The Eternal Shadow

Chapter 30

XXX

He was as infuriating as ever.

Not even five years fighting the Turk had made a dent in his ego.

The nerve of the man was astounding – I mean fancy turning up on the doorstep of the woman you left in the lurch for half a decade, assuming you can just sweep her off her feet with a smug grin and a few platitudes...

Then, having got on the sheriff's bad side, (provoking reprisals that nobody needed on top of the usual cruel treatment of the populace), let's go try it on with aforementioned (utterly unimpressed) woman using the lamest chat up lines imaginable.

"Marian, this is not the time I know..."

Ten points Robin, if there was anything more inappropriate right now then I'm struggling to think of it...

"but I must say, you are, more than ever... your eyes, even when you look at me in anger... I feel you."

Keep this up and you'll feel me alright but not in the way that you're expecting...

Indeed, the urge to punch him was strong and Marian might even have done it were it not for the uncomfortable questions such an action would provoke. One had to keep up appearances after all, and inflicting pain upon your former fiancé, however satisfying it might feel, was not fitting behaviour for a lady was it?

The sheriff and Gisborne had no such qualms of course, neither master nor servant had any trouble inflicting violence upon anybody and Robin had done a grand job of aggravating them – strutting around as if nothing could touch him – not a smart move by any standards and one that ended up costing him his home though fortunately not his life.

Not yet.

Though based on what she had seen so far, Marian reckoned he'd be lucky to see out the week...

and he wonders that I think him a fool.

Fool or not, she could not wish him ill. Errant lover or not, she could not hate him. Frustrating, irritating, vainglorious as he was, she could never want harm to befall him. This wasn't because she still loved him because honestly folks she didn't, noooo, nonono, no not at all, nope, no way, absolutely not, not even a bit, NO.

**********

Well thanks a bunch Joe Lacey.

He might be an old friend but did he have to go asking questions like that? and make her feel... feelings...?

There Marian had been; all fired up - had got herself into a good old temper because Robin had assumed that the Nightwatchman had killed the sheriff's bailiff and then Joe came along and ruined it all by asking her if she still loved 'him' ("No!" drat! err.... act casual... "Who?") and before she knew it, she was in bed with her ex talking about old times.

Whatever else Robin and Marian might be, one thing they were not was dull. They'd gone from arrow aimed at head to pillow talk in bed in record time. Granted, Robin was only hiding in her bed and Marian was protecting him... nakedly... but that was an improvement wasn't it?

And who knows what was yet to come? They were united in a common cause and the more the sheriff pushed them, the more they pulled together to defeat him. With Marian fighting inside the system and Robin outside, surely they would be victorious?

Little did they realise the role the sheriff's new appointed master at arms was about to play in putting a wedge between them...