Problems (Roe)

[Isabella]

Isabella pulled open the heavy oak door to her room and paced into the corridor, closing it behind her. She had planned earlier to go and see Will Scarlett. She had come across his younger brother Luke in Nottingham not long ago. The lad had been convinced that Will had abandoned him for his new wife and son, but Isabella doubted his allegations were well-founded. Roe had agreed with her, and decided to find out from one of the outlaws where Will was living so she could find him and tell him about the situation with his brother.
But there was one thing stopping her from carrying out her plan: Roe. She had gone into the market the other day, only to find him with his new wife Thea Linnet. Her shock and anger had been unsurpassed, and in her fury, she had brusquely stormed away from the couple. She was still furious at Roe, and doubtless he was less than happy with her.
Still, Isabella needed to see Will. She knew that Roe was going to leave a message for Robin or Allan at the Tripp Inn, and hoped that he had received a reply. She knew where the outlaws and those who were in league with them left messages at the Tripp – she had done it often enough – and decided to go and check if there were any regarding Will’s whereabouts.
So, she left her room and set off down the corridor, on her way out of the castle.

[Roe]

It had been several days since the completion of his mission to Birmingham with Thea. It had concluded positively for her there, much to the disappointment to the noble who was trying to get control of her property. Roe had witnessed the destruction of the forged documents and had kept the ring as his only memento of the adventure. She had shown, if she was ever infatuated with him, that she had gotten over it. of course the only problem was, as he saw it, was that he had lost Isabella in the process.

She had invited him to stay for the festivities, but he had declined and straight off for the shire. He had spent the first night back in the old Scarlett house. He had no desire to 'happen' to run into Isabella in the castle. He decided that his best bet on his 2nd day back was to head for the Tripp, have several ales, and check the hiding place for any new messages from the nobles. He had decided on his trip back from Birmingham that he was simply destined to be alone. He was sitting in his normal spot, back against the wall, right next to the hiding spot, reading the message back, after his 3rd full ale and feeling its full effects, when he saw the door open suddenly. In swept the person he was least anxious to see, after Prince John, the Lady Isabella Thornton.

[Isabella]

It did not take Isabella long to arrive at The Tripp Inn. She had managed to sneak out of the castle and, hood up, strode through the streets of Nottingham until she came to the now familiar building. She pulled open the creaky door and swept in, heading straight for the secret hiding place. The inn was full of people as usual: drunks roaring with laughter around a table, gamblers cursing and cheering alternately at one corner of the room, a couple dancing uncoordinatedly and a rabble of men filling the whole building with their noise and bodies.
Isabella squeezed past them, trying not to draw much attention to herself. Several drunks crashed into her, but she pressed on, not bothering to apologise. Eventually, after turning down several unsavoury propositions, she had forced her way through the sweaty, beer-smelling crowd and reached the back of the inn. It was swathed in shadows, but at least there was less of a crush there. She could only see a few figures slumped around various tables, speechless and guarded.
She began to pick her way through them to the outlaws’ hiding place, but just before she reached it, she noticed someone sitting right next to where she wanted to be. From what she could make out, it was a man with his back against the wall, reading a letter. The certainty of who he was hit her, and for a second, she stood staring at him. Of course. It was Roe.
Isabella felt more inclined to turn and run than read any messages she had received, and more inclined to tell Roe exactly what she thought of him than either. But she steeled herself, knowing that she could not risk the hiding place or her involvement with the outlaws being discovered. Instead of doing something she might regret, she pulled up a chair and asked coldly, her voice full of anger:
“Any messages for me? Oh, how rude of me, I forgot to ask: how is your wife?”

[Roe]

Roe was not pleased to see Isabella, but upon reflection that it unlikely that she would fight through a crowd either to see him or to kill him. Therefore, he took another pull in his third tankard of ale as noted her somewhat surprising progress as sge moved across the outer room on soewhat of a zig-zag path across it. He was not sure if she had seen or noted him when she had first entered, but he could see by the grimace that adorned hir face as she eneered the inner room that she must have been about as happy to see him as he was to see her.

He knew if she could listen to reason for a moment she would be able to see and understand the complex operation that they had taken on Thea's behalf. he reminded himself, though, that Isabella was not one who was likely to be delayed long by self-reflection. He remembered, though, when they had last talked civilly they had talked about sending a message to the outlaws about Will's location. That may have been her original intent, to check the hiding place for a message from the outlaws. However, now, he surmised, that his presemnce may have overwhelmed any other thoughts on her part. Finally, she made it to his table, greeting him with:

“Any messages for me? Oh, how rude of me, I forgot to ask: how is your wife?”

The same as before, your ladyship, since I've never been married in my life .... you can check any offficial records in shire or with the Archbishop in London if you've a mind to .... which at t his point I have serious doubts about."

[Isabella]

Isabella blinked.
“You’ve never been married in your life,” she repeated frostily.
She could not believe that after what had happened, Roe could think for a second that she was going to believe him. He had introduced her to Thea Linnet – and had stated cheerfully at the time that she was his wife. He’d expected her to be gracious then, and he was expecting her to be trusting now. He anticipated the impossible.
“You tell me in the market that you’re married, and think I’m going to be happy about it. Now you tell me that you’re not married, and think I’m going to believe you.”
She gave a short, sarcastic sigh and leant back in her chair.
“And I thought you knew me well.”
Words could not express the utter anger and distaste that had been welling up inside her for him. How could she ever have trusted him? All the men in her life had caused her pain – first her father had disgraced her, then her brother betrayed her, her husband beat her, and now, she had been used by Roe. Men. She felt like she detested every one. What had she been thinking? She had made up her mind never to make the same mistake again. She stared furiously at Roe, that loathing building up in her chest.

[Roe]

Roe had assumed that her anger would overwhelm all of her other feelings and emotions. She had seen none of the signals that he had tried to send, her hate had grown all-consuming. He should have known by the lack of words that she had had for and with Thea that she would not blame her. She would blame him for leading Thea astray, just as she believed Roe had led her down a path, and deceived her.

“You’ve never been married in your life .... You tell me in the market that you’re married, and think I’m going to be happy about it. Now you tell me that you’re not married, and think I’m going to believe you .... And I thought you knew me well.”

Roe knew that he would never be able to reason her out of her opinions, not when she was in this state of mind. Abnd she was going to stay in this state about him until she had reasoned herself through it in her own way, in her own time. All-in-all then, this was going to take a long slog. He was just not up to it .... so the best way was going to be direct about it.

"Isabel, you are enough of a player of the political castle games to know that things are almost never the way they actually seem to be. That's right .... no matter what I said on that day .... I've never been married .... and I never really expect to. I have brought too much death and destruction into the lives of others to expect such a positive thing for myself. And yes .... I know you quite well. I know you so well that I won't even try and explain it, because it will just be a waste of time, on my part. But what I would expect is that you should communicate with the Lady Thea, now of Birmingham, to ask her, at least about this particular instance. Now, of course this will not let your mind rest about other possible marriages I may have had. Additionally, you might think about exactly when I would have had the opportunity or time for such a dalliance, and I would be glad to hear it, eh?"

[Isabella]

Isabella narrowed her eyes and set her mouth in a hard line, but said nothing. She could not decide whether or not speaking with Thea Linnet was a good idea. What if Roe had just said that to make her look a fool? But what if she could actually find out something more about this whole sorry affair? Roe did know her well; eventually, curiosity would get the better of her and she would give in. And he knew that she was not going to listen to him, not in the mood she was in at the moment. She had no quarrel with Thea; she could talk to her, although neither of them would particularly enjoy it. Isabella knew with all certainty that she was going to play right into his hands, even though the outcome concerned her. But she wasn’t going to let him know that. She kicked back her chair with more force than entirely necessary and strode towards the hiding place to see if she had any messages. Quickly, she found one with her name on, but she had no desire to read it there. Instead, she tucked it up one long sleeve, keeping one hand wrapped around it at all times. Wasting no time in speaking any more to Roe, she turned away and left, once again pushing her way through the mob of people until at last she reached the door and pushed it open. The chill of night was a welcome change from the stifling heat of the inn, and pausing only to take a deep intake of breath, Isabella began to march back towards the castle.