desire to fight. But he could sense the vulnerability underneath it all, and he longed to kiss those lips she barely kept from trembling.
“You chide me, Sparrow, for spending my time with Martin. Yet he has offered me a plan, a means to the one thing I desire—winning Lil free. She has been a mother to me.” Wren blinked against tears. “The only one I have known. I would follow Martin anywhere in order to save her.”
“What is this grand scheme of Martin’s, then?” Sparrow asked, not without an edge.
“Of his and Wilfred’s, for we shall have help inside—Wilf, plus others within the castle who are sympathetic to our cause. Many there love Lil and are unhappy about her imprisonment. In the evening at the close of market day, when folk are still coming and going, we will gain entry to the castle proper. Martin says that has already been done successfully, many times.”
“So it has.”
“Wilfred will meet us there, he and another guard named Cedric, who is in with us and who means to wrangle for himself duty at the dungeons.”
“How?”
“Eh?”
“Lambert does not seem a man whose plans are easily manipulated.”
“Martin says Wilfred is confident.”
“Does he? What then?”
“Wilf leads us in, and we take Lil away with us.”
“As easy as that, eh?”
“Do not patronize me, Sparrow. I do not hear you offering anything better. In fact, I do not hear you offering at all. At least Martin has the courage to try.”
“Oh, aye, Martin has courage in buckets, some of it the foolhardy variety. Why must you go, and endanger yourself?”
“Shall I ask anyone else to take a risk greater than I am willing to take myself?”
Sparrow blinked; it might be Robin Hood himself speaking. Not that Sparrow remembered him well, but his parents had told him scores of stories about Robin taking the lead in perilous situations, because he would ask no one else to undertake what he refused.
“No,” he said softly. “Yet I do believe it wiser to wait until Lil is brought forth for trial.”
Wren challenged him with her eyes. “And if she does not survive that long? If the Sheriff dies and she is left where she is, to rot?”
Sparrow, unable to help himself, reached out and smoothed her wild hair. He knew his touch would allow her to feel his concern and anxiety. “And should Lambert catch sight of you? What then?”
“Surely he has forgotten all about one lowly peasant who spurned him, among the many he has forced?”
“One who broke his cheekbone.”
“I shall go in disguise. Look, Sparrow, I appreciate your desire to protect me, a mere woman.”
“It is not that.”
“But if you truly wish to do something useful, teach me to shoot well enough to pick a guard off the wall above the foregate.”
Sparrow sighed deeply. Had he any choice? “Very well. Come along with you, then.”
Chapter Fifteen
“She watches you still. I vow, Martin, Sally scarcely takes her eyes from you.”
Martin glanced across the clearing to where Sally sat with Madlyn, supposedly sorting herbs yet keeping him and Rennie under a careful eye instead. He said carelessly, “Let her stare, if she will.”
Rennie shot him a cool look. This last seven-night she and Martin had been virtually inseparable, doing everything but sleeping together—and to be honest, Rennie had considered even that. Martin possessed potent, if wild and dangerous, charm. Perhaps the wildness made part of the attraction, Rennie admitted. And the more time they spent together, the closer the bond she could feel between them. The fact was, he had stolen more than one kiss while they were alone, and she had felt the fire in him. And she found the idea of losing herself in that heat beguiling.
And, if she did, might she not then belong somewhere, to someone?
“It makes me uneasy,” she confessed, “being constantly under her eye.”
Martin paused and a wicked smile came to his face. “Let us give her something to see, then.” He drew
“You chide me, Sparrow, for spending my time with Martin. Yet he has offered me a plan, a means to the one thing I desire—winning Lil free. She has been a mother to me.” Wren blinked against tears. “The only one I have known. I would follow Martin anywhere in order to save her.”
“What is this grand scheme of Martin’s, then?” Sparrow asked, not without an edge.
“Of his and Wilfred’s, for we shall have help inside—Wilf, plus others within the castle who are sympathetic to our cause. Many there love Lil and are unhappy about her imprisonment. In the evening at the close of market day, when folk are still coming and going, we will gain entry to the castle proper. Martin says that has already been done successfully, many times.”
“So it has.”
“Wilfred will meet us there, he and another guard named Cedric, who is in with us and who means to wrangle for himself duty at the dungeons.”
“How?”
“Eh?”
“Lambert does not seem a man whose plans are easily manipulated.”
“Martin says Wilfred is confident.”
“Does he? What then?”
“Wilf leads us in, and we take Lil away with us.”
“As easy as that, eh?”
“Do not patronize me, Sparrow. I do not hear you offering anything better. In fact, I do not hear you offering at all. At least Martin has the courage to try.”
“Oh, aye, Martin has courage in buckets, some of it the foolhardy variety. Why must you go, and endanger yourself?”
“Shall I ask anyone else to take a risk greater than I am willing to take myself?”
Sparrow blinked; it might be Robin Hood himself speaking. Not that Sparrow remembered him well, but his parents had told him scores of stories about Robin taking the lead in perilous situations, because he would ask no one else to undertake what he refused.
“No,” he said softly. “Yet I do believe it wiser to wait until Lil is brought forth for trial.”
Wren challenged him with her eyes. “And if she does not survive that long? If the Sheriff dies and she is left where she is, to rot?”
Sparrow, unable to help himself, reached out and smoothed her wild hair. He knew his touch would allow her to feel his concern and anxiety. “And should Lambert catch sight of you? What then?”
“Surely he has forgotten all about one lowly peasant who spurned him, among the many he has forced?”
“One who broke his cheekbone.”
“I shall go in disguise. Look, Sparrow, I appreciate your desire to protect me, a mere woman.”
“It is not that.”
“But if you truly wish to do something useful, teach me to shoot well enough to pick a guard off the wall above the foregate.”
Sparrow sighed deeply. Had he any choice? “Very well. Come along with you, then.”
Chapter Fifteen
“She watches you still. I vow, Martin, Sally scarcely takes her eyes from you.”
Martin glanced across the clearing to where Sally sat with Madlyn, supposedly sorting herbs yet keeping him and Rennie under a careful eye instead. He said carelessly, “Let her stare, if she will.”
Rennie shot him a cool look. This last seven-night she and Martin had been virtually inseparable, doing everything but sleeping together—and to be honest, Rennie had considered even that. Martin possessed potent, if wild and dangerous, charm. Perhaps the wildness made part of the attraction, Rennie admitted. And the more time they spent together, the closer the bond she could feel between them. The fact was, he had stolen more than one kiss while they were alone, and she had felt the fire in him. And she found the idea of losing herself in that heat beguiling.
And, if she did, might she not then belong somewhere, to someone?
“It makes me uneasy,” she confessed, “being constantly under her eye.”
Martin paused and a wicked smile came to his face. “Let us give her something to see, then.” He drew
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