Scarlet

Chapter Ten

The crowd started to break, and we all walked back to Edwinstowe. Lena came with us, Mark Tanner and Thom Walker following behind. Tanner were from Edwinstowe, but Thom Walker were a merchant in Nottingham. I knew their homes were gone, but I weren’t sure why they were coming with us. Sure, Rob walked like a leader, and it weren’t surprising that people followed behind him, but still. I weren’t sure about it.

“What happened?” I asked Lena, walking beside her. “After we left, how did you get pinched?”

She rubbed her wrists. “When the guards came to, I gave them the money, but it wasn’t what they wanted, as you can tell. They shackled me and burned the inn.” She hung her head.

My pipes felt thick. “I should have stayed.”

She shook her head. “They would have pinched you too, and then where would Robin be?”

“He’d be right as rain, I think.”

She chuckled. “You don’t see how much he cares about you, but he does. Ran into that fire last night like a fair angel, he did.”

“He’d do the same for one of his men, or any of his people. Don’t make me special in his eyes.” It were shameful, but there were a fair amount of bitter in my voice.

She leaned her head close to mine so the others wouldn’t hear her. “Ah, he has many men, but he only has one woman.”

I just shook my head. It were fair obvious I weren’t his woman.

She put her arm around my shoulders, which felt awful wrong. It weren’t like it had been me at the gallows. “You and that Robin are almost too fine a pair. Both of you can’t see your own virtues.”

I winced. “I hate to tell you, Lena, but I ain’t been so virtued. I steal things. And I lie a fair amount.”

She laughed. “Exactly what I mean, love.”

Were she gone mad?

“You know, the only thing I saw when they put the noose around my neck was my husband’s face. I wasn’t even that fond of the mongrel when we were married—he was yelling and carrying on more often than not—but there were moments, little tiny ones, where it was nice to have someone with me.”

“I’m not the type to have someone.” Why were I saying this so much these days? I looked at Robin, John, and Much up ahead. They were someones, to be sure, but that didn’t mean they were for me. They were with me, maybe, but not for me.

“More people care about you than you know, Scarlet. No matter how you got your scars.”

I covered my cheek, looking at her.

“Not just those scars. The ones that make you think you’re unlovable.”

She linked her arm through my arm and we walked. We didn’t say nothing after that. Weren’t much to say, neither.

When we got to Tuck’s, half the shire were breaking down his door to yap about the goings-on in Nottingham. Tuck saw John walk in and grabbed him, roping him and Malcolm into hauling some extra tables and benches outdoors and setting up ’neath the sky. It weren’t dark yet, and the day were strange warm for fall. It would get colder when the sun set, but by that time the drink would be keeping most warm.

Tankards and mugs were passed through the crowd and people copped places on the benches. We stayed together, near the corner, but people knew Robin and started asking for his story of the whole tale, and Much helped him tell it.

“Oh, John,” Ellie said, draping herself over John’s back. Her skirts swished around, hitting me where I sat beside him. I smiled, watching them. “Missed you, lad.”

He patted her hand. “Ellie, my love,” he greeted. “Pretty as ever.”

She twined herself around and sat in his lap. “Didn’t you miss me?”

“’Course I did,” he said. He looked at me. “Only, I’m having a drink with the lads here, you know.” He took a swig to make it more obvious.

She rubbed my leg with her foot, and I winked at her. “We’ll get Will a girl too. I know he’s shy, but we all hear how skilled he is.”

John spat out his mouthful. “Him? Couldn’t find his way around a girl with a looking glass and a map.”

I chuckled at that.

“See? Doesn’t even deny it. Besides, after last week I would have thought you’d been talking ’bout my skills.”

“Won’t you remind me of them?”

“Maybe later, love. You’ve got too many thirsty people here. You’re needed.”

She gave him a quick peck. “Just don’t tell me ‘later’ and run off with Bess or Mariel.”

“Promise.” He pushed her rump as he hefted her off his lap, and she giggled and sashayed away from us. John looked at me square. “I’d be more gratified if you looked jealous instead of gleeful,” he said quiet.

I grinned. Couldn’t help it. “Jealous? Oh, John, don’t give up swiving on my account.”

He smiled. “I’m irresistible, Scar, and one of these days I’ll win you over.”

I shook my head, but I were smiling too. “So what made you decide you liked me after all this?”

He chuckled to himself, and it looked fair like he were blushing. He slapped the brim of my hat. “You keep me on my toes, Scar.”

I wrinkled my nose. “Like fighting? Is that a good thing?”

He nodded. “Sometimes I don’t know what you’re about at all. Girls”—he ducked his head down—“girls don’t surprise me much. That’s generally why I like them. But you, I’m always trying to catch up with you.” He looked at me. “And it’s better than with the other girls.”

“Why would you like people not surprising you?” I asked. “I’m always trying to figure out some thing or the other.”

He shrugged, and his mug went different, like all the charm went out of him. “For a while now, I felt like I’ve had enough surprises.”

Under the table, I pushed my knee against his. I knew he were talking ’bout his family, and I wanted to show him I knew. He swallowed, making his throat bulge out. I wanted to say something, but I didn’t know how to yap with John about this sort of thing.

“Did she die?” he asked me.

“Who?”

“That friend of yours. The one you never want to talk about.”

Lead settled in the pit of my stomach. “Yeah, John. She died.” I looked at him. “It were so quick. Not her dying—that weren’t quick—but the way the world slips upside down. I thought I were free, and then the worst things happened.”