Robyn and the Hoodettes (27 page)

“
Would you rather I use the term ‘supply system’? I’m not sure
why you’re so against the taxes. They’ll be used to benefit your
father down the line.”

“
They will?”

“
War is expensive. The road to Jerusalem is a long one. The
crusade may last until Christmas. Next year.”

“
I’m sick of war too.”

“
It is the way of the world,” Maudlin said with a wave of her
hand.

The steam rose around Robyn, softening her sore muscles,
but not her sense of injustice. She felt powerless in the tub, what
with being naked and slippery, she couldn’t very well leap out and
crack some sense into Maudlin’s scone.

Maudlin said, “If you think I’m horrible, it’s because I
have no choice. The Earl of Derby outranks me. Prince John outranks
him. The King outranks Prince John
. I must answer to people who outrank me.
If not, I shall be replaced with someone who will do their bidding.
If you think I’m horrid, whoever takes my place will be utterly
hideous, of that I’m certain.”

Robyn gulped.

“
Good, I’m getting through to you. I think it took longer with
Marion, not that I minded.”

“
Stop talking about Marion!”

“
And now I have your weakness. This is something you must
learn, Robyn. To reveal a weakness is to reveal how your enemies
can destroy you. Do you know what my weakness is?”

Robyn shrugged, barely caring any more. “You’re a raving
banshee?”

Laugher ricocheted around the room as Maudlin threw her head
back and cackled. Rook flew off her shoulder and flapped in the
air, then settled on the edge of the tub.

“
You know what?” Maudlin wiped her eyes, “I am a banshee. It’s
one of my strengths. Own your strengths, girl. You’ll need
them.”

By some unseen signal another maid appeared from behind a
tapestry again. This one carried folded clothes.

“
You will get dressed now. You have an important decision to
make. Either you work for me, or you hang.” Then she swept from the
room in a swirl of confidence, the bird flapping to catch up and
rest on her shoulder.

On shaking legs, Robyn rose from the tub and stepped into
the linen sheet the maid held for her. The rough fabric dried her
soaked skin.

Pulling on the clothes, she felt strangely transformed. The
hose was so light and soft, the long skirt heavy and draught-free,
the tunic thick and warm, closing around her neck with laces to
keep the heat inside and the cold out.

Which only served to confuse Robyn all the more. Being
comfortable could prove addictive. Perhaps she
should
work for Maudlin, just for a little
while?

If she did, would she ever be able to break out and be herself
again?

And what of Marion?
Had he too been broken by an empty night on his
own, then seduced with good food, a hot bath and clean
clothes?

Was that all it took to get a person to change
sides?

Disappointment sagged her shoulders. Mentally, Robyn didn’t
feel broken, but she knew the cracks were there. Maudlin had merely
opened them a little more. All this time she thought she’d been
finding Maudlin’s weakness. Instead, Robyn had revealed her
own.

Marion.

How frustrating that Maudlin had managed to see what she could
not. That she was madly in love with Marion and she hadn’t even
known it.

Saints! She was in love with Marion.

Heck of a time to work that out, what with the Earl of Derby
on his way, keen to string her up on a gibbet.

All it had taken was to drop his name a few times and watch
her squirm. Robyn had to give it to her interrogator, she was
good.

“
You’re dressed? Good,” Maudlin said as she entered the
bathing room again. “It’s time.”

***

Robyn followed Maudlin to the banqueting hall. The long
table was not here; nor were the high-backed chairs. Instead,
someone had set a roaring fire in the hearth and placed a small
table and two stools near it. An earthenware bowl filled with
flatbreads took up most of the space.

“
Sit,” Maudlin said as she took one stool and pushed the
other out with her foot. “Break bread with me and let us be
friends.”

Friends?

Another servant
appeared. She filled two drinking
tankards.

With water.

“
Are you trying to poison me?” Robyn asked. “Not sure why
you’re bothering, Derby’s going to hang me anyway.”

“
No my dear, I’m illustrating a point. What we have here is
water, although not from a river.” Maudlin accepted her full
tankard, locked eyes with Robyn, saluted her with the mug and then
drank it.

Every last drop.

For acts of craziness, drinking fresh water took things to
a whole new level.

Robyn’s face creased. “What’s in it?”

“
Nothing. That’s what’s so special about it.” Maudlin smiled.
“It’s pure, clean water from a spring, not far from here. It has
not touched streams or reeds. Neither fish nor frogs have spawned
in it. It is pure, clean water. One can drink it straight from the
ground without having to brew it as ale or cider first. Marvellous,
isn’t it?”

“
If you say so.”

“
Only dirty water leads to bad humours, which in turn leads
to illness and death. I plan on living for a long time yet, and
this water is perfectly clean. Drink up, there’s a good
girl.”

Eyeing the drink with suspicion, Robyn gave it a sniff. It
smelled of flowers and . . . no, wait, that was her clean tunic.
The water had no aroma at all, merely a faint metallic trace from
the tankard.

“
Taste it.”

“
Is this what you did to Ellen?”

Maudlin smiled and shook her head. “I did not need to. Ellen
and I are linked souls. She’s the daughter I never had.”

“
Will she inherit Sheffield when you die? Is that what you
promised her?”

Maudlin opened her mouth to answer, then shut it and shook
her head a little. “Drink the water.”

Taking a breath and a “here goes nothing” attitude, she
lifted the tankard to her lips and slurped some in. It tasted of .
. . nothing. No remnants of anything, nothing brackish or . . . her
tongue lied. There was something in here, a slight
chalkish
aftertaste, but it
was hard to identify because she’d never tasted anything so clean
before.

Liquid fresh air.

“
At least I’ll die happy,” she said.

Maudlin took a piece of bread, tore it and offered half to
Robyn. She accepted, not from being polite, but because she never
turned down food.

“
All water is the same,” Maudlin said. “It fills bogs and
streams and can turn your guts with the first sip. But place it
under pressure, run it over stones, stir it up–” She raised her
tankard in another salute, “–and it is made pure. The same method
applies for people. They become sullied and diseased if left to
stagnate. Place them under pressure, stir them up, in a manner of
speaking, and they too can be made pure.”

So that’s what all this was about. Robyn shook her head and
made a half-laugh out of a sigh. “Am I made pure now?”

“
Not yet. You may have to spend a night on the stones down in
the dungeon to be sure.”

Robyn cast her mind to the last time been in the dungeon.
It was cold, wet and hard. A night on the floor of Maudlin’s timber
room would be luxury in comparison.

“
It’s up to you,” Maudlin continued. “Are you ready to work
for me, with a pure heart and mind, or do you need another night to
think about it?”

T
hat’s how it’s done
, Robyn thought, surprised at how easily she’d
capitulated. Surprised at how much she wanted to work for
Maudlin.

If only to avoid those dungeons and keep eating good food,
wearing good clothes and drinking pure water.

Although . . . did Georgia or Marion have the key? Would
the rest of the gang even know she was in there? If she called out
through the bars they’d come and get her. Wouldn’t they?

“
You’re thinking about your friends. Your well-meaning but
misguided friends. They’re all working for me now, of
course.”

“
Really?”

“
Oh yes,” Maudlin looked pleased with herself, “Although, to
your credit, you’ve taken the longest to come around.”

A squawk sounded from afar. The raven flew in through an open
window and landed on Maudlin’s outstretched arm. “Rook, my darling,
how lovely to see you again. This is Robbie, she’s on our side
now.”

Like a talisman of evil, seeing the raven’s shining eyes
and sharp beak reminded Robyn of all the reasons why working for
Maudlin would be so very wrong. “May I ask, Lady Maudlin, how are
you to save me from the Earl of Derby?”

Maudlin’s cackling laugh frightened the bird. When she
composed herself, she looked Robyn directly in the eye and said,
“I’m not going to tell you everything. I’m not that
crazy.”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Five days later, Robyn still hadn’t seen any of her
friends. In a huge castle like Sheffield’s, it was entirely
possible they really were working for Maudlin, yet their paths had
not crossed.

Or they’d been put
in the dungeons?

If only she and Marion had planned for this eventuality, of
not seeing each other for days on end.

Perhaps they already had the cow and were hiding out in the
Shire Wood? That could work. Then all she had to do was escape and
join them.

Adding to Robyn’s woes, Ellen was here with her now,
guarding her night and day. Not even the privies offered privacy,
Ellen followed her in there too.

“
It’s all right Ellen, I can relieve myself,” she said one
afternoon while heading to the outhouses.

“
I’d be failing in my duty if I turned my back on you. And I
need to go myself, to be honest.” One step behind as they walked
in.

Noxious places, latrines. Most people were in and out as fast
as was practical, but Ellen treated this like any other excursion.
On she yapped the entire time. “It’s best to keep talking when
you’re in here,” she said to Robyn, “means you keep breathing
though your mouth instead of your nose. Have you noticed how much
it stinks in here?”

Robyn pulled her tunic up over her nose. The floral remnants
in the fabric only made the place smell like someone had taken a
dump in a rose bush.

The cold wind swirled around her naked skin as she tried to be
done with her call of nature and leave.

“
You think it stinks now, in summer it’s even worse!” Ellen
said.

Did that mean Robyn would still be here in two seasons? Not
if she could help it. They would survive winter in the Shire Wood,
with the cow and the carriage and they’d make it.
Somehow.

Although they’d need to make a new base camp because Everyone
knew where their hideout was by this point.

Maybe back in the tower at Littleton? The walls were solid,
even if the insides were a little crispy.

Finished with the privy, Robyn sorted herself and walked
out. Ellen kept talking the whole time. Probably Maudlin’s way of
torturing her even more.

As they climbed the stairs to go back inside the castle,
Robyn looked out across the bailey. No sign of new
arrivals.

“
You’re looking out for the Earl of Derby, aren’t you?” Ellen
asked.

“
Of course I am.” How could she not? He was the one who
wanted to hang her in the morning. But of course, Maudlin had never
said
which
morning. She’d only threatened her with imminent death and
had left it at that.

“
He’s not here yet,” Ellen said. “I won’t lie to you, that’s
got to be a good thing. Maybe Maudlin’s sent a message to him to
stay home?” Ellen linked her arm through Robyn’s. “I’m glad of
that. I will miss you so much when you’re dead.”

“
Thanks.”

“
Come on, Maudlin’s waiting”
.

Dread weighed her down.
She cast a quick look behind, to see if
any of Maudlin’s staff were building anything
noose-friendly.

At first she saw nothing, which made her light in the head
with relief. Then her stomach dipped. Roger and his men were
hammering pieces of wood together. Saints! Roger probably couldn’t
wait to see her hang for all the trouble she’d put him
through.

Ellen placed a firm hand in the middle of Robyn’s back and
said, “Let’s not dilly dally.”

Must be on my best behaviour before she wrings my
neck.

“
Sit down my dear,” Maudlin said as they walked in to her
private chambers. It was warm and inviting in here, in exactly the
way a gallows wasn’t. A fire in the hearth crackled away, sending
out warmth and the wonderful smells of roasting pine
cones.