Everything I Do: a Robin Hood romance (Rosa Fitzwalter Book 1) by M.C. Frank Page A

around her.
    A mere quarter of the hour later she had finished her business and was walking back to the castle, her heart light and hopeful. Suddenly, she bumped into something so strong and hard that she would have stumbled and fallen if two arms hadn’t reached out to steady her.
    “My lady!” a familiar voice said and once again she looked into Sir Hugh’s brooding countenance.
    “Sir Hugh,” she answered, mimicking his tone.
    “I heard you were unwell,” he said.
    “Did you?” suddenly she had no patience with him.
    “I was hoping fervently, praying even, that it was not true, but I suddenly find myself wishing that it were, rather than…”
    “Why the sudden change?”
    “Do you not realize, my lady, in how much danger you are deliberately putting yourself?”
    “Whatever do you mean?” she asked innocently, abandoning her sarcastic tone.
    “It does not take much thought to put two and two together,” he answered severely, his gaze traveling to the iron prison gates and back. Rosa sighed, exasperated.
    “What’s it to you, good sir, if I choose to help save a man’s life?”
    “A criminal’s, you mean. A robber’s.”
    “I do not expect you and me to think alike in this or any other matter.”
    Sir Hugh opened his mouth to speak, but he changed his mind. He bent his head down low, reaching as close as he could to the level of her eyes, and the intensity in his nearly stopped her heart with fear. He took her hands in his, for a moment gripping them so hard it hurt her.
    “Is there any chance that you will be in grave danger today? Please tell me… You know I would put everything aside, our differences, even my honor,” at this Rosa lifted one eyebrow, but he went on as if he hadn’t noticed, “to come to your aid. Please tell me the truth this once.”
    “There will be no cause for you to put your questionable honor aside, I assure you, Sir Hugh.”
    He raised his hand to his mouth, as if trying to keep himself from speaking. Then he took her by the shoulders and simply looked at her, searching her face intently.
    “What is it?” she asked, puzzled.
    “Nothing. I was trying to see whether you…” he stopped, distracted.
    “Well, since you seem so concerned, I will tell you that the only thing I did was donate one barrel of ale to the prison guards. I was only just in there, explaining to the head guard: my father would like them to partake in the festivities in this way, not leaving the premises of course, but since everyone will be at the festival, it wouldn’t hurt for them to drink a cup of spirits. That was all.”
    He let go of her abruptly, wondering what she was planning to do.
    “I would be honor bound to tell the Sheriff of this,” he said harshly.
    “Then do,” Rosa replied, a challenge in her eyes.
    Sir Hugh scrutinized her face for a minute, then, surprisingly, he smiled.
    “You seem to think little of my honor, princess, and even less of my affection for you,” he said and his voice was tender like she had heard it only once before. “Would that it were not so, but I cannot do anything to help it, can I?”
    “You are mistaken, my lord. I think little of your honor, it is true. But as for what you call ‘affection’ for me, I mistrust it, but more than that, I despise it. I think of it as your weakness. And mine.”
    “Yours? How?” he sounded hopeful.
    “I am ashamed to think I have seemingly won so unworthy an admirer.”
    Silence, hard as light to a sleeping eye, followed her cruel statement. Before her eyes, Sir Hugh drew himself up and his face became dark and stony once again.
    “I see,” he said finally, ice dripping from his words. “Then I have only to bid you farewell, my lady.” And with one final look in her direction, he left.
    Sometime later, while she was waiting anxiously in her room, she thought about why she had spoken thus to him. She regretted her cruelty a bit, but nothing of what  she had spoken to him was untrue. She had thought of