Chapter 16
As far as Robert could tell, things were going according to plan. Gisborn seemed to be unaware of their scheme and there was no reason not to expect success. Still, Robert couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps he should rethink things.
“There’s the church spire ahead,” Will pointed out as their cart rolled into town. “Your friend the vicar should be waiting there.”
“You’re certain he understands what he is to do?”
“Alan and I spoke to him early today,” Will assured him. “Everyone knows their part; the vicar, our man out at Greenwood, even Henry’s gone on ahead to keep a watch. It’s going to work out.”
“I hope so,” Robert muttered.
John laughed heartily. “What? This mad scheme was your idea, Rob! Don’t tell us you’re doubting it now.”
“Keep quiet!” Robert admonished. “Gisborn has ears everywhere.”
“Hopefully most of them are positioned around the church by now,” Alan said. “It’s nearly time—they should be expecting us.”
“In great number, if we’re lucky,” John said.
The others agreed and encouraged each other as the wagon jostled on toward their goal.
Alan and Will had come into town very early with Henry.
They met up with George Muchleigh and coordinated with the vicar.
When all was set, Much brought the wagon—along with fresh supplies for the Grover family—to collect Robert, John, and Bert, the groom.
Regrouped, the little band headed into town.
Robert watched each corner and shop as they passed.
It was all so familiar, yet foreign at the same time.
It was as if a dark cloud had, indeed, come over Nottingham.
People moved about quickly, heads down in worry or fear.
Or despair. Even the dogs seemed to know not to bark or risk attracting unwelcome attention.
The church spire that had been looming ahead of them disappeared behind a row of buildings as the wagon turned onto another street.
Robert couldn’t help but chuckle when he thought of the luckless sheriff, gathering his men around the church, expecting to capture the infamous Robin Hood.
That false note Bert had passed on to Gisborn had been quite eagerly received.
Henry reported that Gisborn had left home immediately after receiving it and rushed directly to meet with St. John and Reeve.
It was unlikely the sheriff would have taken all his men from guarding the gaol and sent them to stalk the church, but surely he would have taken some.
Hopefully guards at the gaol would be sparse.
While Gisborn and his partners waited to capture outlaws at the church, Robert would be gathering Mr. Green from the gaol.
It wasn’t a simple matter of paying back taxes to release the physician. He was in for the crime of illegally caring for those who St. John had declared unworthy. If Robert wanted to get that man set free, he would have to do it by force.
Hopefully there were enough of them to do that.
If all went according to plan, most of the guards would have been sent on to assist at the church.
Robert and his band could get in, take Mr. Green, and get out in a matter of minutes.
The whole lot of them would be safely back in Sherwood before Gisborn realized he’d been duped.
“Whoa there!” George called.
The wagon came to an abrupt stop. Robert had been sitting in the back, dressed as a laborer and trying to appear inconspicuous. Now he rose up to turn and see what had halted their progress.
“Henry, what are you doing here?” he called when he saw the boy rushing up to them.
“Sir! I’m truly glad to see you here,” the boy said, breathless. “For a moment I was afraid you’d changed the plans and were going straight to get yourself captured.”
“Captured? What are you rattling about?”
“I was over by the church,” Henry said, coming closer to the wagon and glancing around, cautious of being overheard by passersby. “There’s quite some excitement!”
“Has the sheriff realized he’ll not be finding Robin Hood there today?” John questioned.
“But that’s just it!” Henry went on. “He is there today! Mr. Reeve has him trapped inside; he says he’ll kill the vicar if anyone comes for him.”
Robert wasn’t sure he was hearing correctly. “What’s this? The sheriff is threatening Mr. Fraytuck?”
“No, it’s Robin Hood! He says he’ll kill the vicar if he tries to leave the church, or any of the sheriff’s men if they try to come in.”
“That isn’t what we planned for,” Robert grumbled. “Why would Fraytuck feel the need to embellish our little drama this way?”
“I don’t know about ‘bellishing, but I sure was surprised when Robin Hood started shooting arrows out of the church bell tower.”
“What’s this? Henry, there isn’t actually any Robin Hood there.”
“But it’s true! I saw him myself,” the boy insisted. “Though I don’t know how that can be, if you’re here.”
“Of course I’m here,” Robert said. “Who did you see there?”
“I saw Robin Hood, sir! He’s really there, taking refuge in the church tower and threatening to sink his arrows into anyone who comes near the door below.”
The other men expressed disbelief.
“But that’s not possible,” Will pointed out.
“That’s why I came running to see if I could find you… and I did.”
“So who the devil is at the church?” John asked.
“I have no idea,” Robert said, his mind racing to make sense of the boy’s words.
Obviously Henry had seen someone. But who on earth could it be?
None of their group had gone on to the church—that had purely been a ruse to distract Gisborn and the sheriff.
Fraytuck was merely to keep the men there, claiming Robin Hood was about but not actually producing him.
What could have made him change the plan, and who could possibly be playing the part?
“Poor Mr. Fraytuck looked as confused by this as any of you do,” Henry said, laughing at their astonishment. “But there he was, Robin Hood with his bow, way up high in the tower.”
Robert puzzled over this. Could it be that the vicar had not arranged this odd spectacle?
But then who on earth could it be? It had to be someone who knew the sheriff would expect to find Robin Hood there.
But this plan was only hatched a few hours ago, and they were the only ones who could possibly know of it.
Just Robert’s men, and Gisborn who had been purposely misled by the note Bert claimed to have intercepted.
There was no one else who could possibly…
A chill swept over Robert as an unlikely idea took shape. It was impossible, of course. It was foolhardy, ridiculous, and utterly mad. For all those reasons, he knew it had to be the only explanation. He turned to Alan and Will.
“You two said you trailed Gisborn this morning. Who did he talk to?”
Alan screwed his face as he recollected. “He sent word on to Reeve, likely to set up a meeting, but first he went straight on to the magistrate’s house. Met with him there for a while, then the two of them rushed over to the sheriff. He saw no one else.”
“He went to St. John’s house,” Robert repeated, more to himself than the others. “They would have discussed the contents of that note, wouldn’t they? Damn… I just can’t believe it.”
“He went there, just as we told you,” Alan insisted.
“Oh, I don’t doubt that. What I’m having trouble believing is… well, you men had better go along. Henry’s mother needs that doctor; keep to the plan.”
He was already climbing out of the wagon. John grabbed his arm to stop him.
“Rob, where are you going?”
Robert shook off his friend. He swung his legs over the side rails and dropped to the ground. Dusting himself, he took a deep breath and prepared for battle.
“God help me, but I’m going to church.”
“Stay back!” Marianne barked down to the men gathered below her.
Her voice growled and reverberated in the cold height of the bell tower where she had positioned herself.
Hopefully, the men would not detect she was female—the costume she wore did much to conceal the fact, but she was careful to speak as little as possible.
A few well-placed arrows at the feet of the encroaching lawmen held them back far better than any words she could have uttered.
“Listen to him!” Mr. Fraytuck called to the men from the door of the church. “This archer is not playing games. Anyone who comes closer gets an arrow to the chest!”
Marianne held her bow higher, the arrow nocked steadily, and prayed the men would take heed. She had no intention of actually shooting anyone, though Mr. Gisborn stood below with the sheriff. They made quite tempting targets. So far both men were obedient, so she spared them.
Mr. Fraytuck was proving a helpful ally.
He’d been quite perplexed when she showed up in his vestry, ranting that there was a scheme underway to capture Robin Hood.
Perhaps what gave him the most shock was her apparel.
Marianne had been wearing the musty old costume she’d brought back from the lodge.
She’d half expected the vicar to dismiss her claims, but he did not.
In fact, he seemed very much aware of Mr. Gisborn’s plan and assured her that Robert was actually in very little danger.
He hurriedly explained that this was merely a ruse they had invented to distract Mr. Gisborn while Robert and his men tended to other matters in town.
Mr. Fraytuck was rather cagey about details on that, despite her many questions.
All he would tell her was that her help was appreciated, but not needed.
She ought to hurry home before she got herself even more involved in things that might endanger her.
He suggested there was a secret way he could help her leave, but she was in no hurry to go.
If not for the fact that she could sense his honest concern, she would have thought him insultingly dismissive.
In the end, his warnings proved useless.