Page 7 of Rogue of the Greenwood
Finally, the older man found his voice. “Because you are dead, sir!”
Now it was Robert’s turn to stammer for words. “Er, what’s that? I’mdead?”
“You are, sir! For two months, or more! We just took the wreath down last week, as a matter of fact.”
“But as you see, Balford, I am not dead.”
“It appears that way, sir. But your whole regiment was… the war, and all… we got the news of it and Mr. Gisborn told us that… well, we’ve all grieved you dreadfully.”
“Ah, so that’s what happened.” Robert sighed.
Yes, their regiment was wiped out, almost to the man. What no one at home knew, of course, was that Robert and his companions had not been with their regiment for that battle. They had actually been recruited for something much more dangerous… and secret. While the official word was that they had been soldiers, in truth they had been spies. Not the most glorious or noble thing to be, but Wellington had needed them and they’d stepped up for the sake of the greater good.
Living with the guilt of surviving the battle that killed so many good men had not been easy. The cold knot of dread in his gut and the wave of sickness he felt in his chest told him it was not getting any easier. Robert would have to live his whole life carrying that guilt. He had hoped to ignore it a while longer, not dredge it up on his very doorstep.
“Yes, we lost most of the regiment,” he said quietly. “But I survived, with my friends. And now we’ve come home.”
Balford smiled. “And I’m so glad to see you, sir. Everyone will be, but…”
“But?”
“It’ll come as a shock, and Mr. Gisborn will… well, you should have sent word that you were coming back here.”
“I did send word,” Robert assured him, confused. “And Gisborn replied. Yes, I sent a letter before I even sailed from the Continent and received his reply there. I sent another the day we departed so he would know when to expect me. Did he truly not tell you that I was alive?”
Balford frowned. “No. He did not. I don’t know… well, perhaps I’m speaking out of turn, sir, but…”
“What is it?”
“I’m not privy to things of business, sir, but it seems to me that Mr. Gisborn expected to inherit Greenwood Manor. He might not be very happy to have you back.”
“Inherit it? Ridiculous, he is not my heir or anypart of my family.” Robert was more than perplexed. “Never mind that I am not dead yet, but he’s nothing more than my steward. How could he possibly think to inherit?”
Balford shrugged. “I’m sorry, sir, but I cannot know what he has planned, other than I’ve heard whispers of a mortgage. Could he perhaps hold the mortgage on your estate?”
“There’s no mortgage on the manor. What in blazes are you talking about, Balford?”
“I know nothing more, sir. Things have been… different since you’ve been gone. All I can tell you is that everyone here believes you are dead, and Mr. Gisborn is our master now.”
“Preposterous. Where is the man? I’ll have words with him!”
“He’s out, sir. Gone riding with Miss Maidland.”
“Miss Maidland? Marianne Maidland?”
“Yes sir. They ride out together very often.”
“But she’s been gone for years now, gone to London and probably married to whatever mutton-headed dandy would be fool enough to have her.”
“No, sir. She’s come back. She lives with her uncle, Mr. St. John. He’s the magistrate now.”
Robert bristled at the man’s name. He clenched his fists when Balford announced the man’s position.Magistrate St. John; just as it had been years ago, when another St. John nearly ruined the Locksley family and sent Grandfather to gaol. So Marianne’s blustering uncle had taken his father’s place, had he? No wonder everything was upside-down.
“I see, Balford,” Robert said, although he really was only beginning to. “Clearly there are some things that ought to be sorted out. Perhaps I could betteraccomplish that if my trusted steward was unaware of my return. Do you suppose you could manage to keep my secret for a while, until at least I know what I am dealing with?”
“But sir… where will you go?”
Robert thought about that for a moment. “What about my father’s old hunting box? Has Gisborn been using that?”
