Chapters (76)
- Title Page
- Copyright Notice
- Dedication
- PROLOGUE
- PART I
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- PART II
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- PART III
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- INTERLUDE
- PART IV
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- INTERLUDE
- PART V
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- PART VI
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- INTERLUDE
- PART VII
- FORTY-SIX
- FORTY-SEVEN
- FORTY-EIGHT
- FORTY-NINE
- FIFTY
- FIFTY-ONE
- FIFTY-TWO
- PART VIII
- FIFTY-THREE
- FIFTY-FOUR
- FIFTY-FIVE
- FIFTY-SIX
- EPILOGUE
- AUTHOR’S NOTE
- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
- ABOUT THE AUTHOR
- Newsletter Sign-up
Tuck’s words hung gravely in the air, hoping for help, but no one else spoke. Elena wasn’t interested in telling the story, but she also didn’t want Tuck to water it down with any religious bullshit. “I can tell it.”
Locksley turned to her. “You were here?”
“Of course,” Elena said sharply. And you weren’t.
Tuck, of course, tried to keep it calm. “Robin, your father was one of the finest men I’ve ever known. Foolish, to be so fine in a world such as ours.”
“What happened?” was what Locksley asked, though the proper response should have been Thank you, or Rest his soul, or better yet I’m sorry I wasn’t here. I’m so very very sorry. Some apples fall from the tree, roll down the hill, land in a cart, and are sent a world away.
“The Nottingham Guard came in search of debtors,” Elena answered. “It was well known Locksley was a haven for those fleeing the beggar’s debt. I suppose the gords thought it would be an easy sweep, but they had it wrong. Lord Walter had already paid every penny owed. Except his own. He was the only person here they had cause to arrest.”
“And he fought back,” John added, with pride. “He gave them a round chase, he had a spirit to him you wouldn’t figure for a man of his age. Your father was sharing a bottle of wine with the Captain, then he broke it over the table and attacked him with it!”
“What?” Locksley seemed astonished.
Tuck bobbed his head. “He ended up in the stables. Some guard went in after him, and came out a moment later with blood pouring from his nose!”
“Your father had quite an arm for horseshoes!” Both John and the friar were now delighting in the story. It wasn’t a story that should be delightful.
“Well, nobody wanted to step foot into the stables after that.” Tuck smiled, all crooked teeth and scraggly beard. “The Captain tried to talk him out, but he flat refused.”
John nodded, but his smile waned. “We thought maybe they’d give up and go about their business. Until someone had the good idea to … to smoke your father out.”
Locksley closed his eyes and squatted down into the dirt. He traced his fingers through a pile of it, the ash clinging to his skin.