Page 24 of Robin and Marian
Richard held up his hands and began waving the crowd away. “All right, everyone. There’s more food out in the garden area. Let’s move the party there. We’ll let the staff clean up.” His hand went to Elinor’s slender shoulders, and after giving her niece one last worried look, she allowed Richard to lead her away. The rest of the group followed with reluctance, watching Robin as if hoping he’d sprout wings and belch fire at them.
Old Man Pete’s triumphant look had drained from his face, and after an “amen” from Tuck and a nudge to the older man’s ribs, Pete furiously pulled some cash out of his trouser pocket and stuffed it into Tuck’s waiting hand before leaving too.
Robin couldn’t help it. He laughed.
Marian’s head shot up at that. “Sorry,” he apologized quickly.
“Really?” Looking around her and seeing that it was just the three of them, she went in for the attack, leaving him startled. “What were you thinking? You made a huge mess and Little… uh, John almost got arrested. Then your wrist.”
“It’s okay.” He’d only aggravated it. “I don’t think it’s broken.”
“Oh, Robin I don’t want you to go back to prison again.” Tears pricked at her eyes, and his heart lifted. The corners of his mouth were soon to follow. She took offence at that. “Excuse me? That makes you happy?”
He straightened. “No… I mean,” he slid his hand down her smooth arms, “I’m only a little happy.”
Her cheeks turned pink, and he tried to force down his smile while she huffed. “This is serious! We need to do something about your wrist. Where are your keys?”
“So, now you want my keys?” He didn’t think this warranted a trip to the emergency room, but he enjoyed her concern too much to make her stop now. “You got mad at me for taking them earlier.”
Her eyes flashed, but she let it pass. “We need to get you to the doctor.”
“No, it’s good,” Tuck said helpfully. “I’ve got your brace.” He threw it at him.
It landed over Robin’s face. “Hey look, it’s all good now,” Robin talked around it. He laughed at her pout when she ripped the brace from him.
“No, it’snotgood!” she exploded at him. “Nothing will ever be good! I worried about you! Every night you were in that dirty prison! And now you get out and you still get hurt! You’re smiling again!” she accused, and he felt helpless to stop her anger. Everything she said made him laugh, and everything he said made her furious.
“No, I’m good. I’ll be good,” he promised and caught her delicate hand and rubbed her fingers through his. He loved the feel of her smooth skin. “Nothing will be wrong again.”
She tore away from him. “Then I guess you don’t need my help.”
“Marian.” They both turned as Guy interrupted their conversation. “Is he bothering you?”
She saw the opportunity to get him back and took it. Accepting Guy’s assistance, she stood, her heels clicking beneath her as she straightened out her charming pink dress, giving him a view of her perfect, shapely legs.
Guy steered her away from Robin. “I apologize for my cousin. Prison has changed him.”
She circled on Robin then, her black hair flying behind her in that mass of curls that he adored. “Oh, I don’t think that it has.” Her glare stabbed him through. Then he watched her storm away and loved every second of it.
“Hmm,” Tuck said. “I think she likes you.”
Robin stared after her. “I… think so too.”
Tuck laughed. “Why?”
“I don’t know.”
But Guy would not be stealing Marian from him. Despite all her defiant talk, she wasn’t indifferent to Robin, and for the first time since returning home, he decided to fight for her.
Chapter 8
Marian was out of sorts. She woke up in her beautiful bed with the pink rosebud bedspread and soft down pillows. The sun filtered through the multi-paned windows, bringing in the cheer and warmth of this lovely day along with the charming sounds of chirping birds. By all rights, it should’ve been a wonderful morning, except that Robin had ruined it all the night before with his fight. Why couldn’t he stop getting into trouble? When she’d seen Little John toss him onto the refreshment table like a ragdoll, she’d screamed out. But then when she’d seen how viciously he’d fought back, she’d felt sick. What had Robin seen in prison?
And then she had gone and made it worse. The troubling ache in the pit of her stomach wouldn’t go away, and she groaned; she’d given herself away last night, simpering over his wounds and pawing at his side like an idiot to make sure he was still in one piece. She’d even ignored her Aunt Elinor.
She didn’t want to like Robin—she was furious with him for breaking her heart. He was reckless and did stupid things. Was it contagious? It felt like it. She couldn’t keep away from him and she was afraid that he knew it.
This morning, she’d have to show him that she didn’t care about him that way… the way that she really did. She pushed her face into her pillow to let out a scream then threw the pillow across the room. It was why she’d taken Guy up on his offer. He’d asked for her to show him around the old grounds of the ski resort today while his men put up the mechanisms for the traditional fire wheel celebration that night.
