Page 47 of An Earl for the Archeress

Robert huffed again and shifted to slouch on his other arm. “Believe me, she has my interest. My lack of follow through has nothing to do with not wanting to follow through. I just…I couldn’t. Her father is a tyrant who wishes to—” He caught himself. If he wasn’t careful, he would give away Mariel’s identity, and as far as he knew, Charlotte wasn’t privy to the connection between Mariel and the Sheriff of Ayr, if she even knew who the Sheriff of Ayr was. “I can’t toy with her affections, Charlotte. She deserves a commitment, one that will protect her. And dammit,” he swore, but stopped himself when he noticed Charlotte startle at the coarse language. He might curse with his men, but in the company of a lady, he had always had impeccable manners. “But I’m going to make an offer. Therefore, intercourse seems to me a bit cheap when I’m considering a full claim.”

Charlotte watched him, her eyebrows lifted, her hands still at rest in her lap while her fingers held the needle. Finally, she found her voice.

“Indeed, you’re actually considering marriage? I thought you wanted none of it.”

He folded his fingers together and rested them to his chin while his elbows remained propped on the chair arms. “Marriage would protect her. I’m willing to make such a commitment, if it would see to her safety.”

“I see…” Charlotte said. “You wish to protect her. But do you love her?”

Robert looked into the flame but offered no answer. He could feel Charlotte’s gaze upon him. He rested his chin against his folded hands and rubbed his stubble ever so slightly. He didn’t know how to answer. Did he? How could he, when he had only just met her? But the entire time they had raided Nottingham, he had worried for her, so much so he’d questioned whether her participation was too much of a distraction. And when they’d killed the boar, he had endured the animal’s tusks twice because he was too diverted by her presence, ensuring she remained safely back, for that animal would have shredded her had she fallen into the fray. And yet… But do you love her? refused to stop echoing in his mind.

“Pardon my observation, for I don’t wish to seem rude,” she said. “But have you considered what she would look like as the Lady of Huntington? Elmer, or whatever you continue to call her? She hardly knows what a cake of soap is, judging from her appearance, and I dare say she lacks comportment as a lady, no matter her title. Tonight at supper, she nearly smelled as poorly as you men did and her braid was a tangled mess. I’m surprised you find such a wildling, no matter her physical beauty, to be alluring.”

Robert nodded, though his eyes leveled a glare at her. He then withdrew something from the inside pocket of his coat. Showing it to her, he let it cascade downward to the floor, holding the end of it in his fingers. It was the soiled old silk ribbon.

“She once loved beautiful things,” he said, looking at the ribbon. “But life has lost its beauty for her and is only about survival. I’m certain she lost this, though she knows not that I found it. It was tied to her wrist at my tourney. It must have fallen out of her packs. A keepsake from a bygone time that holds some meaning for her, since she has carried it with her. I wonder what the ribbon represents. Was it a time when she smiled freely? Was it a memento given to her by a special friend or suitor? Did it belong to her mother or her sister?” He shook away the nostalgia for a place in her history he had never been. “Did you know she’s a lady of high breeding, the daughter of a ranking noble, and yet, her stockings are tattered? Tattered.” Of all the things to affect him, seeing for himself the shabby state of her existence had struck him. “I want her to feel worthy of her title again. I want her to see herself as the beauty I see her to be. That’s where you come in.”

He folded up the ribbon, catching himself when he realized he rubbed it gently and that Charlotte was watching him. He hid it back inside his coat.

“You’ve never held something of mine so tenderly,” she said. “Mayhap you do love her, after all.”

Robert shrugged off her remark. He didn’t like his emotions being so obvious. “You were right. She’s fragile,” he continued. “The last thing I want is for her to lose her edge. ’Tis refreshing to meet a woman who holds nothing back. I’m impressed with her skill and strength and honest tongue even if it is forked at times.”

“Skill?” Charlotte inquired. She pasted a pleasant look upon her face.

But there was no mistaking the hurt he saw in her eyes. It was true, Robert thought. Charlotte’s like every other woman. Concerned with her beauty, her femininity, her marriage suits, her wardrobe, and her manners. It was how women were reared—to catch a man’s eye.

“Yes. She’s a master archer. Which is unusual for a woman.”

“Indeed,” Charlotte concurred. “A master archer?”

He nodded.

“The trousers… It all makes sense. How does she compare to you?”

The corner of Robert’s mouth turned up. “She tied me in the tourney.” Charlotte’s mouth dropped in a most unladylike gape. “’Tis true,” he said. “I couldn’t best her, try as I might, nor could she best me. We’re equals.”

Something seemed to shift in Charlotte’s unsure demeanor. She sat quietly as the fire continued to crackle warmly beside them. Just hearing himself say such seemed profound. He was matched in skill with a woman, and certainly matched in stubborn temperament. He watched Charlotte mull over his words. At one point, sitting fireside with Charlotte would have been a welcome respite from his daily goings-on. Right now, oddly, it seemed like a betrayal to Mariel. Her trust was so fragile, so carefully placed.

“What can I do to help?” Charlotte asked, drawing him back from his thoughts.

“Befriend her. Find her a suitable gown so she can sit in the luxury she deserves. I want her to feel fair and noble again. And in doing so, I hope to gentle her heart and make her agreeable to my proposal. I haven’t much time to offer for her, if I am to protect her.”

Charlotte furrowed her brow, but he didn’t elaborate. He’d already said too much. “I’ve no other women here to do such a job. Alice finds her to be vulgar, and her disdain is evident in her frown. She’ll help the girl upon my command but doesn’t want to. And Anna is such a frivolous chit I’d like to include her in nothing. The other maids would help, but they have duties that can’t be shirked.”

Charlotte nodded. “I’m curious, my lord, as to who she really is.”

Robert stood and sighed, straightening the waist of his trousers and his sword belt upon his hip. “I cannot tell. I’ve promised her that I would keep her secrets. But time is of the essence, and I wish her to answer my proposal with ‘yes.’”

“Then I will do my best, Robbie.” Charlotte smiled and stood as well, walking him to her door. She placed a hand on his arm. Robert stopped and looked down at it. “If I cannot have your heart, I would at least have your friendship.”

Chapter Fourteen

Mariel walked through the corridor toward her chamber. A walk on the castle parapet to clear her mind after the unusual day had been just what she’d needed. The revelation that Robert was not only the leader of the bandits plaguing the forest, but also that she was now a conspirator in his schemes, ought to have alarmed her. And Nottingham had no idea that the common thief harrying him was the wealthiest bachelor in all of England.

Watching Robert gallivant through the trees to pester the Sheriff of Nottingham, while humorous, now made perfect sense. After today, she knew he was right. There was no other recourse for the poor souls wronged by Nottingham. They needed someone who would defend them and provide for them when they had been wronged. Nottingham was an unfair man, exactly like her father. And with King Richard fighting in the Crusade, Nottingham had no one overseeing him. What were the people to do in the face of Nottingham’s unchecked injustice?

But she also thought of Robert’s kiss, of his inclusion of her with his men, of his compliment that, in spite of her being of the fairer sex, she had done well and deserved a place on his council. It warmed her heart to know he recognized her ability and wasn’t threatened by it. And though he teased mercilessly and she sometimes wished to slap the smile off his face, she felt affection for him soften her. He was confusing, but trustworthy. He hadn’t lied to her. He had protected her. He respected her. She felt herself capitulating. Mayhap, just mayhap, she really could trust him.