oath, Much,” he told him.

Much kept looking at Bess as Robin said the words, like he were saying his wedding vows over again.

“By the Lord, I will to King Richard and the Office of Sheriff be faithful and true, and love all that He loves, and shun all that He shuns, according to God's law, and according to the world's principles, and never, by will nor by force, by word nor by work, do aught of what is loathful to Him; on condition that He keep me as I am willing to deserve when I to Him submitted and chose His will.”

Much repeated it, and he drew a deep breath and kissed Bess. Her shoulders raised for a moment, but then her arms went round him and the people cheered.

Maryanne squirmed against me, and I looked at her. “Your papa's a hero,” I whispered to her. I brushed my nose over her cheek, then laid a kiss in its wake. “Both of them.”

CHAPTER

We arrived in late afternoon, five days after we'd set out from Nottingham. Margaret and I rode in a carriage, and I held her hand most of the way there. She were pale and would bare look at Winchester.

The men flanked our carriage, Rob and Winchester ahead and David and Allan behind.

Wending through the squalor of London, it were like we were meant to see the dirt and grime of the city long before we saw the beauty of Westminster Palace. And then the city began to fade and turrets of the long rectangle of the palace came into view, teetering on the edge of the river, and you remembered the riches, the glory, and the power that England held tight in its palm.

Servants rushed out to greet us, and we dismounted in the wide courtyard. The wind were snapping off
the river and it made me feel taller, more royal, than I expected.

“Your Grace,” a well-dressed man said, coming forward and bowing to Winchester.

“Sir,” Winchester frowned, “we have contributions from the queen's efforts; please have your men help us bring it to the treasury.”

“The treasury is in the White Tower, your Grace. I will have knights escort it over immediately.”

“What?” Winchester asked. “It wasn't a few weeks ago.”

“The prince ordered it,” the man said. “He was afraid the palace wasn't secure enough.”

“And the White Tower is better?”

“Forgive me, your Grace, I cannot think to guess at the prince's motivation for his decision. We can have someone escort it over immediately.”

“Absolutely not,” I said.

The man looked to me like I weren't supposed to speak. “My lady—”

“No,” I said. “We will escort it there immediately.”

“My lords—”

“I wouldn't contradict her,” Winchester warned.

I turned to Margaret, kissing her cheek. “Go in and rest. Get settled. We will return very soon.”

She nodded, looking to Winchester, and I nodded
to Allan.

Allan came over. “Stay with her,” I told him.

He dismounted with a gallant smile. “I have just the song to cure a lovesick lady,” he told her. She frowned at this.

I took Allan's horse. “I don't know if de Clare is here yet,” I told them, “but Allan, do not allow an audience with her if he is.”

Allan nodded once to me.

I mounted the horse without aid, and Winchester and Rob did the same.

“One of our knights will lead you—” the man started.

“I am familiar with the White Tower's location,” I told him.

He didn't speak more.

Rob sidled up next to me. “You don't have to come,” he told me. “We can do it.”

Glaring at him, I said, “I'm coming. For Heaven's sake, I put on a dress and you lot think I'm a girl.”

Winchester frowned at me. “I confess, my lady, I often don't understand you at all.”

Rob took my hand and flipped it over, kissing the palm. “Woman, maybe. Girl, never.”

I shook my head with a smile.

David nodded once to me, solemn. “My lady, we
should go. It's already late and as you remember, London can be . . . rough.”

Rob glanced at me at that, more questioning, watching me like there were more secrets he wanted to peer into. “Let's go,” he allowed. I nodded to David.

We left the palace with the carriage, taking the road along the river. The city were bright with lights and dark with the shadows that clung to the edges of them to our left, and out on the right, the river stretched wide, still and deep, never showing its dark secrets or the ways it moved under the surface. Breathing in deep, it weren't the lush green of the forest; there were smoke and mold, too many bodies and wet.

I looked at Rob, trying to fill my mind with forest and ocean and sun instead, all the things I saw in his eyes and his face and his hair.