The Forgotten Keepsake

Chapter 13

XIII

"Master of Arms in Nottingham?!"

Guy melted a little as Mina said this. He had seldom seen anybody react positively upon hearing him talk of his profession and had definitely never seen anybody so happy to learn this about him. He quickly deduced that she could not have been long in the area; otherwise, her reaction would have been a different one.

"You must live in a grand house with lots of servants..." She smiled broadly at him, he nodded politely "...it must be heavenly to have servants... if I ever had any, I would have them do the washing for me and Mary" She giggled and gestured to her older companion, who was still busy washing clothes a way further down the riverbank.

"...And you must have many duties?"

You have no idea.

"Yes, the Sheriff keeps me very busy."

Mina frowned. She had not heard much about the Sheriff since her return to Castlebrook, only some disgruntled mutterings from market traders in Clun on the few times she had been with Mary to fetch something or other there but what she had heard hadn't been good. This new information worried her.

"You work directly for the Sheriff?"

Guy nodded, the expression on his face darkening.

"What is he like?"

Guy sighed, unconsciously rubbing his forehead with the fingers of his right hand.

"He is..."

Steady now Gisborne; let's not scare the girl off with the truth on this one - besides there aren't enough expletives...

"...single minded."

Ha! That was good! File that one away for future use!

Mina could sense his unease and not wishing to displease or discomfort him in any way decided to say no more on the subject. She lowered her gaze shyly and began to fiddle with the hem of her dress. She wanted to ask him so many questions but didn't know where or how to begin, she still couldn't believe that he remembered her – their last meeting had been so long ago and how could it be that so an important man; a Knight, a Master of Arms no less, would have even thought of her in all that time? It amazed her that he was still sitting there; wanting to talk with her - surely such a man would have better things to do? She continued to nervously gaze up at him, trying not to stare too much – it had of course not escaped her notice that he was ridiculously handsome and that made her feel even worse.

Guy finally interrupted the uncomfortable silence:

"You work here in the village?"

"Yes, I help Mary mostly but I have a few other jobs on the go as well – whatever needs doing around the village you know?"

"I didn't know there were houses here again." Guy smiled nervously, aware he was skirting around the subject of what had happened back then.

"Me neither. I've not been back here all that long - I lived up near York for a long time but always thought of this old place... Anyway, I eventually took the chance to come back and when I saw the houses..." The smile on her face made Guy sigh.

"You lived in York?"

Why did nobody remember you there?

"Years ago I did. Lived there with relatives of my father for a while after he died but then I ended up in a village just outside of York... I wanted to come back here though..."

"Why didn't you?" Guy's voice was quiet now, barely a whisper as he asked her and it made her shiver.

"Because I had to live where my husband lived." She couldn't look at him as she said this, choosing instead to fix her eyes on some point on the floor between them.

Guy's heart sank.

"You are married?"

Of course she is. Whatever else could you have been thinking you dolt?

"No I am a widow."

"A widow?" He frowned. Of all the fates, he could have imagined for her, this truly was not one of them. "But you are so young..." he fixed her with a sympathetic look before continuing: "Was he a soldier?"

Had she not been sitting, she could've fell to the floor in hysterics at that one! As it was, she could just about contain herself from hunching over in a fit of giggles. A soldier! She should be so lucky!

"No! He got himself killed fighting in the pub - the idiot!"

Guy jolted in surprise and his eyes bugged.

"What?"

"Yeah, he was drunk and got in an argument with the wrong fella..." she could see he looked horrified and she began to squirm a bit. "I wish he had been a soldier Sir Guy, then I could've had something good to say about him but yeah..." She pressed her lips together and looked once more to the ground, embarrassed to tell him of this – he could surely not want to hear about it. She sighed and then raising her head abruptly began to speak once more in an overly cheery voice:

"But let's not talk of me. What about you? Tell me about you."