Page 53 of Robin and Marian
She felt breathless against his chest and clung to him a little tighter than normal. He leaned his forehead against hers, and she heard the mischievous lilt in his voice. “You want to do more good tonight?”
She did. She wanted to forget all about Guy and his stupid jewelry. “What do you have in mind?”
He took her by the hand and drew her into the shadowy garden. Here and there, twinkling lights sputtered to life around them. “Midge wants us to get Scarlett and Alan to stop fighting, so I thought… do you remember the Blooming Tree from when we were younger?”
“I do.”
He led her to the part of the garden where they’d used to play as children. There was the big white tree shrub that they had climbed. It was more than fifty feet tall now, with a trunk about five feet in girth. It had recently blossomed into clusters of white flowers, and the scent was glorious.
“My great-grandmother Flóra Cerný planted this after she left Czechoslovakia during World War II. She wanted to keep her traditions alive when she saw the May Day celebrations my great-grandfather brought from Yorkshire.”
“This tree is that old?”
“Sixty-nine years old.” He leaned against the tree and brought her along with him, quoting the lines of a poem while they stared up at the white branches. “White, the purity of love…
With blossoms shower blessings from above.
Then lovers, like angels embrace…
Bestow a kiss, and on their lips draw a cask of grace.
A year born with sighs, dreams, and vows are made thereof.”
“That’s beautiful.”
“My grandmother wrote it.” He smiled and traced the outline of her jaw. “The tradition is that you kiss under the Blooming Tree and you’ll enjoy peace and serenity with your love for a year.”
It was cute, but how would this help Scarlett and Alan? “This is your idea for helping out Midge?” she asked. “Getting them to kiss under this tree might not solve their problems.”
“It won’t?” He gave her a devilish look. “Well, we can test it out and see?”
Her heart quickened at the idea, and she laughed as he swept her to him to claim his kiss in the deepening dusk. She was more than happy to try it out. It was a romantic spot with stars staking their places in the sky above them.
He took his time with his kiss like this was truly a magical place and he needed to do this right. Happy threads of excitement ran through her as his hands ran up her shoulders where he found her hair and pushed it from her face. Robin really liked her hair. He couldn’t leave it alone. As long as they were together, she’d never cut it.
“Now,” he said, pulling back from her with tender eyes, “we just have to do this every year, to be safe.”
“So, I guess I’m never cutting my hair,” she whispered dreamily.
He looked confused. “Yeah, never cut your hair, but…” he stole another kiss. “I’d love you either way.”
“Love?”
“Oh? Is that too soon?” Robin was never one to hold back, and his eyes crinkled into laugh lines. “Honestly Marian, this has been going on for years. Maybe you didn’t know it, but you’ve always been on my mind.”
“Oh, really?” She didn’t feel disturbed at all by the declaration. It was just Robin’s way to go in full-steam. He was a romantic, and she liked that. Truth be told, he hadn’t left her mind either. It felt good to truly get him alone and replace the memory of their kisses all those years ago with new ones. Better ones. If that was possible.
After placing one last kiss on her lips, he gave her a dazed smile. “I think, I think the tree really works.” He looked a little smug about it. “Don’t you?”
She swatted his shoulder for his sassiness, but when he waited for her answer, warmth filled her cheeks. “Yes,” she admitted.
“Alan asked Scarlett to marry him under this tree.”
“What? Well, why didn’t you say that before? Let’s get the lucky couple under here.”
He lifted his head, looking over her shoulder. “Midge?” he called out.
She circled, peeling from his embrace, her heart thudding as she saw the small boy trot into the clearing with a blanket, a basket, and lanterns. “Tell me that he was not here the whole time?”
