I glanced at him. “I’ll head north at first light for Nottingham,” I said.
Winchester nodded once, understanding. “My lady, would you allow me to escort the silver you’ve already collected down to London?” he asked. “I will take half my men and see it locked safely in the treasury.”
“Has the court returned to Westminster Palace?” I asked.
Eleanor nodded. “The riots have stopped, and Windsor isn’t nearly as fashionable.”
“Bigod and I can stay with you, my lady Queen, and repeat the task as you amass more contributions,” Essex offered. “With our companies, of course.”
“Very well,” Eleanor said. “And Winchester, you will return and report back to me.”
“As you wish, my lady Queen,” Winchester said, dipping his head to her. When he raised it back up, he looked at Margaret.
It made me burn for Rob.
“Perhaps you shouldn’t travel alone, Lady Marian,” Margaret said soft.
I looked to her.
She were looking at her lap. “If the queen isn’t safe, for certain it won’t be safe for you to travel, and not with the prince . . .” She trailed off, looking round. Bigod didn’t know the prince had tried to kill me.
“I have two men who will protect me better than a company of knights can,” I assured her. “Speed and the ability to keep our heads down will serve me well enough.”
“What route will you take?” Eleanor asked. “And I wish to be informed the moment you arrive in Nottingham.”
“Most likely west to Oxford, up through Northampton and Leicester. I imagine we’ll stay out of cities as best we can.”
She glanced round the table, but she nodded thoughtful to me.
After dinner were finished, Eleanor brought everyone to sit by a fire in the abbot’s quarters. On the way there, Margaret tugged me back.
She drew a breath. “I don’t want you to leave your grandmother because of what I said. Forgive me if I was more frank than is appropriate. I had hoped we could be friends, and more than that—I wish you would ride with us. I don’t—I don’t want to go—”
Her chest were heaving hard and she wouldn’t look at me, and my heart snapped. I tugged her to the side, pulling her to me and putting my arms around her, awkward one moment and fierce the next. “That’s what the new knights are for. You’ll be well protected on the road, especially with Winchester’s knights looking out for you. I was fair shocked he will leave you to go to London at all. You’ll be lucky to go anywhere alone again,” I teased her.
She shook in my arms. “I didn’t tell him,” she whispered. “I haven’t had a moment alone, and the words—I don’t know how to say such words.”
My heart sank. I should have known that, that she needed to talk to him in private. I could arrange such a thing, and I hadn’t thought to. “Come,” I said. “I will find a way for you to be alone with him.”
She shook her head. “No. Not now—he’s right, he needs to take the silver to London. But he’ll come back, and I’ll tell him then.”
I nodded. I pulled back from her, and she sniffed. I pulled my knife out, and put it in her hand, pushing her fingers to hold it right. “Keep the knife Winchester gave you in the carriage. Hold it like this. Remember, any man will be surprised that you fight back at all, so just jab this wherever you can and scream yourself hoarse. All right?”
She nodded, handing my knife back to me. “I will.”
I tucked it back into its hiding spot.
“You don’t know—I can never thank you—” she started, her face crumpling again.
“Hush,” I said, smoothing her tears away. “You can’t cry, or Winchester will wonder what’s wrong.”
She nodded, drawing a ragged breath. “Are you going to return to him?” she asked. “Robin Hood?”
My blood thrilled, and I had to nod. “I will always return to him. I can deny it all I like,” I told her in a whisper, “but when someone holds your heart, it’s impossible to stay away.”
She gave me a weak smile. “I know this as well.”
I smiled back, wrapping her arm round mine. I drew her forward to join the others, and when we walked into the room, I found Winchester’s eyes on the door, restless and worried.
They met hers, and she nodded once, and he nodded back.
I wondered if this were what Rob and I looked like—this secret, quiet language. Love clear enough for everyone to see.
Essex and Bigod were looking overhard at the fire, and I reckoned they saw what I saw. Eleanor beamed.
“Margaret, you look frozen. There’s a seat close to the fire by Winchester,” Eleanor said. “You must take it.”
Winchester dropped his head and gestured for her to take it. She sat, and he sat beside her, and Eleanor smiled.
“Meddlesome woman,” I murmured to Eleanor as I sat beside her.
“Meddling is my very favorite thing, Marian,” she murmured back.