Ã¢â‚¬Å“Quite safe,” Robin assured her. He gave her a wicked smirk. “I don’t need to force myself on girls.”
    Matilda blushed. “Can I have my knife back, then? So I feel safe.”
    Ã¢â‚¬Å“I’m not sure how safe I’d feel then. Will you give your word only to use it to defend your virtue, not to try and escape?”
    Matilda hadn’t expected so positive a response to her request. “I’ll swear it by the Virgin,” she promised.
    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Go on then, swear,” Robin prompted her. When she made her vow he handed her blade back to her.
    She received the knife with a puzzled frown. “You are a very unusual outlaw,” she admitted.
    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Really?” Robin grinned again. He seemed to do that a lot, and when he smiled his whole face lit up like a little boy getting a treat. “What kind of outlaws are you used to, Lady Matilda?”




Pretty much the whole book cascades from that one encounter.




As I proofread the story I realised that Matilda had turned out to be a "Vizh" heroine - trampled by adversity and still fighting back against the odds.

Anyway, her captor's not really Robin Hood yet, not as he should be. She's got her work cut out.




That's very helpful of you. I'm looking forward to seeing a copy of the book myself, so I can find if there were any major editorial changes.