Page 29 of Robin and Marian
“You looking for the big guy?” Tuck asked.
“Who, God?” Robin asked. “You could’ve found him at church. We missed you there, Pastor.”
Tuck fidgeted self-consciously. “No, I meant Little John.”
He should, if he had any sense, but so far Robin hadn’t seen his vindictive friend. No, he was on the lookout for the more forbidden—Marian. He’d hoped to find her at church, but her aunt hadn’t left her side.
After a lengthy search, he was rewarded. Her long black hair gave her away behind her mask. He took an unconscious step towards Marian as she warmed her pale hands over one of the many fire pits on the grass. She wore a white Mayday mask dripping in flowers and a red jacket over a simple white dress that swayed in the brisk mountain breeze. Paint her skin frosty white and she’d be the May Queen.
He felt drawn to her like Romeo to his leading lady. What would he say to her? He stepped back at the complication.
“What?” Tuck said, startling Robin when he appeared at his elbow. “Now you’re going to pretend that you came here to keep me in line? Go celebrate May Days, brother!” Waving Robin away, Tuck escaped him into the crowd, almost skewering a fire dancer when he turned abruptly to shout through his hands, “I’m praying for a miracle!”
Thanks.Adjusting the strings of his lion mask, Robin approached Marian and the fire pit, pretending he was coming for the warmth. Seeing her hands were already up over the flames, he played with that. “Hands up, Marian.”
Looking up quickly, she smiled faintly when her eyes drifted to the brace on his forearm that gave him away. “Is this a robbery?” she asked.
“I’ve got the mask.” He pulled closer to her. “Though I think it’s the only thing keeping me safe from the pitchforks.”
She went quiet at that. It was probably the wrong thing for him to have said, but then she cleared her throat. “At least you’ve got guts. I wouldn’t be seen in public if I’d…” She was caught and couldn’t finish her sentence.
This is going well, he thought wryly. He nodded before trying again. “Well, I figure the more I go out, the more people will get used to seeing this ugly mug. Who knows? I could even worm my way back into my family’s good graces.”
A shout from the men at the platform interrupted them. The townspeople hauled the hay wagon next to where the fire wheels would be launched. Robin used to be a regular participant back in the day. Now he stayed back. “I’m not that brave,” he conceded.
Alan wandered through the men. He was nowhere near Scarlett, like they’d had another fight. Robin hadn’t saved them at their wedding to have their marriage fall apart.
“Midge!” someone shouted through the crowd.
Midge’s answering laughter sounded to the side of them as he dodged into the clearing of the fire pit. Not recognizing Robin, he ran straight past him, drawn to everything dangerous. Somewhere behind him, Scarlett called Midge’s name again.
Marian flinched as if her voice had triggered a memory. “Oh, I didn’t talk to Scarlett yet,” she said. “I’m so sorry! I really will!”
Just the fact that she planned on it filled him with warmth. “You had a busy day,” he said.With Guy.“So, about that wager?” He had to know. “Do you have something you want to say to me?”
She hesitated. “No!” At his steady gaze, she conceded reluctantly, “MyRobin Hood.”
So it had been a date? Instead of the flood of triumph he’d expected at being right, he was filled with jealousy. He didn’t feel like he’d won anything.
“But it wasn’t a date,” she said defensively. "Not for me.”
That was telling. Things were looking up. “I never said…”
“Stop your smiling,” she accused. “No,yoursmirking! That’s your smirk when you think you know everything!”
“It was not!” He was inwardly celebrating because… well, Marian still belonged to him. Okay, maybe she hadn’t quite said that, but he was almost sure he was right. He tried to figure out a way to get her alone to find out.
“Marian!” Scarlett pushed next to them, breathing heavily. Her mask dangled behind her head, accentuating the drapes of her black dress hanging over her bony body. Robin hadn’t noticed how much weight she’d lost or how drawn and sickly she looked. “Have you seen Midge?” Her voice sounded so normal addressing him that no way could she know that Robin was behind his mask. “I’m afraid that he’s going to try to go up your aunt’s ski jump. He’s just drawn to everything dangerous… like someone else I know.”
“I’ll get him,” Robin said and took off his mask.
Swallowing hard, Scarlett took a moment to regain her composure before nodding quickly. “Yes, thank you! I’ll check the trucks by the fireworks.” She took off through the laughing crowd, a little too eagerly.
His heart thudding at her request, Robin headed for the ski jump. For some reason this felt like the moment when he could finally prove himself. He wasn’t sure why it was necessary, only that Scarlett must not trust him to keep her secret. Marian kept up with him as they passed the wagons of hay next to the flaming torches at the launch pad. He winced at how Guy had organized it. “I can’t seethatgoing wrong,” he noted, dryly.
“It’s fine!” Marian said. She paused to check the wagon wheels or anywhere else Midge might hide and then they continued on to the ski jump. It made a lonely silhouette against the pine trees, curled up like a grotesque moon with the flair of Tim Burton. Eight towers held up its steel frame—the tallest end shooting up twenty-four stories high with a 40% descent angle. Off to the side, there was a thin thread of stairs set on a hill. It led to the lower end of the jump where a construction shack had been left to rot after the project had been abandoned four years ago.
“Midge?” Robin called. To get through, he pushed down the curling, orange plastic mesh that served as a safety barrier around the site. There was no answering call. Marian made an impatient noise that brought him back to her, and she thoroughly surprised him by hooking her arm around him to get over the fence too. She immediately let him go on the other side, but it was an improvement.
