Sir Guy of Gisborne comes back from the Holy Land, on his conscience the knowledge of having killed Marian. Appointed Sheriff of Nottingham in the place of Vaisey, he struggles to find a way to make up for his past wrongdoings, but it's a very hard...
[My heartfelt thanks to @JeannieGisborne for her invaluable help in correcting this story; pls check her lovely stories about Guy and the Robin Hood BBC fandom, I highly recommend them]
Chapter VIII
Chetwood Manor, a few days later
It was mid-afternoon of the Friday after Easter, a beautiful sunny day. Violet and Rebelle had just returned from Wellmore, a small village a few miles away from Chetwood, where they had bartered apples for flour. As Jack Knowles directed the unloading, the two women went to the mansion to freshen up before dinner; then, Violet headed for her workroom to filter a rosemary ointment, an excellent remedy to relieve muscular pain, while Rebelle went to check the armoury.
Violet was almost done with her task when she heard a knock at the door; on her invitation, Mary entered. She was a bit out of breath.
"Lady Violet, you're never going to guess who's here!"
"If I'm never going to guess it, then 'tis better you tell me at once", the young noblewoman commented in amusement, raising an eyebrow.
"No no, come and see for yourself!"
With a cheerful laugh expressing enthusiasm and excitation, Mary turned and ran away. Servants never were too formal, at Chetwood Manor, where everyone knew everyone else since forever, but the girl's behaviour was unusually familiar. Intrigued, Violet put down the strainer, plugged the last flagon, and finally took off her apron before heading for the hall. As soon as she entered, two people turned to look at her. Recognising them, Violet gasped:
"Robin! Marian!"
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With broad smiles expressing their pleasure to see her again, the newcomers approached her; Violet hugged them laughing with joy.
"How are you?!" she cried. "What happened to you, throughout all this time?"
"'Tis a long story", Marian answered. "Let's wait for your father and Rebelle, so we can tell everyone..."
At that moment, Violet's cousin, whom Mary had alerted, came into the hall. Catching sight of Robin and Marian, she froze on the threshold, staring incredulously at the two guests.
"I knew you would come back safe and sound!" she yelled in her enthusiasm and then she rushed to hug them.
When Rebelle was orphaned, she had been welcomed at Chetwood Manor, and Marian had taken her under her protective wing. The two girls, both having an independent character and no patience with the rules that society imposed on women, had soon become friends. Rebelle was one of the very few people who knew about Marian being the Nightwatchman, along with Violet, Robin, the late Edward of Knighton – Marian's father – and Guy of Gisborne. The two maidens were both warriors, each in her way, capable of defending themselves, even physically, should need arise.
As for Robin, at the beginning Rebelle had disliked him greatly, thinking he was an unreliable braggart who had abandoned Marian to seek glory in far countries. However, when Vaisey had outlawed Robin because he had refused to tolerate his unacceptable abuses, Robin had begun stealing from the rich to donate to the poor and defending the vexed and oppressed peasants, she had changed her mind and she had even become a great admirer of his.
