Page 60 of Robin and Marian
Marian knew she’d turned bright red, which she was glad of because it made her look awful, though the way Guy watched her, he didn’t seem to agree. “Guy?” She wasn’t sure how to keep him there and not fight with him. “We’re only here to find…”
His hand went to her cheek and caressed it. She pulled back and forced her voice to be firmer. “I told you before that we need to be professionals. I work for your company.”
“So what do I have to do?” he asked. “Fire you?”
Marian stiffened. Before she could accuse him of threatening her, he held his palms out to her in a gesture of humility. “No, I didn’t mean it that way. I meant that you’re beautiful and I’ve always thought so, even when we were kids, even when our parents joked about us marrying. I took it quite seriously. Maybe I shouldn’t have, but I couldn’t help it. You were the one brightness that I had back then.”
He knew how to get her—every time he mentioned their childhood, she’d feel sorry for that small, lost boy he’d been. They’d been friends, but what had happened to him to make him so unfeeling? He’d allowed Robin to go to prison for him without a second thought and then made him pay for it ever since. Her heart hardened resolutely against him again. “Are we here to find boughs for Midge or not?”
Guy watched her like he wasn’t sure what to do with her. He worked his mouth like maybe he’d try again, and she wondered if he’d lose his temper instead, but he held himself firmly in check. She could see it in the bulging muscles in his neck. “You take your job very seriously?” he asked.
“I do.”
“Good, now that I finally have you here alone, I want you to tell me what you’ve written up so far on Richard’s retirement party.”
It was a welcome diversion. “Um, yes, well, it’s fascinating. He’s here to choose his successor, but so far he hasn’t even given a hint on who that would be.”
“He’ll choose me,” Guy said.
“What if he chooses Scarlett?” she whispered.
“He won’t.”
“How can you be so sure?”
He didn’t answer. He took out his machete from his saddle bag and marched away to begin hacking away at the boughs, his shoulder blades jutting out from his muscular back as he made a sizable pile on the ground next to them. Seeing his fury behind the thrusts, Marian’s legs felt weak when she remembered what he’d done to her the night before. Guy was too unpredictable. She attempted to tie the boughs together to put on the horse’s flanks, but he stopped her with an impatient growl.
She dropped them, and when he returned to hacking at the branches, she left him to collect flowers to put in her beach bag. After a while, she saw a rider appear in the distance. Her heart lifted when she thought it was Robin, but then she made out feminine features. This was a lady decked out in riding helmet and boots. As she came closer, Marian realized she was the beautiful blonde she’d seen talking to Alan near the band last night. Her lips were smothered in red lipstick and they twisted in annoyance.
Marian was still grateful to see her. Anything was better than being alone with this brooding, dangerous man. The woman lifted a hand in greeting, but it wasn’t to Marian. Drawing forward, Guy dragged off his work gloves and called out to her, sounding irritated. “Why did you leave town?”
“To find you.” The woman smirked and slid gracefully from her horse. She knew her way around the animal. “Your groomsman told me you rode this direction. Only he didn’t tell me that you had company?”
Clearly, this woman didn’t like the competition. In this case, Marian didn’t mind—Guy was all hers. And of course he didn’t bother to introduce the two, so Marian did the honors herself. “My name is Marian Lourde. I haven’t had the pleasure.”
“Jana,” the lady said curtly. “Jana Prinz.”
With difficulty, Marian tried not to let Jana see that her name meant anything. She was the one who had started the King family down their tragic path. Whatwasshe doing here? “How do you know Guy?” Marian asked.
“It’s none of your concern.”
That was rude. Marian pretended not to care, but she wasn’t stupid—the prices for land would be more reasonable after everything that had happened. Had Guy arranged that for Jana?
Jana turned to him, looking smug now that she thought she’d put Marian in her place. “I couldn’t get hold of you.” She sighed, her blue eyes like steel. “The first thing I’m doing when I move here is to get you some decent cellphone service. The sheriff wants to meet at your estate to discuss some important details for tomorrow.”
Marian’s ears rang at the news. That’s when Sierra had said she’d be evicted. Was this about the sheriff collecting on these people’s loans? Robin had to find those jewels before then or these people would all be out.
Guy wiped the sweat that had collected sawdust at his brow. He looked over at the greenery, and Marian knew that she had to buy Robin more time. “Wow, Guy, I owe you,” she said. “Midge will be so excited to get these. Give me a hand with this bundle before we get back.”
Robin only had so much time, and most of that was taken breaking into Guy’s study and sending the servants off on wild goose chases. Mrs. Koch was off making a cake, a few were polishing silverware, and the butler was sent to fetch a nonexistent flask of wine. Midge guarded the door to stop anyone else from coming in—or at least make a lot of noise when they did. The glossy white surroundings in Guy’s enormous office made him feel like he was looting a museum… one with a creepy taxidermy exhibit. Had Guy killed all these animals himself?
His cousin’s words at the archery tournament kept running through his mind. Guy had said he liked hunting because he liked the control he had over life and death. Was this why he’d done what he had to his cousins? The control? Did he hate them so much? He didn’t want to think about Marian riding out with Guy into Sherwood Forest alone. If she wasn’t back soon, he’d go after her himself.
Tuck went after the safe by Guy’s desk first, but after discovering that it needed a card slider as well as a code, he abandoned that for Guy’s computer instead. That was more his expertise anyway. Robin let him go at it. “See if he has any receipts for selling the jewelry,” Robin said. “Maybe a lockbox where he might hide them—anything to show us where it all might’ve gone.”
“Yes, my Lord Loxley!” Tuck was back to the larping again.
Robin began moving the paintings on the wall to look behind them. He wasn’t ready to completely give up on finding the jewels. Guy had been stupid enough to keep the necklace and to give it to Marian. Did he think that Robin wouldn’t notice… or did he know that he would? Robin’s hand paused on the third painting before taking it down too. Was Guy purposely provoking him? He might not be as stupid as Robin thought.
