Page 52 of Robin and Marian
He locked eyes with her and picked up speed to catch up. His hand caressed the luxurious mahogany railings. She didn’t know what to say, especially now that she knew him for what he was. Even the vulnerable set of his jaw didn’t put any compassion in her.
“Marian?” His hand went to her arm, and he pulled her to a stop. “I wanted to talk to you.” His tender eyes searched hers. “You seem happy Midge won?”
That was awkward. “I’m sure your charity is wonderful, Guy, but aren’t you glad that the prize money went to the town? They’ve really been hurting.”As he very well knew.
“You don’t have to worry about them.” His voice turned impatient. “Soon I’ll be able to employ everyone.” Guy was acting like inheriting Richard’s company was a done deal. If that ancient mogul knew even half the things his grandson had done, Guy would never get it. Seeming to sense her resistance, Guy changed the subject. “I’ve been working with your Aunt Elinor lately on a business proposition. I was hoping you’d help me with that.”
She remembered that Tuck had warned her that this was why Guy wanted her here. She tensed. “I don’t know what I could do.”
“Come with me,” he said and held out his arm. “I want to show you my appreciation for everything that you’ve done.”
That sounded ominous. But what could Guy possibly do to her? She couldn’t think of an excuse not to go without spilling all her suspicions, and so, ignoring his proffered arm, she followed him further down the hall, past their bedrooms.
His study opened up into a balcony over a sunken floor about two stories down. Like the rest of the estate lately, it was another work of modern art. The walls, ceilings and floors were white like the inside of a spaceship. Sparkling lights hung from the ceiling in a waterfall. Wooden art structures took up the middle of the room where there was a sterile white couch set in the middle of a Polar Bear rug. She hadn’t known Guy was a hunter. But among the exotic paintings were animal heads mounted into the wall—deer, bears, even a boar.
That must be a real hit with the ladies.
Following Guy down the stairs, she kept a wide berth around the couch to follow him to a side room without a door, only arches. There he kept a library of decorative books and his desk next to a sleek gray safe planted snugly into the wall. Reaching into his jacket pocket, he slipped out a card from his wallet and slid it through a reader on the safe then punched in the code, hiding it from her with his shoulder. The safe opened and he plucked out a long velvet box. “This belonged to my mother,” he said.
“Oh?” Her curiosity was piqued as he handed it to her. Opening it, she found a necklace glittering with delicate flowers made of rubies and diamonds. “It’s beautiful.”
“I want you to have it.” He closed his safe as if it were a done deal. “I want you to wear it to Richard’s banquet tomorrow night.”
Shaking her head, she gave it back to him. “It’s too much.”
“No, no, no, it’s a trifle.” A secretive smile trembled over his lips. “Don’t you understand? This is just a fraction of what I will have when I take over the business.” He clapped his hand over her wrist in a bruising grip, and she flinched as he continued cheerfully, “Your aunt came to me today. She was very concerned to see your attachment to Robin…after everything he’s done to her. We’ve been talking over our plans for this town. I’d hate to see anything get in the way of that.”
Guy was back to that? She tried to shake him loose, but he had the grasp of a lobster. Her heart quickened, and she hoped she could avoid making a scene to get free. “I honestly have no say in her business dealings.”
He stared at her, looking disappointed, then took a deep breath. “I’ve neglected you. Let me take you riding tomorrow?”
“Guy?” He wasn’t letting her go, and short of screaming, she did the next best thing. She closed the jewelry box and tried to hand it back to him, “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
He wouldn’t take it. She noticed a tic working in his jaw. The tendons on his neck stood out so that she lowered her hand, her heart lodged in her throat. “Is this about Robin?” he asked. “He calls you his Maid Marian. Don’t you find that demeaning?”
“No, I don’t. It’s his pet name for me.”
He exploded at that. “His pet name? What’s going on between you?”
Her legs trembled at his shout like they were urging her to run, but she couldn’t when he had a hold of her like this. She forced her voice to remain calm. “Let me go, Guy!”
He acted like he couldn’t hear her; if anything he held her wrist tighter. “What has he said about me?”
Now was not the time to confess anything, not in the face of such anger. “He hasn’t.”
“He’s a criminal!” Guy fairly spat at her. “Why can’t you understand that? You will! Soon you will, and then you’ll come crawling back to me to beg my forgiveness.”
Crawling back to him? When were they ever a thing? Her indignation overcame her fear. It was time to crush any fantasies he had of them being together. She pushed his jewelry back at him again, harder this time.
He snorted at it. “I told you that is nothing.” He finally let her go, wiping his hand distastefully before marching past her, refusing to look at the necklace. What was his problem? It was like he couldn’t accept her rejection. At least giving her jewelry was as far as he’d taken it. She touched her aching wrist.Maybe she’d return this necklace in a public place.No way would she leave it out here for someone to steal it so he could hold it over her head.
Throwing it into her purse, she slung the long strap over her shoulder and followed him out at a slower pace. She was partly in shock as she let his long strides build distance between them until he disappeared down a flight of stairs. Breaking off from him, she returned to her room and found her red fleece jacket and slipped her shaking arms into it, but not before seeing the bruise on her wrist where he’d grabbed her.
Robin would kill him. He’d volunteered to walk her back, but when Richard had caught him in conversation, she had excused herself so they could be alone. She’d told him that it would only be a few minutes. It had been a half an hour at least. Her breath caught while she tried to figure out what to say. Robin was only now gaining the trust of the people in the town, but if he saw this? No, she’d wait to show him, hopefully after they uncovered Guy for who he was.
Bringing her purse with her because it had the jewels, she kept an eye out for Guy on her way out and traveled across the lawn back to the archery grounds where the bands played. Dusk was falling and the shadows were growing longer around her.
“Marian!” Robin came out from the gardens and gave her a broad smile, gathering her to him like nothing had changed from the last time he had seen her. “I was looking for you. The booths for the Mayfair are going up tomorrow. Little John couldn’t tell me himself; he told my grandfather who told me.” He laughed at the ridiculousness.
