She is my sister, and therefore one half of me

[Robin Of The Woods]

The fighting weighted on his soul more then Robert cared to admit. The sail home; the ride to his father's country estate; the walk to his bed in the dead of night. Every step closer only made it all seem further away. He'd have given everything to just roll into his bed and not escape it until a week of nights had passed. Perhaps even with a woman tucked in beside him; one that looked and smelled of England rather then war.

Instead he awoke a servant; made them fetch a bath; and then rolled into bed. It was just an hour or two before Dawn would come; and he knew he would need the rest. For the moment his mother or sister learned he was here; they would come awake him. Bloody hell he hoped it was with good English food. Bread. Non-stale fresh bread. Robert's mouth watered; and he groaned while rolling over to bury his face into the pillow. First sleep. Then food.

[Lady Evelyn of Locksley]

Evelyn had managed to sleep through her brother's arrival, and was only noted to his homecoming by the chatter of two maids beyond her bedroom door. She frowned in the dark at the talking pair, despite knowing that they would be unable to see her through the wall. Certain words caught her attention however; "Earl", "Robert", "Home."

What?!

Instantly she shot out of bed, nearly tripping over her blankets in her haste. She fumbled in the dark for her dressing gown, hastily tying it before feeling her way to the door. Her exit from her chamber startled the two girls outside of it, yet she did not stop to comment. Instead she nearly flew upon the floorboards as she took the familiar path to her brother's room. She flung open the door, finding her brother's form cloaked in a blanket in his bed.

In her glee she was unable to speak. But that did not last long. "Robert!" she nearly yelled in delight, flinging herself upon his bed. She embraced him as best as she could beneath the blankets, not thinking in the slightest that he might be tired and not wishing to speak to anyone for hours to come.

All that mattered was that her brother had returned, alive and well.

[Robin Of The Woods]

Bloody hell!

Robert felt someone jump on his bed and he was instantly awoken with a jolt. Reacting without thinking; his hands came back and around the form that had him; before flipping her before him and pinning her down. "Bloody hell!" Robert let her go; and sat up. "Who the hell are you?" He demanded; in a serious voice; full of surprise and confusion.

It lasted but a second before the edges of his lips could no longer hold back his grin. Robert knew damn well who the girl was. While Evie wasn't the type of girl he was expecting--or thinking of--when he thought of a good English woman in his bed; she was a welcome wake up. "You almost look like my baby sister; but she is this tall." He held up his hand to where she used to be.

Before he left for war and was gone for almost five years. "Come here, Evie," He said; pulling her into a hug.

[Lady Evelyn of Locksley]

Evie had missed her elder brother dreadfully in the time that he had been gone. Without him, her mother had set to erasing the unsophisticated habits of her childhood in order to morph her into the lady she wished her to be. And now, with Earl Thomas dead, Evelyn found that she could no longer fight her mother on the subject. The woman had little joy left in her life; it wouldn't harm her to act proper for her mother if that was to make her smile.

But her brother was an entirely different story. He had come home after nearly five years, and that warranted behavior that wasn't lady-like in the least.

With an 'oof' she found herself pinned. For a moment she felt actual fear for what the man could inflict upon her. Maybe it had been wrong to surprise him in such a way. But then he was smiling and her momentary anxiety was forgotten. "Of course it is me," she humored him, enjoying the feeling of being in his strong arms. He had bulked up while away, it seemed. But she expected that was what happened when one was at war.

"And I'm not the awkwawrd fourteen year old that you left behind." She pulled back from him to survey him in the dim lighting of the room. He had grown older, thirty. She wondered if, in the light of day, he would seem older from the hardships that he had faced.

Not wishing to mar the moment with thoughts of war, she returned to his arms.

"I've missed you."

[/color]

[Robin Of The Woods]

"Of course it is me," There was no of course about it; "And I'm not the awkward fourteen year old that you left behind." That was more like the truth! She had really grown; and Robert was left looking at the changes rather then watching it slowly happen. Bloody hell he was going to need a new bow. The local boys had to be nipping at her heels.

"No; you sure are not the little girl any more." But his baby sister she still was and would be til the day he died. Which mean he would make sure the local boys got discouraged if they came around too often. "Do I still get to call you little Evie; or are you too big for nick names?" He was asking; but nor did he care what she answered. Evie would always be Evie in his book and in his mind. He just wanted to know if it would be an annoyance to her; or something she liked. He could have fun with both.

[Lady Evelyn of Locksley]

True, she was no longer than awkward looking girl. Her body had caught up with her once gangly legs to form a woman's figure, and not the half-woman, half-child mix she had once had. She hoped he wouldn't see her any differently. She was still the same person, even if she looked differently. Evelyn righted herself, sitting back on her heels as she watched him.

"Of course you may still call me that," she insisted, mock-outraged. "I'd be insulted if you didn't." She was too childish for her own good, or at least that was what her mother often told her. But Robert brought out the young girl that she had once been, before her mother had gone to work at her. "Are you terribly glad to be home?"

[Robin Of The Woods]

"Of course you may still call me that," Good; it would be something he didn't have to change to pretend to use to annoy her. "I'd be insulted if you didn't." "As a gentleman never insults a lady, then I better give her what she wants." Robert said with a cheeky grin. Toying with her. His little sister was the one lady that he could toy with and tease and he never had to worry about her thinking he was hinting toward marriage.

"Are you terribly glad to be home?" Bloody hell yes he was. "I'd be more happy if you ordered some food to be cooked and served." Robert kept his reply light; not wanting to get into the war and the blood and . . . and the death. "I have not had good English food since I left England. I can meet you in the dining hall after I full dress." In something clean and did not hold the wear of travel like the clothing he had traveled in.

[Lady Evelyn of Locksley]

Evelyn found that she couldn't wipe the grin from her face, even if she wanted to. Her brother was home! Nearly five years she had fretted over his return, keeping him in her prayers each night for God to spare him. She was half afraid that any moment would find her waking up in her own bed, having had this reunion as a dream. The first thing he had mentioned was food, which surprised her for a moment. She would have thought, as a soldier returning from war, that there would be far grander stories to tell than those of missing English food. But she wouldn't press him for those now.

Sliding off his bed, she readjusted her night-robe which had gone rather askew from her near-tackle. If it had been any other man, she wouldn't have gone ten feet near him in her night-robe, much less jump on his bed. But this was Robert, and not some stranger.

"I'll wake them up right away," she responded, already thinking of what to request their well-trained cook to make. "Some type of pottage, I expect. And oh! There might still be some honey left in the larder; enough for a cake, maybe." Maybe her mother would even smile this morning. That was as rare as honey cake.

"You'd best be down as quick as you can," she ordered, pausing by the door. She flashed him another grin before taking off, shouting down the hall for Jane and Mary to stop their chatting and wake up Cook.

[Robin Of The Woods]

Still honey left? Did they make sure there was enough to fill his plate every morning anymore? How bloody annoying not to have it on his first morning home but the idea of being home out weighted the annoyance of not getting his favorite breakfast. There would be mornings enough later to fill his belly of foods he loved.

Rolling from bed; Robert dressed himself--something he had never done before war; as his valet had done it for him. His clothing hung loose for the weight he'd lost; and the muscle he gained. He'd have to order a new round of everything so he could impress the ladies come time for court. They could go to London once he rested and didn't feel so soul deep tired; and enjoy the end of the season.

Walking out of his room and turning down the hall he passed by one of the woman servants (one of his mother's personal ones if five years had not hurt his memory) and pulled one of the flowers she had been carrying from the cup and kept walking; "Tell my mother there is a guest here to see her," He called out nonchalantly; before going down to breakfast. His mother surely would come to greet a guest and flip over seeing her son home.

Now; where did Evie run off too? He was ready for breakfast!

[Lady Evelyn of Locksley]

After directing the two maids to go help prepare breakfast, she had taken a detour at her own chambers to dress. Her own sleepy maid helped her into a day gown of green velvet, barely having time to braid the young woman's hair before having her dashing to the kitchens. Cook was already hard at work at some type of dish, being helped by the two maids that Evelyn had sent. She bit her lip as she watched them work, knowing that in the years past they had had much more to serve at meals than currently. True they weren't starving, but since the Sheriff had been 'watching' their lands after the earl had passed they had seen little tax money.

She halted Jane, having seen the woman moving to set out places. "No, the lord is to eat in the hall," she corrected her, wishing for her brother to be received in the manner fitting his new title. Her stomach sank. Did he know that he was now an earl? That Thomas had died? She had been far too excited to see him that she hadn't thought to ask if he knew. With a heavy heart she followed Jane to the manor's hall, used for special occasions. Her brother's homecoming certainly fit. Places had been also set for herself and her mother but she found, in her worry, that she couldn't fathom taking a bite.

Her smile, having vanished when she had thought of Thomas, returned partly as her brother appeared. No, she wouldn't burden him with this news just yet. "Did you send for Mother? I thought it best that you see her first, to surprise her."

[Robin Of The Woods]

"Did you send for Mother? I thought it best that you see her first, to surprise her." Robert walked into the room and looked at up his younger sister; grinning at the idea of his mother fluttering about or panicking with some unknown guest below. "I told the maid to tell her that there was guest here to see her." But not her son; that would be the surprise she was get when she came below.

Robert knew his father was dead; for he had received a few letters when travel was well. Though he knew his mother would have wrote weekly; if not more; he had only received four or five of the letters over his five years at war. The letter informing him he was not an Earl; had been send by personal messenger; and they had made SURE to find him. "I hope you had them fire up the ovens," He teased his sister; not wanting to think on his father's death. "I could eat the whole cow!"