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Chapters (76)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Notice
  3. Dedication
  4. PROLOGUE
  5. PART I
  6. ONE
  7. TWO
  8. THREE
  9. FOUR
  10. FIVE
  11. SIX
  12. SEVEN
  13. EIGHT
  14. NINE
  15. PART II
  16. TEN
  17. ELEVEN
  18. TWELVE
  19. THIRTEEN
  20. FOURTEEN
  21. FIFTEEN
  22. SIXTEEN
  23. SEVENTEEN
  24. EIGHTEEN
  25. NINETEEN
  26. PART III
  27. TWENTY
  28. TWENTY-ONE
  29. TWENTY-TWO
  30. TWENTY-THREE
  31. TWENTY-FOUR
  32. TWENTY-FIVE
  33. TWENTY-SIX
  34. INTERLUDE
  35. PART IV
  36. TWENTY-SEVEN
  37. TWENTY-EIGHT
  38. TWENTY-NINE
  39. THIRTY
  40. THIRTY-ONE
  41. THIRTY-TWO
  42. THIRTY-THREE
  43. THIRTY-FOUR
  44. INTERLUDE
  45. PART V
  46. THIRTY-FIVE
  47. THIRTY-SIX
  48. THIRTY-SEVEN
  49. THIRTY-EIGHT
  50. PART VI
  51. THIRTY-NINE
  52. FORTY
  53. FORTY-ONE
  54. FORTY-TWO
  55. FORTY-THREE
  56. FORTY-FOUR
  57. FORTY-FIVE
  58. INTERLUDE
  59. PART VII
  60. FORTY-SIX
  61. FORTY-SEVEN
  62. FORTY-EIGHT
  63. FORTY-NINE
  64. FIFTY
  65. FIFTY-ONE
  66. FIFTY-TWO
  67. PART VIII
  68. FIFTY-THREE
  69. FIFTY-FOUR
  70. FIFTY-FIVE
  71. FIFTY-SIX
  72. EPILOGUE
  73. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  74. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  75. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  76. Newsletter Sign-up

“Just take payment. Keep it civil. Lady d’Oily is right,” de Lacy said, almost proudly. “Robin Hood can’t provide them security. That’s something only we can provide. Let them see what sort of security comes with Robin’s brand of justice, and I’m willing to bet they’ll return to their old ways. Winter is close. They won’t bargain their lives over it.”

“That’ll be a lot of supplies,” Gisbourne noted. “We’ll need a place to store it all.”

“Pick someplace friendly, somewhere a bit outside the Sherwood of course, and gather it all there. Then transport it all to the city when you’re done.”

“I’ll need a lot of men.”

“Take them all.” De Lacy’s words were perfectly clear, but Gisbourne still seemed uncertain. “You can do this in one day. One strike, that’s what you wanted, yes? All your men on this tomorrow, and the day after you can go back to the fisherman gangs.”

Gisbourne nodded absently. He was already calculating how to put the plan in motion.

Arable’s plea rang in William’s ears, to do something, to stop this. But he had nothing. The room had consented, they thought this would make everything even. William had done everything he could to influence them toward reason, and they had chosen the alternative.

De Lacy clapped his hands once. “No bother waiting then. Lord Oughtibridge?”

The heavy man bowed his head in agreement, and in as many words the meeting was over. William thought to linger long enough that he might speak with de Lacy once the others had left. But the Sheriff was a statue, grim and unmoving, his eyes burning into a spot on the table where nothing lay. William repositioned obviously within the edge of his vision but still he stared, and William knew his would be an unwelcome company now. The decision had been made, and William could do nothing but wonder what he could have done differently.

THIRTY-THREE

ARABLE DE BUREL

NOTTINGHAM CASTLE

“NOTTINGHAM IS CRUMBLING,” ROGER had said.

And later, “Someone else will have to clean it up.”

The castle was a frenzy, there were a hundred tasks to accomplish to prepare for the morrow’s raids. William’s plans for peace had failed, and it seemed likely that within a week both he and Roger de Lacy would be gone. Arable couldn’t care about packing meals for Guardsmen now, her only thoughts were in the dark abyss of what her life might be a week from now.