It was not only the way she stood that was disturbing, and upsetting. It was her apology, and the meek way she said it. His proud, beautiful Marian should never be so unsure. Particularly not with him. He knew, especially as compared with this time, women in their era were oft treated as less than equal. But Robin could never treat another that way, and he hated seeing it done to another. And it was Marian's independence that made her who she was. Was one of those things he loved so much in her. To see her robbed of that was heart breaking.
Slowly, sure it would scare her somehow, he reached out and placed a hand on her upper arm, encouraging her forward. "Come inside, and we'll talk. And please don't apologise. I'm glad you came. You have nothing to be sorry for. You didn't cause this." He was hurting, yes. But he would not, could not, blame her. Once she had stepped inside he shut the door behind her. The last thing they needed was Gisborne finding out about this. And anyone who saw her could easily slip up and mention it.
Facing her again, he watched her for a moment before the necessity just to hold her won out over worrying at her reaction. Stepping closer he drew her in to his arms, holding her as close as he dared, a hand gently resting against her hair as her head settled at his chest. Different Marian or not, they still fit. It still felt right to hold her.
"I am so sorry you were left to that life. I would do anything to make it right." Now was the time to push down his own heart ache. Because he did not know how long it had been since she had heard a kind word, but she deserved all the kindness, all the love he could offer.