Anna's New Home

[Roe]

Her statement caused him to stop his work in mid-stroke, and look over at him suddenly. "I am so sorry .... its sad to say that i have heard that life has been particularly hard here since the King has been gone. I fought for many years in the Crusades. Some deaths you got used to, some were more difficult. Family, though, is always hard to take, and difficult to justify to ourselves."

"My old master and his wife .... they had at least one son .... are obviously gone and probably dead too I suppose. However, the building is in fair shape, so it hasn't been abandoned too long, probably a year or so as well. Well ..... of course the offer is one that will stand, as long as you would find it necessary." He quickly averted his eyes and started re-hanging the front door. He didn't want here looking too intently into his eyes and see his concern. It might make her feel a bit uncomfortable, and he wanted her to feel at ease, since he assume that she might be quite alone. "And your father, is he close by?"

[Annabella Scarlett]

"He is in Scarborough...but, we don't really get along, so I won't miss him.."
She sat on the grass of her small lawn, enjoying the afternoon sun.
"Who was your old master..? If you don't mind my asking...?"

[Roe]

As Roe struggled with door, which was more awkward than heavy, he thought, that was a sad thing. "That's a real pity that you don't get on with your father. I've found in observing others that father-child bonds are either strong or non-existent. There's generally little in-between." Roe finished putting the pins in the door and tested it see how freely it swung, before he started working on the latch. "Now .... in my case .... I never knew my father. They say he was a noble ... but who knows ... all I know is that I'm a carpenter now."

"My old master had some family up that way I think. Well actually .... he wasn't that old ..... he wasn't much more than 10 years older than me." She wanted to know who his master had been. He wondered to himself if that was revealing to much about himself and his past. Nobody here had an inkling of who he had been. But, it was so long ago .... he doubted whether Anna would be likely to know of him at all, especially since she had just arrived.

"No, No, I don't mind at all ....Dan ..... Dan Scarlett was his name. He was a good master ..... was willing to teach me all he knew. I was apprenticed to him from the age of 12 by the Earl, until I left for the Crusades at 17. I've been gone 15 years, though. It was a bit much to expect that he would still be here, or that Locksley would be just as I left it, eh?"

[Annabella Scarlett]

"Dan Scarlett?"
She laughed softly, almost in disbelief. What were the chances of this ever happening?
"He was my uncle.."

[Roe]

No, it was not possible. Roe knew that his mouth had to be hanging open, but quickly it broke into a grin, which given Roe's past life experiece did not happen all that often. "So you are Anna of Scarborough. I think you born not elong before I left. I think that Jane went to help your mother through the birthing process, if I remember right."

"This is just too hard to believe. I imagine, then, you had a better opinin of Dan than his brother. Well .... this is Dan's old place and shop. You don't know how sad I am that they were forced to abandon it, and I expect if I ever find out exactly what happened I'll probably just get angry. Of course, though, you are welcome anytime, since you are family, and I 'll always think of it as Dan's house. I'm trying to rebuild it ... put it back into shape so it can be used as a carpenter's shop again. When I left they just had the one boy, Will. Did they have any other children?"

Roe wondered if he had said too much. She now knew that he had a relationship with the Scarletts, but she really didn't know who he was or what he was. It would be curious to see what her opinion was of him now, and what she thought, in general. As far as he knew, she was the only remaining Scarlett, and he looked on it not only as his duty to rebuild what had been theirs, but as a Crusader, to protect her if she needed protection.

[Annabella Scarlett]

"Yes, I am Anna of Scarborough."
She laughed softly.
"They had a second son, Luke, a year after I was born, both boys are outlaws now though.."
A sad smile flickered across her face as she thought of her cousins.

[Roe]

Roe was pleased at the news that they had had a second son, but not pleased at all at the news that followed. He had to admit, though, that he found Anna's laugh to be quite appealing. Telling himself to snap out of it, Roe wanted more information than that.

"So .... is that what you want to be called ..... Anna of Scarborough?," he laughed. "Does that mean that the boys turned out badly, or did someone make them into outlaws? I wonder what they will think of me taking over their old homestead?," he wondered as he scratched his chin.

[Annabella Scarlett]

"Just Anna is fine..."
She smiled brightly once again, shaking her head slightly
"The boys stole flour, they had no other way of getting food... the Sheriff caught them and tried to hang them.. Robin Hood saved them, and uncle Dan and Luke came to live with us..."

[Roe]

Roe decided to forego any pretense that he was still working. He was looking at it as an extended break. With the remark back and her bright smile Roe could not help but smile back, no matter how hard he tried not to. So his next questions and comments came wth him looking down at the ground, trying to limit his eye contact.

"The Sheriff .... surely that can't be Sir Edward of Knighton .... could it? That certainly doesn't sound like him. And Robin? The only Robin I ever knew was going to be heir to Huntington. Is that what's been happening here .... the population being slowly starved to death for lack of food?" This time he had no problem in sitting up and looking her full in the face, awaiting some answers. "Forgive me, Anna, you haven't even been here ..... you might not know the answers to some of these questions .... my apologies."

[Annabella Scarlett]

"I do not know when it happened, but Sir Edward was displaced by a man named Vaysey. Luke told me of Robin, he was Lord of Locksley, but Sir Guy of Gisborne took over his lands while Robin fought in the Holy Lands..."
She sighed softly, her eyes scanning him, watching his every movement carefully.

[Roe]

Roe nodded his head slowly at the various things that she told him. "That makes more sense at least. I had heard as I travelled back across Europe that Prince John and many of those who were ruling while King Richard was gone were taking certain 'liberties.' I had no idea that it had gone this far ... That sounds like Robin, going off to war, and fighting for his people's liberties and welfare. The Scarletts were lucky, I think, that he managed to save them. I doubt if he remembers me though, its been too long."

He noticed that she was still watching him quite carefully. It was as if she wasn't sure whether she should completely trust him or not. If she was alone right now he could understand her being quite careful and wary. "I don't have much to eat if you are hungry, but I do have some soup that I made earlier in what's acting as a kitchen in the back of the cottage. Its you decision, but I just wanted to give you the option," and he stood there waiting for her decision, not really expecting her to say yes.

[Annabella Scarlett]

"I am fine, thank you.."
She smiled politely, feeling rather awkward about his offer. It was in her nature to be wary of people for a long while after she had met them.

[Roe]

He could tell by the expression in her eyes and in the tone of her response that she was indeed quite wary of him. As she should be, he thought to himself. "Often after a long day, such as a moving day, people don't have much of an appetite, so I quite understand. However, I had to at least make the offer, out of the most minimal level of hospitality. As a Scarlett, you will always be welcome here."

Roe had made quite a bit of progress on this day, even with all of his conversation with Anna. At least it made the time pass much more pleasantly. Given what he had completed he began to map out what his next projects would be. Some areas in the roof would have to be repaired, and he would try to repair as many pieces of the rotting furniture as he could, while building some new pieces, especially tables and chairs. "Well, you are most welcome to stay and watch me work the roof. I"ll be getting to some furniture work soon. Are you sure that there isn't some pieces of furniture that you might want some work done on or created?"

[Annabella Scarlett]

"Are you sure I am not distracting you... I would hate to delay your work at all.."
She looked away for a minute or so, her gaze drifting around the villagers, all of whom still seemed interested in her sudden arrival in the village.

[Roe]

Roe found her last comment to somewhat amusing. "There are bad distractions and there are good distractions," he laughed. "You definitely fall into the good category. If you had that negative of an effect I would just ignore you and go about my work. I must admit, though, you are a difficult person to ignore. I would understand, though, if there were other things or people you wanted to turn your attention to."