Page 45 of Robin and Marian
Marian wasn’t supposed to say… but she’d also promised Robin she’d talk to his sister and fix what was going on between them. She suddenly didn’t care if confronting Scarlett wasn’t exactly what he had in mind. “You’re the embezzler, not Robin. Why are you letting everyone treat him like this?”
The shock that filled Scarlett’s face gave Marian pause. “You think that I…? How long have you thought this? Robin confessed. I didn’t!”
“Where’s your gratitude? He covered for you.”
“Marian!” She brought her hands out in pleading. “I didnotembezzle that money!”
Scarlett was scared!Marian hadn’t meant to say so much, and reached for her friend. “Your secret’s safe. Robin said that he already did the time for you and it’s over, okay? It’s just… why aren’t you letting him put his life back together?”
Scarlett’s eyes were as wide as dinner plates. “Robin said he didn’t do it?”
“Yes, I got it out of him.”
“He never said anything to me!” Scarlett leaped off the bed, going for the door.
“Where are you going?” Marian jumped in front of the door. “No, no, no, you can’t tell anyone else. He wasn’t going to tell me, it’s just there were so many holes and I drilled him and he couldn’t keep up with all the questions. I don’t think anyone ever thought he was innocent so it caught him off guard. He made me swear I wouldn’t say anything because he was afraid for you. He never said not to tellyou.”
Tears pricked at Scarlett’s eyes. “He did it for me? He went to prison for me? And I didn’t even visit him.” Her face crumpled and she buried her face into her hands. “Do you know how many times I got into that car? I wanted to see him so bad and I just sat there and felt so guilty. All I could hear was Alan’s voice in my head. I knew he’d be so disappointed… like I was picking Robin over him. Oh!” she moaned. “Poor, poor Robin! He must’ve thought I was a monster.”
She broke into sobs, and Marian pulled her into a hug, feeling like everything had moved beyond her control, but at least Scarlett was showing some kind of remorse. “Marian?” She lifted her head, wiping her tears clumsily from her cheeks. “I believe him. I do! If he said he didn’t do it then he didn’t. I wouldn’t have thought he’d be capable of stealing everyone’s money, except hesaidit.”
And then Marian realized the horrible truth. “You didn’t do it, did you?”
“No!” Scarlett was torn between crying and laughing hysterically. “That idiot!”
“But your signature was all over everything!”
“I was signing lots of things back then. Guy and Alan and Robin—they all brought me papers and I didn’t blink twice.”
“But then… who did this?”
Scarlett turned from her then, putting her hands on her head like it might explode. “I don’t know. I don’t want to ruin another innocent person’s life.” But there was only one partner left, and they both knew who that was—Guy. He was perfectly fine with punishing Robin for this. He was also perfectly fine doing a lot of unethical things. Did his actions come from a man who thought Robin guilty or one who wanted to cover what he’d done? Everything pointed to the latter.
“Guy,” Marian said with a sigh. “It has to be Guy.”
“What do we do?” Scarlett asked.
“Nothing, and don’t tell Alan! Not yet. I’m sorry I told you.” But then again, she wasn’t. If Robin knew whose jail time he’d done, he wouldn’t let himself be treated this way. Guy wouldn’t get away with anything anymore. The two girls spent the next few minutes hugging and trying to work out the last few years in their minds.
“I’m going to find Robin,” Scarlett announced. Marian gave her a stern look. “I won’t say anything! I just want to look at him with eyes that know the truth, you know? I can’t get over that he did that for me.” She burst into more tears at the thought. Marian rubbed her back. They could’ve gone on like that for hours except Alan knocked on the door. She wiped at her eyes and Marian stepped from the door.
“Scarlett?” He poked his head inside. “Don’t be mad, but Midge is gone and I can’t find him.”
The stress got to Scarlett and she went back to sobbing. “I told you to watch him!”
Alan pulled around the door, looking sheepish. His auburn hair was disheveled like he’d just woken up from a nap. “I got tired. I thought he’d sleep.”
She collapsed into her husband’s arms and hugged him tightly. His hands crept around her in confusion. “Honey?” he asked.
“Everything is going to be okay,” she said, burying her face into his chest.
He rubbed her back in return. “Yeah, we’ll find him.”
Another tear rolled down Scarlett’s cheek and Marian watched them go, feeling torn. She had to tell Robin what had happened, but would he even believe her? And worse, if he did, what would he do? He was already run by his emotions. His rage could make him do something that he’d regret. But not telling him was out of the question. He deserved to know the truth.
She traveled the length of the long hallway in the north wing where Guy had housed his cousin away from the others. The hall grew narrower and dingier the closer she got to Robin’s room. Soon, she was shaking her head. Guyhadwanted to get rid of Robin. He’d said it himself.
She knocked on his door. Tuck poked his head from the other room with a toothbrush in his mouth. “He’s not here.” He ducked back inside.
