Page 116 of Knotted in Sherwood Forest

He'd never been content to accept someone's word when he could go and find the answer himself.

It hurt knowing a stranger had been the one to tell me about it six years after his death.

"And Fitzwalter locked the ledger away in the royal archives," Guy continued. "I doubt he ever bothered reading it. He was searching for a letter, and William's calculations probably looked like ordinary bookkeeping."

"Six years," I murmured.

I stared at the fire.

"I've spent six years living in these woods, stealing food and supplies, while the men who murdered my father sit in their fine houses spending the money he discovered they'd stolen."

Guy reached for my hand.

"We can prove what happened."

"Can we?"

"We have his ledger, written in his own hand, and the Crown's warrants showing what was collected. There's the chapel inventory documenting the empty strongbox, the confiscation order filed before his trial, and two missing witness statements."

He counted each piece of evidence against my fingers.

"It's not a complete case yet, Robin. But it's more than anyone has had in six years."

I looked at our hands.

"Where are the records now?"

"In the archive beneath the east tower. Fitzwalter has two men guarding the muniment room."

"Then how are we supposed to get them?"

"I instructed Hugh to have Peverel make official copies and send them out of the castle under another man's seal. Whether he managed it before they took his keys, I don't know."

I thought about that.

"And my father's letter?"

Guy was quiet for a moment.