Lady Locksley

Chapter 27

Man with a Plan

"So," the Sheriff said. "Imagine my shock when I discovered that I have had an outlaw's sister under my roof this whole time?"
He ended on a shout, punctuating each word by stabbing a dagger into a wooden bench. Whipping round, he glared at William, pointing the dagger at him.
"And how did you not know? You are due to wed her, and you did not know?"
William shrugged, his own anger barely contained. "Cousin, I have always told you - I had no idea. This I promise to you. She has fooled us both."
Roana stood, quietly, her head bowed. This did not bode well for her. On return to the castle two days before, she had been confined to her room with only Alice for company, and no sight of William or the Sheriff. Her maid now had restricted access to the castle and had therefore been unable to provide her with updates on the unfolding situation. Roana had been summoned to the Sheriff's rooms this morning blindsided, with no idea of what to expect. And it was much worse than she anticipated.
She had assumed that this Sarah of Edwinstowe had merely told the Sheriff that she had been spotted out with Allan of her own free will. She had expected to be questioned about her imprisonment by the outlaws, and had been prepared to share the story that she had devised with Robin: that she had initially been a hostage, but had grown friendly with the outlaws and managed to convince them to free her. She had been meaning to return to the castle once she had gained their trust enough to escape.
What she hadn't expected was for the Sheriff and William to know the real story.
"What do you have to say for yourself, young lady?" The Sheriff shouted across the room at her, spittle spraying from his mouth.
They were interrupted as the door opened and Guy entered, ducking his head as he came into the room and halted.
"My Lord."
"What is it, Gisborne?" The Sheriff snapped. "Can't you see we're in the middle of something?"
"My Lord, I have news," Gisborne glowered around the room, his eyes glancing off Roana. "From my new man."
"Ah, yes," the Sheriff visibly brightened. "Your new man." He grinned, turning to look at Roana. "It would seem that your brother's men are not as loyal as he would like to think. Bring him in, Gisborne."
Roana looked wildly from Vaisey to Guy, who moved to one side. It was then that Roana saw the figure stood behind him. Her stomach flipped, first in a delicious delight that turned swiftly into dismay.
It was Allan, dressed in a black outfit, his hair smartly brushed to the side. He stepped into the room, locking eyes with Roana; Gisborne's new man.
She drew a sharp breath in, glaring at him in fury. He had lied to her; to all of the gang. He had been in league with Gisborne all along. She opened her mouth, about to curse him, but Allan gave an imperceptible shake of his head and widened his eyes very slightly. Roana stopped in her tracks, puzzled. What was he up to?
"Well," the Sheriff said, impatiently. "What do you have to say for yourself, boy?"
Allan cleared his throat. "My lady is not in league with Robin Hood. I witnessed it for myself. There is no love lost between brother and sister. When she came to confront him and plead for an end to this war, he would not let her return." He turned to William and bowed slightly. "Even when she pledged allegiance to her betrothed. Robin was furious at her betrayal, and swore that she would die before she returned to you, my Lord. I managed to persuade him that she was no threat, and he allowed her to accompany me to Edwinstowe, which is when we were spotted."
William raised his eyebrows and both he and the Sheriff turned to look at Roana.
"Is this true, my dear?" His voice was ice-cold, but she sensed a slight thaw.
She inclined her head, respectfully. "Of course, my Lord. I am loyal to you, and only you."
She hoped that he did not detect the insincerity in her voice, and kept her eyes lowered.
There was a loaded silence before the Sheriff spoke. "That will be all for now, my lady."
She was dismissed, but she couldn't escape that easily.
"Expect my company," Sir William spoke, imperiously. "Go straight to your room and wait for me."
Roana nodded, murmuring her consent, and made for the door, brushing past Allan.
"I'll make sure she gets there safely, shall I?" She heard Allan say, and then they were both in the corridor, the door closing firmly behind them. Roana rounded on him but the sheer joy in his eyes pulled her up short.
He placed his hands on her shoulders and met her gaze intently. "Are you okay?"
Roana felt a bolt of pure happiness shoot through her at his presence, but attempted to rein it in until she knew exactly what was going on.
"What are you doing here?" She hissed, keeping her voice low.
He grinned. "Robin has a plan." He glanced around, furtively. "Come on. Let's get you back to your room and I'll explain."

                                           ******

"As you know," Allan explained, once they were safely ensconced in Roana's room. "Gisborne thinks I'm his spy in the camp. Robin decided to use the arrangement to its full potential," He grinned. "And I've been feeding him unimportant information for a while now, keeping him onside.
"When William came for you, we were worried about the recriminations," Roana noticed the "we" but said nothing; however, a warm feeling spread throughout her being at the thought of not one person but a group of people being worried about her. It made her feel like she belonged somewhere that wasn't just here, in this cold castle, by William's side.
Allan continued, "Robin decided that we needed someone in the castle to protect you." He looked at her, seeming proud of himself. "The official story is that Robin found out I was betraying him to Guy and threw me out of the gang. So, I asked Gisborne for a job, and here we are." He opened his arms wide, unable to contain his glee.
Roana couldn't help herself; she threw her arms around his neck, relief coursing through her body. Allan laughed, self-consciously, before placing his hands on her waist. When Roana drew back, he seemed a little flustered yet happy.
"That's the nicest welcome I've had in a while." He said, bashfully.
Roana let go and stepped back, feeling a touch embarrassed herself. "I'm just so happy to see you. I thought," she faltered. "Well, I didn't want to imagine what would happen to me. Sir William is a vengeful man."
A dark cloud passed briefly over Allan's face. Then, it was gone. He reached out to take her hand in his. "I won't let anything happen to you."
She looked at their joined hands and then up into his blue gaze. The atmosphere was charged in a way she had never experienced before, and, for a moment, Allan seemed unsure. He edged closer.
There was a soft knock on the door and they both leapt apart. Roana struggled to collect herself. Surely it couldn't be William, already.
"Who is it?" She called, a slight tremor to her voice.
"It is I, Marian," came the reply. "Can I come in?"
Roana and Allan glanced at each other, relieved. Allan opened the door and ushered Marian in. She eyed him, suspiciously, as she passed, taking in his outfit.
"It's a long story," Allan assured her. "But it's all part of Robin's plan, I promise."
Marian nodded in acceptance. "I hoped so." She looked at Roana. "What happened with William?"
"We have a new story, courtesy of Allan. My brother Robin took me captive and held me against my will when I asked him to end the war and surrender to the Sheriff," Roana explained. "Which will hopefully get me off the hook with William. Oh, and Allan is Gisborne's new man."
Marian raised her eyebrows at Allan. He shrugged, grinning.
"Just doing my bit. I'm the new spy in the castle."
"Oh, so Robin doesn't think I'm good enough?" Marian said, tartly.
Allan raised his hands in mock terror and backed away. "Don't blame the messenger. And I'm not being funny but you both need a man to protect you in the castle. I'm your man."
Marian and Roana exchanged amused glances and Marian said, "As reassuring as that sounds, does Robin's plan include cancelling this wedding? Because William isn't.."
She cut off sharply as there was the sound of voices and purposeful feet in the hallway outside. Roana, Marian, and Allan looked at each other, wildly, and Roana hissed, "It's William! You must leave!"