15
July 19, 1193
Locksley Castle
Elaine woke Joanna early the next morning to prepare for the journey to Nottingham and the tournament. Although bleary-eyed from lack of sleep, Joanna couldn’t miss Elaine’s radiant glow. The older woman actually hummed as she built the fire.
“You’re in a good mood this morning,” Joanna commented. “I take it you had a good night?”
Elaine blushed. “I’m not one to kiss and tell. But it was a fine evening. I owe you my gratitude for solving the mystery of my secret admirer.”
“You knew it was Sirsalon all along, didn’t you, Elaine?”
“There’s a difference between hoping and knowing. Life is uncertain, and the temptation as you get older is to play life safely in the hopes of avoiding the mistakes of the young and impetuous.”
“Does it work?”
“You save some grief, but you bring on others. We all need a nudge sometimes to remind us that what’s safe or logical isn’t always what brings the most joy. Sometimes, we can only do the right thing, regardless of the feelings or the regrets involved. Of course, the right thing to do and the right time don’t always coincide.”
“What do you do in that case?”
“The best you can.” Elaine patted Joanna’s shoulder. “If you need anything today, ask. I can be helpful in many ways.”
Elaine’s face communicated far more than her words could, and Joanna knew somehow that she could count on Elaine to help her find Jill at the tournament.
An hour later, Joanna was still pondering her next move as she traveled with Guy and his entourage toward the Nottingham tournament. Guy, Roger, and Joanna all rode at the front of the procession with Joanna’s horse tied securely to Guy’s. The symbolism did not escape her: Joanna was next for his bed. She had to leave. But could she really abandon Locksley Castle without finding peace for Bess and Gwen? She pondered this dilemma for the next few hours until they arrived in Nottingham.
The tournament grounds lay in an open field outside the town. The air buzzed with music and hundreds of voices laughing, bargaining, and arguing. Crowds milled about the colorful stalls and tents arranged in a grid pattern on the side of the field closest to Nottingham. The archery field, lined with flags displaying the sheriff’s coat of arms, was farther away where the arrows could be shot without danger of hitting passersby. Once the horses were stabled at the paddocks, Guy offered Joanna his arm and led her, along with Roger, Elaine, and Sirsalon, to a large tent behind archery field grandstand.
“We need to pay our respects to the sheriff and his wife,” Guy explained.
Joanna slowed at the idea of seeing the man who sold her to Sir Horace like a prostitute. Guy must have sensed her concern because he leaned in close and whispered, “You can trust me.”
She didn’t believe for a moment Guy was trustworthy, but she also didn’t have any other option except to play along with his plans. She trusted the sheriff even less than she trusted Guy. Where her personal safety was concerned, Joanna had for the moment allied herself with the lesser of the two evils. She felt anything but confident as Guy led her up to a blue tent where the sheriff and his wife sat in the shade sipping their wine. At the sight of Joanna, the sheriff’s eyes widened.
“I say, Gisbourne, this is an interesting development.”
Guy shrugged. “Since Sir Horace had no further use for her, I thought you would have no objection to my taking her to Locksley.”
“Sir Horace met a tragic end.” The sheriff gave Guy a significant look. “I suppose you know nothing about this.”
“Only that I have a delightful companion I didn’t have to pay for.”
“We all know your fondness for the wenches, Gisbourne. How convenient you managed to benefit from his demise.”
“I’m not the only one to have done so,” Guy replied. “Sir Horace was childless, so all his lands are forfeit to you now.”
“It’s true he had no heirs, but Gisbourne, neither have you.”
“Something I hope to remedy,” Guy assured him, smiling at Joanna.
Remembering Guy’s reaction to the news of Bess’s lost pregnancy, Joanna wondered if his lack of heir was more important than she had realized.
“My wife was very grieved to hear of Gwen’s death,” the sheriff commented.
The sheriff’s wife nodded in acknowledgement but didn’t speak. Of course, Joanna had not spoken either during this exchange. She longed to return to the twenty-first century where women’s rights had significantly improved. Being a trophy on a man’s arm—especially Guy’s—was the last thing Joanna wanted.
“People keep dying around you, Gisbourne,” the sheriff observed. “I can’t help but wonder when my turn might come.”
Guy stiffened but kept a polite face. “You’ll be glad I’m here after I capture Robin Hood today.”
“Another promise!” The sheriff’s tone turned menacing. “Don’t fail me again, Gisbourne. If you do, you’ll be punished.”
Joanna tried to gauge Guy’s reaction to the threat, but he only smiled blandly before nodding his head in concession to the sheriff.
“I have recent intelligence that makes my plan foolproof. I’ll make everything clear in a moment. Joanna, my success rests on your being visible.”
Joanna’s heart caught in her throat. Had Guy found the note from Jill? “What about my sister?”
“All in hand, my dear. I’ve charged Sirsalon to protect you, and I have men stationed all over the grounds to watch for your sister and keep her from any danger.”
Guy leaned in to kiss Joanna’s cheek in what felt like a possessive move before motioning for her to join Elaine and Sirsalon who’d been standing back out of respect to the sheriff. Joanna joined the couple, glancing over her shoulder to see Guy and Roger conversing privately with the sheriff. How many men did Guy have planted to keep watch for Jill and the outlaws? What exactly was Guy’s plan? How much danger was Jill in?
“So, you’re my prison guard,” Joanna said as she, Sirsalon, and Elaine sauntered toward the merchant booths.
“Before I was a butler,” Sirsalon explained, “I was a soldier. I served under the old earl. When I grew tired of battle, he gave me a place in his household. I never stated a preference for Robin or Guy, so when Robin was declared an outlaw, my allegiance was never questioned.”
“Which works very well for us,” Elaine added. “We women have this situation in hand, but it’s always nice to have a man to help.”
Joanna nodded. “I agree. I’m glad for the assistance. But would Guy leave me with just the two of you? Won’t he have someone following us?”
“Definitely,” Sirsalon replied. “I have some helpers providing a little distraction for the next few minutes, so if there’s something special you’d like to do, we need to do it now.”
“Then I’d like to go to the mason’s tent.”
“Follow me.” Sirsalon waved his hand for them to comply. “Women have no sense of direction.”
As they walked through the crowds of shoppers, Elaine chided Sirsalon for his poor opinion of women. The two already bickered like a married couple. Joanna hoped they wouldn’t wait long before they wed. The loss of life Joanna had seen over the last few days had impressed upon her how important it was to seize happiness when one had the opportunity.
Even though Sirsalon assured her that they weren’t being followed, Joanna felt nervous. She wanted to see Jill, but she was afraid. So much had changed in the last three days. How could she explain it all to Jill? And who really needed rescuing—Jill or Joanna?
Finally, Sirsalon stopped at a stall displaying various pieces of sandstone and granite. Sitting in front of the stones sat a beggar, his head covered in a hood as he held out a wooden cup for alms.
Elaine withdrew a coin from the purse at her belt. “Joanna, you may remember I had another son. You’re about to meet him.” She dropped the coin in the beggar’s cup, admonishing him, “Don’t spend it a
ll on drink.”
The beggar lifted his hood, revealing red hair and an unmistakable resemblance to Elaine and Gripple. “I thought I’d buy my mum a present instead.”
Watching the mother-son embrace brought a lump to Joanna’s throat as she thought of her own parents.
“Joanna, meet my son William, better known as Will Scarlet.”
Will gave Joanna a brief glance and nodded, ignoring her to focus his narrowed eyes on Sirsalon.
“Interesting time to pick a side, Sirsalon.” Will made no attempt to hide his disgust.
“I didn’t leave a mother and brother to fend for themselves,” Sirsalon retorted.
“Mind your manners, both of you.” Elaine put her hands on her hips. “The past is past. Will, you haven’t even said hello to Joanna.”
With effort, Will turned to Joanna and flashed her a grin. “You look like Jill.”
“Is she here?”
“She’s in the tent.”
Joanna stepped through the stall toward the tent set up behind it. Her hands shaking, Joanna parted the tent flap and walked inside. This must be where the stone mason and his family were staying while they worked at the tournament. Joanna saw bedding, food, and a stack of crates in the corner. She whispered Jill’s name, anxious to be assured she was not alone.
Jill popped up from behind the crates and walked around the piles to greet Joanna. Joanna noticed Jill’s leggings and corset of Lincoln green, her white blouse, and a dark bruise on Jill’s left forearm. No telling how she had gotten that. As Jill approached, Joanna caught sight of a chain hanging around her neck, weighted by something heavy hidden inside Jill’s blouse, and Joanna was reminded how Bess had secretly worn Guy’s ring. As the sisters embraced, relief washed over Joanna that Jill was alive, safe, and standing next to her.
“I should tell you first,” Joanna began, careful to keep her voice low. “Guy plans to capture Robin today at the archery contest. He and the sheriff are plotting right now.”
Jill waved a hand in dismissal. “Thanks, but it’s under control. There’s no way Guy will catch Robin at the contest.”
“Care to share?”
“It’s better you don’t know. For your own safety, of course.”
“Right.” Joanna fought back irritation at being left in the dark. “I guess you’re a regular outlaw now.”
Jill looked pleased with Joanna’s assessment. “I’ve been having fun. And what’s this about you? Solving a murder? That sounds pretty dangerous.”
“It’s definitely a challenge,” Joanna admitted. “But also strangely invigorating.”
“I know what you mean. I jumped off a castle wall.”
“And here I thought that was a lie!”
“Nope, I did it.”
“Robin didn’t use you as a human shield, did he?”
“I’d like to see him try.”
Joanna chuckled. “Good to know you have limits. That jump must have been quite the adrenaline rush.”
“Oh, it was.” Jill got a far away look in her eyes. “I wasn’t exactly thrilled at the time, but in retrospect, it was amazing!”
“No more fear of heights?”
“Oh, I’m still terrified,” Jill assured her, “but that’s part of the adventure.”
“We really have time traveled, right?” Even as she said the words, Joanna expected Jill to laugh at her and provide a perfectly logical explanation for the last three days.
“Apparently. It’s all a little cheesy, but I’m having a good time.”
“Didn’t you know? It’s a historical fact that the past is cheesier than modern historians believe.”
Jill laughed. “That sign at the stables makes sense now. ‘Not all who come out go back.’ I wonder if anyone else from our tour group came back with us.”
“I don’t think so. The sheriff would have found them. Or Robin would have. Jill, how did we get here?”
“I don’t know. We were riding, there was fog, some sort of pressure change, a horn, and well, here we are. What was with your horse?”
“No idea. As soon as the horse lady let him go, he spooked. I guess he was ‘special’ in more ways than one. But, I lost him when I fell off. She said I wouldn’t get back without him.”
“No worries. Robin found him. He’s stabled with mine in a safe place.”
Joanna allowed herself a deep sigh of relief. “I’ve been worried about that. So…how do we get back to the present?”
“Not sure.”
They sat in silence for several seconds. Joanna pondered what to do next. If she was going to escape, this was the time. But what about the unsolved murders?
Jill retrieved a stack of clothes from behind the crates. From what Joanna could tell, the outfit appeared to be similar to what Jill was wearing. Joanna observed Jill’s figure in the leggings and compared that image to what she thought the leggings would look like on her. She didn’t realize she was crinkling her nose in disgust until Jill said, “Got a problem?”
“Not per se,” Joanna stalled. “I’ve gotten used to the dress. More my style.”
“You’ll think differently when you’re trying to run through the forest.”
“Is that what you’ve been doing?” Joanna inquired.
“Among other things.” Jill pushed the clothes into Joanna’s hands. “Hurry and change. We don’t have that much time.”
Joanna bit her lip. “So, that’s it then.”
“Yup.”
“Oh.”
“What’s wrong?” Jill sounded irritated.
“Promise you’ll hear me out and not get mad?”
Jill raised a single eyebrow. “I’ll listen, but I reserve the right to get mad.”
Despite her concern of how Jill would take the news, Joanna knew she had no alternative except to say what she was thinking. “I really appreciate the rescue and all the effort involved, but now that I’m here, I don’t think I can come with you. I keep thinking of the women who died, and Jill, for some reason, I’m the one who’s been chosen to solve their murders. This is the first really important thing I’ve ever been part of. I feel responsible for seeing it through. I can’t go with you until it’s finished.”
She bit her lip in anticipation of Jill’s response which came after a long pause.
“I have no idea how to respond to that.”
“You could come with me. I know I could figure this out a lot faster if you were helping me.”
Jill crossed her arms. “I’m sorry for the women who died, really, but I don’t want to go to Guy’s castle. I’ve got a good thing going with Robin Hood. I’m an official member of the gang. They’re a disorganized mess, and Robin’s not the smartest guy in Nottingham, but he’s got lots of potential. I can help him become the master outlaw he’s supposed to be.”
“I knew it!” Joanna exclaimed. “The robbing of the bishop! That was you, wasn’t it?”
“Not my greatest achievement, but, Jo, you have no idea how great it feels to have a bunch of guys actually listen to you. It’s like I said on our birthday. No man can be a superhero outlaw by himself. He needs an advisor, and that’s me.”
“Is Robin good looking?”
“Irrelevant,” Jill replied, but the way she blushed told Joanna he was. “There’s an entire community around Nottingham that needs help, but before I came, it hadn’t even occurred to Robin to help the poor. I’m changing the course of history by creating a legendary outlaw. I’ve actually been thinking how much I could use your help with this. Robin’s minstrel Alan-a-dale is a lousy writer. You could write the ballads and stories for him. Think of it! What you wrote would be in literature books back in the twenty-first century. Plus, I can guarantee the merry men would hang on every word you said. Merry men, Joanna. There are plenty to go round.”
“Nice as that would be,” Joanna admitted, “I’ve got a good gig already. I’ve been telling my stories in Locksley hall every night, and they’re eating them up. One of my stories even got Will and Gripple
’s mom together with the man she’s been after for years.”
“That’s great, but I’m talking about more than matchmaking. I’m talking about saving an entire village from unjust taxation.”
“And I’m talking about two dead women.” Joanna felt her head getting hot. “Bringing a murderer to justice is a lot more ethical than committing crimes and teaching other people how to do them. Who are you? Patty Hearst?”
“At least I’m not falling in love with the villain,” Jill retorted. “Can we say ‘Stockholm Syndrome’?”
“I am not falling for Guy. What’s that hanging around your neck? Is that from Robin?”
Jill pulled out an intricate medallion with a coat of arms in the center. Remembering Guy had given Bess his own heraldric symbol as a token of his affection, Joanna wondered if Jill understood the full import of such a present.
“You’re engaged?”
“Oh crap! That is what he meant.” Jill flopped heavily onto a crate, looking suddenly deflated.
Joanna sat down beside her, unwilling that the argument should escalate further. “It’s okay. Neither one of us has done anything that can’t be undone. Despite what you might have heard, I’m not involved with Guy and I won’t be.”
“You’re right to question this,” Jill agreed, touching the medallion. “I’m so stupid!”
Joanna bumped Jill with her shoulder. “Getting engaged isn’t stupid. It’s just fast, especially for you. How does Robin fit in with your wanting to get back to 2009? Or maybe I should ask, do you even want to go back?”
“Of course I do! Although, Robin wants me to stay. I guess I hadn’t understood everything that entailed. It’s easy to get caught up in the moment.”
Joanna thought of sexual tension between her and Guy that she fought every moment to resist. “Tell me about it. Where does that put us?”
“I can’t believe I’m saying this because it sounds so hokey,” Jill began, “but we’re in the twelfth century for a reason. I’ve known that ever since we got here.”
“But we can’t agree on the reason,” Joanna reminded her.
“Maybe that’s because there are two reasons. Dad always said our family has been at the center of every important moment in history. I guess he’s right. While I’d like to see inside a castle besides Nottingham, camping with Robin Hood’s gang is more my thing.”
“And you know how I feel about camping.”
“So back to Locksley for you and Sherwood for me.”
“For now,” Joanna replied. “Not forever.” Noting Jill’s sagging shoulders, she asked, “What is it?”
“I thought we were taking this trip together.”
“We are,” Joanna assured her. “But if we were together every single minute, we’d probably drive each other crazy.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
Elaine popped her head into the tent. “All right if Will and I come in?”
Joanna motioned for them to enter. As the mother and son slipped in, Will glanced over his shoulder to where Sirsalon was keeping watch outside. “Are you sure we can trust him, Mum?”
“As sure as I am of myself,” Elaine replied. “I’ve been observing him a long time.”
Joanna introduced Jill to Elaine.
“How have you been able to work for Guy all this time without him suspecting you?” Jill asked.
“Will and Gripple’s father died ten years ago,” Elaine explained. “I learned how to take care of myself and my boys. Will practically grew up with Robin, and when the young earl was declared an outlaw, Will ran off to the forest with him. Outlaw life is too hard on my old bones, and Gripple was a boy. I thought I could help my sons by raising Gripple respectably and getting information to Will whenever I could.”
“So you’re the one who got me Jill’s message,” Joanna surmised.
Elaine nodded. “Joanna, do you remember my mentioning Daisy, the serving girl who had an affair with Guy and I assumed was dead? She’s not. Will has seen her.”
“She escaped from the castle and came to us,” Will added, picking up the story line. “She was pregnant and feared for her life, so Robin used his network to find her a safe place to have the baby and hide.”
“She was pregnant?” Joanna blinked several times, letting the information sink in. “I need to talk to her.”
“I thought you’d say that.” Elaine put her hand on Will’s shoulder. “He’ll make the arrangements.”
There were the sounds of a scuffle outside, as well as muffled protests. Joanna’s eyes widened, fearful Guy’s men had found them. Sirsalon exploded through the tent entrance, dragging a young man in a brown cloak by the scruff of the neck.
“Jill, this one says he’s looking for you. If he’s not, I’m happy to dispose of him.”
“That’s Alan.” Jill rolled her eyes at Joanna. “He’s all right.”
When Alan was released, he gave Sirsalon a dirty look before he straightened his clothes and said, “The archery contest is about to begin.”
“Then I need to head out.” Jill turned to Joanna with a questioning glance.
“Go,” Joanna urged.
“Wait a minute,” Sirsalon interrupted. “Are you telling me I staged an elaborate distraction for nothing? Isn’t anyone getting rescued?”
“Absolutely,” Joanna assured him. “But not right now.”
Sirsalon growled. “I’ll never understand women.”
Ignoring him, Joanna embraced Jill, fighting back tears. Now that their separation was again a reality, she worried how long it would last. “I’ll see you soon.”
“Yeah, soon,” Jill replied, her voice gruff.
Elaine kissed Will on the forehead while Sirsalon scanned the area outside the tent and gave the “all clear.” As Joanna walked toward the archery field with Elaine and Sirsalon, she looked back long enough to see Jill, Alan, and Will blend into the crowd. Joanna and Jill were both doing the right thing, but that didn’t make saying goodbye any easier.
Sirsalon smirked as Elaine took his arm. “I think we’re going to see some good shooting today, and if we’re lucky, a theatrical spectacle as well. We’re being followed now, so everyone, act naturally.”