Back In The Castle (Thea and Open)

[Roe]

Ah, my dear Liam, thought Rober', there is telling the truth and then telling the whole truth, now isn't there. "Sir Liam, I have no doubt that you are telling me 'the truth', and I have no doubt that Richard has sent you on the mission that you said he has. However, I would also say that Richrad has his own agenda, and other people might have another agenda. You see, I am that rare individual, who can seem to be just an ordinary rural knight, while having experience of the royal circles in London, Paris, Madrid, and yes, Jerusalem. I have my own knowledge of the political intrigues of courtiers," he said with the slightest, but slyest of smiles. "Why, my dear Sir Liam, what has been the nature and subject of these rumors. After all what could be going on in this insignificant shire that could have an effect on the rest of England."

Roe nearly burst out laughing at this half-hearted attempt at humbleness and humility. Flamboyance was one of this nobleman's greatest characteristics. He was definitely not one who was shy of singing his own praises. "Methinks, Sir Knight, that you protesteth a bit too much. You yoyrself have referred to yourself as an ambitious man, who respects those others who have ambitions as well. What greater ambition in England could be the ambition to be king?"

Sir Rober watched Liam mull these many things over in his mind. He coud see that those gears in his mind were always working, probably trying to figure different routes to the ultimate prize iun his mind, whatever that was. He thought it appeared that Liam had adjusted to the fact that he was going to have to go to Thea for additional information. It was probably because he was working over several scenarios in his mind that it took him some moments for what Roe had indicated to sink in.

"Noble? Where from ..... "

"Ah ..... Sir Liam .... I wouldn't want to make things to easy for you. It is only those thiongs that we struggle the most for that we truly appreciate. Yes .... i was a noble, an English one as well .... for the rest you can gather some information from Thea, some by using that sharp brain of yours, some from Lady Thornton .... you have made her acquaintance .... and perhaps Robin Hood .... have you heard of him?," he asked, smiling slyly once more.

[Liam Bronte]

"And you?" he asked coolly. "Do you have your own agenda and where on earth does Thea fit into it?" Liam shrugged, not impressed by the knight anymore. "I must say, your disguise must be working, because I never thought of you as more than a simple knight upon our meeting."
Bronte narrowed his eyes at the knight, realizing that the longer he stood here talking with him, the more he seemed to have is own agenda. Maybe he should just do everyone a favor and escort him to London and take of him. Thea would be relieved and somehow, he suspected Isabella would be relieve by Rober's absence.
"I am not naive enough to trust a man I met mere moments ago. You just spoke of person agendas, how am I to know that you aren't one of the man I've come to put an end to?" He just shrugged at Rober, looking past him to the front gates.
"Where does your ambition take you? And if it seems like such a great undertaking, why aren't you clawing for your place on the throne?"
He ignored the rather sarcastic comment about his sharp mind and instead rolled his eyes. "One cannot set foot in the country without hearing his name. Always spoke - whispered - with reverence." There was no point in telling Rober he fought alongside the man in the Holy Lands since he began to feel more and more than the knight was one not to be trusted. What with all the sly smiles he was getting, Liam was growing impatient with him.

[Roe]

Roe could easily tell that Liam was becoming perturbed. It seemed that Liam had the expectations that his plans were the only ones that could ever succeed, and that when they didn't it threw him off his game a bit, something, Roe thought, that he probably shared with Thea. This was one, Roe thought, that obviously liked to lay out fairly complicated plans, who actually expected them to work out.

Roe chuckled at Liam's concern for his motive and agenda. "I think that its far more likely to get sucked into what ever web-like plans that Thea has developed than in any of mine. The point of fact is that I had had enough of conquests and senseless killing in the Holy Land. I had originally planned to settle back into my old village of Locksley as a carpenter and not a sword or bow-wielding knight."

"I had planned planned to take up my learned trade of carpentry. Before I got back I had no idea how much the Prince and the Sheriff had screwed the country up. However, conflict does present opportunities for those on both sides. There's no telling how much an enterprising individual can accomplish, don't you think, Sir Liam? Ah .... I will take that as a compliment, my good Sir. I've had to play many different roles in life, as I expect you have had to as well ..... all for the common good of course," he smiled.

Once again Roe could see that Sir Liam was considering something deeply, and he had a suspicion that he might be the subject of that consideration. Roe knew that a person, as apparently close to the king as Sir Liam, even though he was quite young, might be capable of anything, good or bad. While it was true that Roe had had experience with dealing harshly with such types in the past, he preferred to avoid it, especially if he was to continue to do Robin much good in the castle.

"Likewise,Sir Liam, I am not apt to trust one who I have just run across, especially one who has such an open-ended agenda, for a monarchy that I have no strong feelings either way for its continuation or survival. I just am sure that England will have a worse fate if Prince John manages to ascend the throne at the demise of his bother, if such a thing were come to pass. Well then .... I think a person in my position here .... would have had ample opportunity to do away with the Prince while shunting the responsibility off on to one of the local warring parties. However, can you take the chance that I'm not?," he asked with a steady gaze.

"My ambition? Perhaps ..... just perhaps ..... I understand I would not waste myself and my abilities on such a pursuit. Rather .... I would focus myself on preventing what self-delusional types there are that actually believe they could replace Richard as monarch. Indeed, they might get get into their heads that they can oppress the people as Prince John has done, which would be a grave error, I assure you," as he gave Sir Liam another steely gaze.

[Liam Bronte]

"Before I got back I had no idea how much the Prince and the Sheriff had screwed the country up." Roe said and Liam rolled his eyes.
"Which is precisely why I am here. And no, as a matter of fact I can't take the chance that you're not. In fact, given what you've just said, you seem like more of a threat to King Richard than I expected. Dear God man, no political standing, from what I gather, no real home, no real plans. What do you stand for?" Liam glared at the man before him, his gaze narrowing.
"Why would you need to assure me sir? I've watched Prince John, I know his errors, don't assume I don't." A frustration with the man flamed inside of Bronte and while he managed to keep his fists down and weapons stowed, he took a step towards Rober.
"Maybe I should ship you off to London now and be done with it. Easy enough, I'm sure Richard won't mind the life of another useless French knight. Perhaps then you can finally have an opinion of your King." Liam spat sarcastically, his steel eyes cold.

[Roe]

Roe looked into the ambitious young knight's eyes with a steady glare. He had no idea whether his stated charge and mission from King Richard was based on reality, or if it was one of the biggest con jobs ever attempted. "Let's just assume that at least most of your story is accurate. I would guess, given your age and experience, that you weren't allowed to throw much authority around in the Holy Land, at least in the open. I would guess a lot of what you did revolved around the manipulation of others, the king included. I would also surmise that coming back to England you have viewed as an opportunity to more directly exercise power, under the guise of authority from King Richard."

"I really can't be bothered with what chances you are willing to take or not take with me. I have not survived what I have gone through, both here and in the Holy Land on the battlefield and off, to just surrender myself to a person such as yourself. In fact, I think you have overextended yourself a bit. What power base you may have is in London,but not Nottingham. The only power you have here is the power that you carry on your person. While I am in charge of security here at the castle, only answerable to Sir Guy and the Sheriff. As far as anybody else is concerned you are just a peasant."

"What do I stand for? You attempt to insult me as being just another meaningless french knight, but I assure you I am much more than that. I was born an English noble, so what I care for is England and her people, and whichever monarch is best for her. And definitely not for any who choose to use such struggles to promote their own ambitions. Sargeant of the guards!," he motioned to the leader of a platoon of men at the far end of the hall.

"Escort this man to a cell in the dungeons. He claims to be a knight going under the name of ir Liam, but as yet as not proven the claim. He may have some false documentation with the forged signature of King Richard on his person. Search him and seize that and any similar documentation. Beware, he may threaten you or even attempt to bribe you. Anyone who assists him is likely to end upon the block. His loyalty to the crown is open to question. I will attend in the dungeons to direct his interragation before we take the matter to Sir Guy or the Sheriff. Now .... to your duty." Roe had not yet decided whether he would actually question him, or use this as an opportunity to escape back to Sherwood and warn Robin of these rapidly changing developments.

[Liam Bronte]

"You say you care for England and her people, yet you're throwing me into the dungeons?! The person sent to eliminate the one person who can bring the whole of England down? You'd so willingly seal the fate of your country?" Liam yelled, glaring daggers at the knight. He laughed coldly when Rober called his sergeant forth and gave him instructions to escort Liam to the dungeons. Bronte shook of the guard's grip and walked himself down. Fine, let Rober have his way this time. But this war was just getting started.

[Roe]

Sir Rober' returned the stare of Sir Liam with equal fire. This pup was so similar to Thea in attitude. 'I want this and I want it now.' Well, Will had long experience with such as he. The real question was how much power he really did have. At least Thea's ambition was to have someone to love her and not to take over a whole kingdom and have herself installed as queen. This one .... he would suspect of such ambitions.

"Listen here you little cur. I don't know if you've received some sort of special mission from the LionHeart. Even if you had receieved such authority, you don't walk in to Nottingham castle and threaten to have the head of security trundled off to the tower in London. That's like putting up a red flag for Prince John, since the Sheriff or Sir Guy would immediately run to him and his minions with the news. You try and see what the situation is on the ground, who is likely to be allies and who not, and maybe even co-opt people, instead of making enemies for yourself and the King. Won't Richard be so impressed with your discreet activities so far?"

"Take him away ... his cause if true will be better off anyway the more people we keep away from him. And if I would find evidence that you are hear for yourself .... to eliminate both Richard and John, your head with fall in the dungeons before the sun sets. Or even better, I'll turn you over to Robin and the outlaws and see what they make of you. So, why don't you go below and stew and think about how you've screwed things up for yourself so far, eh"

[Isabella]

As wretched as she was feeling about her situation with Bronte, Isabella still found some enjoyment when she heard Thea was in considerable distress. She remained in the main hall, taking up a position near the door so that she could hear what Roe, Thea and Bronte were saying without being seen by them. Roe did himself proud with the way he handled Thea, and Isabella couldn’t help but smirk in satisfaction of her discomfort. She’d finally driven Roe mad, though he seemed to be the last person she’d done it to, and maybe the only one she’d listen to. Isabella hoped that the girl would take some notice of what he said, because it was darn well right. It was having an effect on her, even if she didn’t want to show it, and Isabella felt pleased that the message was finally getting through to her.
Then Thea mentioned her and her blood froze. Yes, she knew the girl hated her, she didn’t care much anymore, but bringing her up in front of Bronte was even more detrimental than it was meant to be. Now he knew she was something to do with what happened with Thea and Roe, and that she’d been lying to him. He must really be starting to loathe her now, and she couldn’t really blame him. Deceit was not a good way to keep friends. She was starting to regret what she’d said to him.
Thea was eventually subdued, a feat that she would not before had deemed possible. Isabella decided to congratulate Roe on it in future, before Bronte got in there first. She listened to their conversation with interest, seeing it was just like that between Roe and Fitzroy, only in reverse. They’d got off on the wrong foot but soon become the height of politeness… now, Bronte started off friendly and descended into hostility with remarkable speed. It was clear that neither of them trusted the other, and Roe was evidently very suspicious of him, even suggesting that he was the one trying to seize the throne. But why would Bronte want to be King? He wasn’t of royal blood, and besides, he was here to look for the plotter. It didn’t make any sense. Isabella knew Roe had his own judgement to make decisions with, but she didn’t think this was the best one. Bronte was dangerous for everyone, and treating him like this would only further his reasons to be dangerous. Then came the final deliverance – Roe sentenced him to be sent to the dungeons.
Ooh, Isabella thought, wincing as he gave the order, Bronte’s really not going to like that.
She was right. He didn’t run, but he made his views very clear, and Isabella was very glad she wasn’t standing in Roe’s boots right now. He was hated by both Thea and Bronte, but then again, so was she… wouldn’t those two make a deadly alliance? She waited for the echoing footsteps of Bronte and the guards to die away before poking her head around the door.
“You started off well, I must say, but it did end quite messily,” she reported, “I’d give it five out of ten, but considering how well you handled Thea and how imposing you are when you’re angry, I’ll say seven.”

[Roe]

Roe knew that it was unwise to take on so many new enemies at the same time. He definitely thought that both Thea and Bronte were cut from the same cloth. Must be something about Birmingham, he thought to himself. They were both highly ambitious, there was no doubt. She was ambitious for tangible things, though, he thought, and for that she was likable if not lovable. She wanted to be loved, and in that, have the good life. Bronte he had seen many times in many different places... not the knight himself .... but others like him. They were driven by the search for power, first for others and then for themselves. Somepower, oreven reaching their initial personal goals, was never enough.

They always wanted more ... he could see it in his eyes. He had to be stopped before he had enough power todoreal damage,at least here in Nottingham. Roe knew Thea well enough now, enough so gthat he knew how a frontal attack would and should take place. With her,shockand awe, would always be effective, mainly because she was always used to getting her way all of the time. So, just saying no could throw her off stride enough to give the attacker the advantage. Liam, on the other hand, was a political beast first and foremost. It was best to ingratiate him first, and then move solidly against him, especially when you determined what he was really after. It was easy to see that he was an advanced con artist, at least someone who was used to manipulating people in a very direct way.

It was clear to Roe that he would have to move against Liam, and quickly. He saw that he was in danger in being replaced by the youngster and sent off somewhere unknown to some unknown but final fate. Roe had best better men than this Bronte, so he would never receive any cooperation from him. Sir Bronte made it quite clear to Roe what he would be doing and who he would be going after Sir Rober' reacted quickly. However, it was his next moves that were in question. Would he go down and interrogate the prisoner, hoping that Sir Liam had not turned any of the guards. Or would he use the opportunity to fee back to Sherwood,with his cover blown?

And where exactly was Isabella now, his 'bella. What role was she playing in all of this, and where would she stand. And then suddenly fromround a corner, she appeared, "You started off well, I must say, but it did end quite messily .... I’d give it five out of ten, but considering how well you handled Thea and how imposing you are when you’re angry, I’ll say seven.” Roe was not only surprised to see her, but very glad .... he had missed her. "Thanks for at least some of the good marks, I'll try to do better next time. The real question now is whether I take him on in questioning, then let him go, or run back to SHerwood with the intelligence I've gathered, or do nothing.? I still opt for the first selection. What would you suggest, milady, "he said with the broad smile that he delivered once more.

[Isabella]

Isabella couldn’t help but return Roe’s smile. She’d not been with him much recently, for obvious reasons, and she’d missed his company. Bronte had been an interesting case when she first met him, but her old friend was tenfold preferable. She came out from behind the door and walked down the corridor towards him, considering his options: either to question Bronte and let him go, inform Robin of what had been occurring, or to do nothing at all.
They could dismiss the latter at once – freezing now would be suicidal. But the other two… they would be the harder ones to choose between.
“Do you really think Bronte could be the one trying to seize the throne?” she asked, “I’m no judge, I’ve only just met him, I know, but it’s hard to see how he could become King. He’s not of royal blood, and there are more likely suspects here in Nottingham. What of Morgan Fitzroy? He is Henry Curtmantle’s son, after all.”
She stopped just as she reached Roe and folded her arms, thinking.
“If you go to Robin now, your cover’s blown,” she stated.
If Roe could no longer live in the castle, then everything changed. As Isabella thought through the consequences, the more it seemed like everything was going horribly wrong.
“You would be recognised as an outlaw,” she said, her tone serious, “You’d have to live in Sherwood with the others. Unless you move on, that is.”
There was no escaping the fact that if Roe was a fugitive from the law in Nottingham, leaving the area was a choice, but Isabella wished she hadn’t mentioned it. She didn’t want to lose him again, and she picked at the hem of her sleeve, wanting to tell him so. Why was it that every time she had to say something important, it was this difficult?

[Roe]

Roe was glad to see Isabella once more. She was like a ray of sunshime after having to deal with Thea and Bronte. That's not to say that Bella didn't not have her own complicating aspects, or her own version of ambition that she was pursuing, but Roe trusted her motives, at least in how they affected and dealt with him. He did wonder if she had had any contact with Bronte, being the official greeter at the castle, and wondered what intelligence that she could provide. He also wondered if she was getting on with Thea any better now. However, his main concern was whether she had any advice over what he should do now, with reference to Sir Liam.

At least initially she seemed to have more questions than answers. ["Sir Liam almost drips with ambition. You can feel it seeping from his pores,as well as how indignant he is when he is challenged. Either he is not used to being challenged or he thinks he should be above it. I have seen stranger things. There havebeeen changeover from one royal house to another. However, I think that would require the death of Richard and either the death or discrediting of Peince John, and relatives who are too close to Richard in an ancestral sense,llike Fitzroy. I don't sense the ambition in Fitzroy .... I just sense that he wants to be left alone."

Once they had dealt with whether Bronte might have royal ambitions, Isabella was able to go down through the listing of options of what he could do, as well as their pros and cons. He wanted her read on his situation and his options to see if they were pretty much how he looked at them. "Yes .... I've understood that and that I might have to blow my cover. That was always a given. I just wanted to make sure it was for a good reason if I did it."

He had recognized that he would go back to that as well. "I've recognized that eventuality for some time. In some ways that would be easier. I wouldn't have to play-act or hide my true intentions. I wouldn't move on unless Robin told me that I had to. But things would change here for you greatly, I expect. Ithinkthat this is where you belong, not in the Forest. But I could not bring myself to abandon you here, with only your brother for support, untrustworthy as he is. You have been abandoned too many times by t oo many people. I'm afraid I care about you too much and our history runs too deep for me to do that to you. Chances are that it means I'll be arrested. You must do what you can, even if it means rejecting that you know me at all. Your freedom might be essential to my survival, since you may be able to get word to Robin so that they can rescue me. But I won't willingly leave you .... not this time."

[Isabella]

Isabella agreed to some extent with Roe’s assessment of Bronte; she could see that he was ambitious, but, unlike him, had been able to see some other aspects to his character. Once she’d spoken to him for a while, he seemed to open up a bit more to her, saying how the Crusades had changed him. She’d thought there was something more to him than just another arrogant noble, and even though she was definitely out of his favour now, she did want to put things to rights between them.
She could see what Roe meant about Fitzroy; he had appeared to her simply to be looking for a quiet life as a farmer in Clun. Still, he was a more likely suspect, regardless of his character, and you never could be too careful when it came to politics.
“Point taken,” she said when Roe had gone through his reasons.
Now they came to the real problem – what to do next. Roe’s situation was far from stable and they were both in danger of being recognised as consorting with outlaws. She nodded when he talked about blowing his cover – of course, it was always a risk, and would eventually happen, but the real problem was deciding when it was necessary.
He was right about living with Robin and the rest of the outlaws; he would be safer, as their camp was still unknown to the authorities, and it would be easier than living as a spy within the castle. But she agreed that she couldn’t live with them in the forest – she would be far more useful to the outlaws here, and she was safe – as safe as she could hope to be, which was enough. Though she didn’t trust Guy’s protection, she reserved living with the outlaws as a last resort.
Isabella shook her head slowly at what Roe said next – that he couldn’t leave her and go to the forest, that she had been abandoned too many times. It made what she had to tell him even harder. She wished he could stay, but it was so dangerous. If he lived with the outlaws, she would see him even less than she did now, but if he was arrested, he could be executed, and then she would never see him again.
“I don’t want to make this difficult for you,” she sighed, “I won’t lie – I don’t want you to leave. But if you stay, sooner or later, you’ll be arrested. Yes, I would do everything in my power to free you, and so would the outlaws, but what if we can’t? You’d face the hangman’s noose. Are you really willing to risk your life so readily?”

[Roe]

As Roe when down the list of possible suspects, it did not appear to him that she disagreed markedly with his assessment.All he could he really do was judge by her body language to the various people and their characteristics. She had always held things pretty close to the vest, only saying the minimum about the subjects that was required. He got the feeling, although he couldn't put his finger on it, that she had a different opinion of Sir Liam, than the extremely dark one that he had currently.

As much of an unusual lack of suspicion that she had of Bronte, Roe sensed that she didn't think suspicion could be taken away from Fitzroy, even though he had not demonstrated any of the prerequisite ambition that such a reach for the throne might entail.

She did seem to agree, though, that most of the points that he had tried to make did make logical sense. He waited, now, to hear if she would have any direct advice or counsel as to what he should do next. He had a suspicion that she would not have a specific course of options for him to take, but she would have no trouble in telling him what not to do. He had never had the idea that she would ever seek protection in Sherwood Forest. She did seem to acknowledge, through the nodding of her hut, that she understood the danger of being discovered.

Roe seemed to have his feeling confirmed that she would not seek protection in the Forest, whether it be by Robin or someone else. Roe thought she would go stir-crazy in the midst of all of those outlaws in the middle of a hostile physical environment. Roe wondered how much of a protector that Sir Guy would end up being for his Sister. He had a feeling that Guy would not pass that test.

His final suggestions, though, were what it seemed that she took the greatest opposition to. He sensed that there was something that she wished to tell him, but it was if it was something that she didn't really know how to say. It was obvious by her words that she wanted to stay where she was and not head to the Forest. She wanted him to stay, but she felt that it was way too dangerous for him to stay, and that it was not wise for him to pre-occupy himself with her at his expense.

“I don’t want to make this difficult for you .... I won’t lie – I don’t want you to leave. But if you stay, sooner or later, you’ll be arrested. Yes, I would do everything in my power to free you, and so would the outlaws, but what if we can’t? You’d face the hangman’s noose. Are you really willing to risk your life so readily?”

"I am not here for my own purposes. I'm here to serve Robin and the cause for which all of us fights. Where do I have the potential to do the most good. I won't leave until I'm told to, by my leader. Look .... I've risked my life readily almost every day since I've turned 17 and many of the days before. I won't leave you here alone and I won't abandon the man or the cause that sent me here. if I'm arrested so be it .... if I die its the way it was meant to be. I have to be satisfied that I've done all I can for my comrades and my friends. So, do you want to go visit Sir Liam before I have a go at him?"

[Isabella]

Isabella could see that on this point, Roe was being stubborn – almost as stubborn as herself. It should annoy her, but she did understand his reasons. His ties with the outlaws and their cause were too strong for him to want to leave his post at the castle, regardless of the consequences for himself. That was the thing with him – he was always putting others first, and though that was a virtue that precious few people possessed, if something went wrong, he’d be the one who suffered. But he knew that, and it was a path he’d set himself on a long time ago. It would take another lifetime more to change that, and Isabella didn’t want to alter him. It wasn’t often she gave in, but she’d told him what she thought, and it was for him to make up his mind. Maybe she just had to let some things go, and trust it would all work itself out. Nonetheless, it wasn’t the way she was used to living, and she didn’t like it.
“Alright,” she shrugged, “It’s your choice to make, not mine.”
When Roe mentioned Bronte, she pulled a face.
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” she asked.
She stopped, remembering the turn of events. Roe had left the main hall and gone to Thea’s room when she and the knight were exchanging a few words of a particular nature. Not a pleasant one. She’d assumed he had heard what they’d been saying, but considering what a commotion Thea was making, he probably hadn’t. Bronte had spoken intensely, but quietly.
“Oh,” Isabella said, “Did you not see what happened back then?”
She winced, realising that she was going to have to recount the sorry affair.
“Sir Liam and I have met before,” she explained, “It wasn’t an official greeting; he came here unexpectedly. I thought he was nothing more than the usual ravens dressed in peacocks’ feathers at first, but there did seem to be something else to him. I don’t trust him, but I think he may be a good man. And though we went outside, there was no picnicking involved, you’ll be glad to hear.”
“Anyway, whilst you were off having a fun time chasing and tormenting innocent young Thea,” she continued, with the necessary quantity of sarcasm, “I asked him what was going on. I thought he was onto me. Thea had mentioned me, and he knew I was involved in some way with your and Thea’s little disagreement. I suppose I lost it. He said that your argument was about something completely over his head, something about leading unsuspecting women on, though he couldn’t see what that had to do with you. And I replied that that particular comment might have been directed at him.”
Here she grimaced with the expected amount of mortification.
“It didn’t go down too well,” she added, cutting a long story short.

[Roe]

Roe could see the doubt etched in Isabella's face over what he had just told her. She probably thought he was being unreasonable and illogical. To him, though, at this time, principles were principal. He had few other things left to fall back on. Besides, Robin might be planning an operation that was depending on Roe to be there to assist or to help provide a diversion. He had basically committed to Robin, and the rest of the gang, that he would not pull out unless he was directed to so. Laughingly they had committed to coming to rescue him if needs must. He half-expected her to move from the nasty look to an enumerated list of the reasons why he should go, to a violent argument if he refused to relent. He was unsure if it was a willingnesss to let him make his own decision, or a realization that it would be a waste of time and energy, for the argument never really came.

Now, that didn't mean she was happy, because he could tell she was not. When she agreed to let him do what he wanted, verbally, at last, he didn't know whether he should believe her or not. Finally, he reasoned,it didn't really matter, since he was going to follow his own path anyway. He noticed her complete change of expression, though, with the mention of Sir Liam's name. There was some relationship, good or bad, or good and bad, Roe became convinced. However, it was unclear to him whether she objected to his opinion of Bronte or merely his jailing of him.

Roe listened to Isabella's description of her contacts with Bronte. Her opinion of him made no sense to Roe. How is it possible to not trust someone, but still think they might be good. Roe suspected that there might be an emotional linkage there somewhere. However, he could see how Bronte could charm one if they weren't careful. After he listened to her story to its sudden conclusion, he said "I see that neither one of us will necessarily be at the top of his list.

He was basically threatening to have me taken to the Tower of London for my unwillingness to swear allegiance to Richard, and that that showed I might have designs on the throne myself. I saw that he was angling on me being a convenient scapegoat. So I felt that the risk of jailing an over-reaching toad was less than what he could do, at least in the immediate future. I think, before I work the young nobleman over, though,that it might be good to get Robin involved."