BooksBarbecue
Back Nottingham
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

“Good God, find Robin before he does anything stupid.” A dozen more nightmares went through Marion’s mind, all of increasingly idiotic acts that Robin might think were justified, all to prove himself to her. He was still trying to save her.

John said what Marion was thinking. “I don’t think he’ll leave without you.”

“Tell him I’m not here. Tell him I’m somewhere else.”

“He won’t believe that.”

“Then tell him you found me and I’m already gone.” The words came out as quickly as she thought them, overlapping his excuses. “That I left the castle first and will meet you at the camp, and you two ought to hurry and catch up with me. Tell him he’ll see me tomorrow.”

John’s mouth twisted into a knot. “He won’t appreciate being lied to.”

She had to get him out of the castle, before it was too late. “Please, do this one thing for me, get him out of Nottingham. Tomorrow you can tell him the truth, and you can tell him I ordered you to lie about it.”

“He’ll come back for you.”

“Then tell him I love William!”

John knew she didn’t mean it. “I couldn’t.”

“Fine! Tell him I love him! What does it matter?” It wouldn’t matter if he knew, it wouldn’t matter if she said it, not like this. They had driven everything to the edge, the terrible lip beyond which nothing mattered at all. “I don’t care what you tell him, just don’t let him come back here. That goes for you, too, you cannot ever come back here. Ever, do you understand me? Some day in the future, a month, a year, I will call for you. Until then, my instructions stand. Do nothing.”

Poor John Little, he had meant so well. His mouth opened and closed, his eyes watered and he held his breath.

“Robin is here,” he tried, “and he’s fighting for the people.”

“No he’s not,” Marion sighed, the truth of it crushing her. “He’s fighting for the dream I sold him, and I was wrong, John. I was wrong.” Her eyes welled up, her throat closed. “Don’t mistake me, I was happier than anyone that he came back to help, but it wasn’t because he believed in helping us. He’s just fighting because he doesn’t want to disappoint me, again. If he genuinely had the people in mind, he wouldn’t have led you here, here. It makes no sense to come here, except that he can’t stand the guilt of leaving me.”

John hesitated.