The Eternal Shadow

Chapter 67

LXVII

It had been Robin Hood's wish to attend the council of nobles' assembly as he had done in old times.

Alas, it wasn't to be. Sir Edward knew he'd had nothing to do with the murders of Vaisey or Winchester but at this point, nobody else did.

Luckily, a concession was made for him – he was allowed to attend, but was told to remain 'invisible' as Sir Edward put it.

Of course, the sheriff could see him and Marian had rolled her eyes at the very sight of him, but more alarming had been how Sir Guy had instantly guessed it was him (and thrown a smirk in his direction) and Lady Francesca had practically addressed him directly during her parting comments.

It had been an interesting meeting so far and as much as he was loath to admit it, Gisborne and his wife made a convincing case for his innocence. Thornton was next up and his testimony was well received, as was Emily's.

Sir Edward was just asking the guards to bring in Vera when Lord Cavendish interrupted proceedings by asking to make a statement. No one was more surprised than his own daughter, who, despite seeming formidable during her own questioning, now squirmed nervously in her seat.

The lord himself, glanced only briefly at his estranged offspring, before handing a piece of paper to Sir Edward and taking his place at the front.

"What is this Lord Cavendish?" Sir Edward asks, holding the paper up for all to see.

"It is the letter my daughter left for me at Locksley." He replies, looking over at the girl in question. Francesca keeps head bowed, it is the first she has seen of her father since her return, but she finds she cannot look at him.

"Informing you of her marriage to Sir Guy and departure?"

Cavendish answers in the affirmative and then gives a brief description of events leading up to the discovery of the note. So far, so good. What nobody bargains for though, is what he says next;

"Sir Guy did not murder Sheriff Vaisey, that is absolutely out of the question."

Francesca's head shoots up – her face a picture of astonishment - her father is the last person she expected to defend Guy, that much is obvious.

Sir Edward asks him to explain and he tells him that not only did Winchester talk of murdering Vaisey the previous evening, (after Smythe informed him how close he came to being poisoned) but openly admitted to murdering his rival shortly after the deed.

This causes great furore. That Cavendish should say such things about his closest friend was not something anybody had reckoned with. Loud discussion breaks out amongst the nobles, quickly becoming heated, until Sir Edward calls for order once more. Francesca hasn't moved a muscle throughout – frozen in a state of wide-eyed shock – wondering what prompted her father to turn against his friend to help the man she'd left him for.

"And what of Winchester? Do you have any information pertaining to his murder?" Sir Edward asks, happy for one miracle but hoping for two.

"My daughter is not a liar. She has on occasion omitted the truth, but that had more to do with my temper than anything else. She would never lie about a thing like this. If she said they quit Nottingham, then they did."

*

Francesca was in a daze.

Her father had always been a difficult man. Selfish. Bad tempered. Set in his ways. Had someone asked her if he loved her, she would've had to think about it. A long time. Before probably coming to the conclusion she'd reached in her note to him: