Page 14 of Robin and Marian
Robin cleared his throat. “Well, sure, but there’s not really a lot of bad guys around here.”
“That’s not true,” Tuck said, and Robin elbowed him. His friend retreated and made himself comfortable on the settee, like he wasn’t going anywhere.
Robin scooted closer to his uncle. Marian watched the two together, Midge’s lonely eyes and Robin’s distraught ones. She was furious at the decision to keep the boy from seeing his beloved nephew. Surely, that was a call from Robin’s stepmother. She’d always been so cruel.
“So, Midge?” she said, and got under the table with him, rearranging her orange skirt over her knees. “What brings you here… under the table?”
“Mrs. Koch,” he said simply. The angry housekeeper. Was she still terrorizing the place? The laugh lines Marian loved so much appeared around Robin’s lips. Yup, Midge was just like Robin. She sniffed the sweet-smelling boy. He wasn’t covered in mud. It was chocolate.
“You got into her German Chocolate Cake?” Robin asked. He also crawled under the table to inspect the damage. His arm brushed against Marian’s.
The boy nodded.
“Mrs. Koch makes great cake, doesn’t she?” Robin asked in a wistful voice.
“Yeah.”
As if summoned like a rabbit, the woman in question huffed into the room, tall and slender like a willow that would’ve been taken to their backsides a century earlier. Mrs. Koch was followed by Guy. He’d worn his hair long and straight against his solid neck. Of course he’d expected visitors, and was dressed accordingly—casually but expensively in an immaculate sweater and jeans that drew attention to his athletic build.
Guy’s strong jaw clenched as his dark eyes went straight to Marian and Robin huddled together under the table. Marian straightened. Her head knocked against the bottom of the table and she grunted. Robin tried to protect her with his free arm and Guy stiffened. Marian hadn’t expected to get caught like this.
“Midge!” Mrs. Koch shook her finger at him, scolding him with a thick German accent. The years had only added more yellow dye to her hair. “You have been a very bad boy!”
Midge scrambled from the table and threw his arms around Tuck, almost upending him on the settee. “Uncle Frank!”
“Uncle Franco,” Tuck admonished, looking around uncomfortably, especially at Marian who might contradict him.
“Save me!” Midge said, “Uncle Franco.”
“Did he really just do that?” Robin whispered to Marian.
Marian had a feeling that if Tuck didn’t figure out a way to save the child that Tuck might be called out for who he really was. Tuck cleared his throat, but Robin was faster. He pulled out from under the table, almost frightening the German housekeeper to death. He held his hands out to her. “No, no, Mrs. Koch, it’s okay! It’s Robin. Remember me?”
The lady stopped in her rampage and burst into tears. She grabbed Robin and squeezed him in a tight embrace, slapping him hard on the back. Also something that Marian hadn’t expected. “Why would I not know you, my boy! My boy! You’ve come home!” She squeezed him tightly and Marian noticed the brightness in Robin’s eyes at the warm reception.
At least someone was happy to see him. Guy glared like a boy whose birthday balloons had been popped by his annoying kid brother. Marian inched out from the table, taking special care of her skirt.
Guy leaped forward and took her hand to assist her. “I hope that you haven’t been stealing Mrs. Koch’s chocolate cake as well,mysweet Marian.” He surprised her by staking claim to her with a kiss to the cheek. “I’m so happy you came.”
Robin’s eyes lifted to them as he stepped back from Mrs. Koch to search Marian’s face. It wasn’t lost on Marian what Guy was doing, and it annoyed her. She didn’t particularly want to be claimed by either of the King cousins. She’d learned her lesson before. Pulling from Guy, she collected herself. “Thank you for inviting me. It was nice to get away from the Chronicle.”
Guy treated her to one of his more sincere looks. “I hope that’s not the only reason you came?”
“Oh, of course not.” Marian avoided looking at Robin. If she was being absolutely truthful, she’d wanted to see Robin. Even now his eyes drew hers until he had her full attention. He broke into a grin. It made her want to shake him. That mischievous side got him in trouble. Robin had taken down the whole town of Nottingham that way.She needed to remind herself of that.
Turning, Robin signaled Midge to scram. Midge didn’t catch it, but Tuck nudged him and the kid scurried out into the hall.
Not a moment later, Midge was being marched right back into the room with Scarlett’s hand on his shoulder. Though she wore a long, elegant dress, she was barefoot, and her silky, red hair caught against her collar like she’d woken from a nap. She hadn’t seen Robin, and sleepily asked her uncle in her husky voice, “Hey, what are you running from?”
The kid was caught. His pleading face turned to Tuck, who only shrugged at him and settled back into the soft cushions to enjoy the rest of the show.
Robin, on the other hand, was spellbound. He stared at his sister like one who’d been desperate for home and had only caught sight of it. Scarlett, likewise, looked as if she’d been frozen in a sudden storm. The skirt of her gown rippled over her bare feet. Her hands tightened over Midge. Her head lowered, her long lashes covering her eyes from him.
Robin addressed her softly, like a man soothing a wild colt. “You taking care of Midge now?”
Still looking down, she nodded. “Alan… Alan and I took him in. Richard’s just been busy. We’ve all been… busy.” Her eyes flicked up to his then went back down. “I’m sorry I didn’t come see you.”
“It’s all right,” he said. “It’s all right.” He didn’t seem to be searching for redemption; he was the one giving it, and that confused Marian. After his incarceration, Scarlett had grown distant from everyone, including Marian, and now Robin seemed desperate to bridge that. “I’m fine.” He talked gently to his sister. Her hand loosened over Midge, and she reached out to touch the brace on his forearm. Her eyes filled with tears. “Look at me, Scarlett,” he said, and she did. “I’m here. I’m never going to leave you again.”
