Page 1 of Robin and Marian
Chapter 1
“Who lives here?” The Uber driver stared up at the King Estate with big eyes.
Marian hid a smile at the reaction—he wasn’t from this town or he’d know. The mansion looked like a castle from the 1400’s, but with more of a 70’s vibe. It was built on the peninsula overlooking a lake that wrapped its beaches around the property and streamed into the pine and northern hardwood forests below.
But yeah, it was a little much. Now he’d probably expect a huge tip. Marian wasn’t as rich as her friends, so he’d be disappointed. “Well…” she licked her lips. “The King used to live here, but now it’s only Robin Hood and his merry men—a bunch of thieves.”
He grunted out his appreciation and played along. “How do you fit in?”
Marian didn’t want to say, though he’d know if she admitted her name, and so she shrugged. “I’m the girl who hasn’t been home for far too long.” She came from the oldest family in New Hampshire, though she certainly didn’t run in these rich circles anymore. Her parents had lost their inheritances in riotous living, lawsuits, and eventually their messy divorce. It made Marian crave a normal life, and—as fun as a sweet little fantasy like this would be—thiswasn’t it.
The driver entered the massive circular driveway. “This is a happy reunion, I hope?”
Her heart raced at the possibilities. “I don’t know.” Glancing over at the Porsches, Mercedes, and luxury SUVs parked near the entrance of the King Estate, Marian was positive that she’d be underdressed. Not that Marian’s best friend would judge her for it—the man Scarlett King was marrying tomorrow wasn’t rich either. Marian just wasn’t so sure how the other guests would take it.
Marian paid the driver before stepping out into the rain in a chic, black silk dress that Scarlett had given her when they were college roommates. It flared out delicately from her waist and danced around her knees. She’d paired it with long, silver dangling earrings that flashed through her long black hair as she dashed through the storm to collect her luggage from the trunk. It was an overnight bag that also held her maid of honor dress—a red one—Scarlett’s favorite color.
The driver shut his trunk and nodded at her. “Enjoy your bachelorette party.”
Shielding her hair from the rain, Marian laughed and waved farewell to the last bit of normalcy she’d see until the weekend was over. Tilting back on her heels to stare up at the towering spires of the King Estate, Marian took a deep breath to face what awaited her there and hurried under the canopied driveway. The hair she’d taken such great pains to straighten now bounced over her shoulders in a mass of wet curls.
Scarlett’s childhood home was just as magnificent as she’d remembered. It had been fifteen years since Marian had run through these halls as a ten-year-old before her family had moved away. She’d thought maybe it would seem smaller since she was taller, but if anything, it had grown.
More additions had been added to the already formidable fortress—an entire wing to the north, a tennis court, a greenhouse. The gazebo in the gardens was still the same. Marian had visited Robin and Scarlett as much as her Aunt Elinor had allowed when she’d come to visit in the summers. Her aunt lived in a lodge nestled high in Mt. Green Hood above Sherwood Forest.Yes, Sherwood Forest.
The excitement that threatened to burst out when talking to the driver finally took over, and as Marian stepped over the magnificent entrance, she pulled the bell with a hard tug. Despite her reservations, she’d missed this place.
Their New England town of Nottingham, New Hampshire, had been founded by Scarlett’s great-grandfather, Henry—who was affectionately called Henry the First. He collected and developed properties and holdings and loved anything to do with the tales of Robin Hood and his Merry Men. That’s why he’d named everything around him after those legends, even his son, Richard.
And why not? His last name was King and it fit. He was a bigwig mogul who owned King Enterprises, and his descendants were billionaires.
Marian’s high-class parents obviously had been thrilled to carry on the tradition, as well as half the town, who’d named their children after beloved Nottingham characters… while others who had not followed the trend were roped into it anyway with the nicknames that they’d earned over the years.
Robin had never stood a chance.
Marian’s heart jumped as she thought of her childhood crush. About fifty years ago, Richard King had named his firstborn Robin after the hero of these tales, then twenty-something years later, his grandson, Robin King, Jr. came along.
And oh, how he lived up to his name. Would Marian see him tonight? As the door was opened by a butler that she no longer knew, Marian both dreaded it… and hoped for it. Robin was Scarlett’s wayward half-brother and her senior by two years, and he had better things to do than be at his sister’s bachelorette party… like cause trouble.
Marian probably shouldn’t worry. She was ushered into the foyer where she stared around her at the grand staircase, pillars, and long hallways. It looked more spacious since the walls had been torn down between the three drawing rooms downstairs. The King grandchildren—Scarlett, Robin, and Guy—were already making the mansion their own. They’d taken over the Sherwood branch for their grandfather’s business. If they proved successful, Richard would make it worth their while.
Though the three were elbow-deep in their brilliant plans to transform Nottingham into a tourist trap, somehow they’d found the time to remodel. The wallpaper had been ripped out, and in its place were intricate wood moldings lining the spacious rooms and hallway. What was left of the walls had been painted in warm, timeless shades. Chunky rustic beams hung above the foyer in the spacious surroundings. These were contrasted by the sparkle of nearby crystal-encrusted chandeliers sending trickles of elegant light in every direction. The feeling was sleek and airy with a richness in the luxurious finishes that made it feel like a modern castle.
She took a few unsure steps into the room, seeing that they’d changed up their flooring too. Black and cream marble checks on the entrance floor guided its guests into the rest of the house through open, antique French doors. Here the flooring changed to a satin dark walnut. It was lux but oddly comfortable as thick Persian rugs sectioned off various sitting areas between heavy columns. A large fireplace off to the left was framed by carved Italian marble and boasted a glowing, well-tended fire. Up the open staircase to the right was a climbing row of beautiful oil paintings, probably all of them worth a fortune and curated to perfection.
“Marian!”
A shout made her look up to see her best friend dash at her from the back hallway. Scarlett was Marian’s foil—redheaded and blue-eyed with a fair complexion while Marian was black-eyed with olive skin and dark hair. Her best friend looked far from the blushing bride that evening, more like a frazzled part of the staff. She wore an apron over a frilly blue dress, and she was caked in flour. She waved wildly until she reached Marian then crushed her in a tight hug.
Marian let out a nervous giggle, imagining what was happening to her black dress, but she quickly forgot that in her excitement to see her dear friend. The two had been sorority sisters at Dartmouth and then roommates in the big city of Manchester until Scarlett had left it all to marry her high school sweetheart, even though Marian had begged her to take a little more time.
“Oh!” Scarlett shrieked. “I’m so, so happy! Now that you’re here, everything feels right! Thank you! Thank you for coming!”
Marian pulled back from her friend and wiped the flour from her friend’s perky nose. “What happened to you?”
Scarlett lifted a shoulder. “The caterer hasn’t gotten here yet and she left all the ingredients to the cupcakes here for my bachelorette party, and I thought maybe I’d make them for fun.” She wrinkled her nose and grinned carelessly. “It turns out it’s not as easy as it looks.”
Marian let out a nervous laugh. Scarlett hadn’t changed a bit. Her friend was always taking too much on herself and then leaving a mess for others to clean up—strangely, that usually fell to her brother. Then, almost on cue, Scarlett said, “You’regreat at baking!” She took Marian’s hands and tugged her close. “Maybe if you finished what I started?” Scarlett tore off her apron to tie it around her best friend’s waist. “Please, please, say you’ll fix this for me!”
