Standing behind Sheriff Vaisey's chair at another Council of Nobles, Sir Guy of Gisbourne eyed Marian with satisfaction. She looked perfectly lovely in the blue summer gown he had given her. In fact, she looked so lovely, Gisbourne couldn't take his eyes off her.

The gown was unlike anything she had ever worn before, with a scooped neckline displaying cleavage, a tight bodice, and a skirt stretched tautly across hips and thighs, making their shape highly visible.

Marian despised the gown, finding it completely uncomfortable and impractical. There was absolutely no way she could ride astride a horse wearing it, and riding sidesaddle did not suit her one bit. She had only worn the dreadful thing because she knew she needed to appease Gisbourne and be seen in it at least once.

Earlier in the day, Marian had sighed in frustration at her reflection in a looking glass and had muttered to herself, "Since he goes so far as to try and control what I even choose to wear, I might as well use it to its advantage and see what I might learn from him. He deserves no less."

And so, she had worn the blue monstrosity to the Council today, determined to corner Gisbourne after the session, and smile at him to learn whatever useful information she could pass along to Robin.

Without admitting it to herself, she did actually want Robin to see her wearing the horrible thing. In spite of her protests, her looking glass did not lie. The blue fabric brought out her eyes, and the cut of the gown displayed some of her assets to their advantage. She hated the dress, yet she suspected he might not, and deep in her heart, she wanted to see his reaction.

...

Hidden under their hoods, Robin and his gang moved swiftly through Nottingham, briskly handing out coins to needy peasants.

A carriage rumbled slowly by, and Robin whispered, "There's our chance, lads. Much, John, Djaq...create a distraction. Will and Allan and I will sneak into the castle with the carriage."

Much looked crestfallen. "Master...why Allan? Why Will? Why not me?"

Surprisingly, Will spoke up. "Let Much go with you, Robin. I'll help create the distraction, and finish passing out money here."

Robin noticed Will's eyes flicker toward the young Saracen woman, and he immediately understood. "Very well...you stay here then. Much, come with us, but you need to stay quiet."

Much was thrilled. "Yes! Yes! Of course! Quiet! I can do that! I can be quiet! In fact, I can be really really really quiet! So quiet, in fact, you'll never even know I'm-"

"Shut up!" Allan cried.

Allan was not in a good frame of mind about the entire mission. It seemed frivolous...ridiculous. Passing out money was fine...they did it all the time. But sneaking into the castle to try and steal back a necklace from Vaisey? And not even a valuable necklace of gold and jewels, but a massive tooth on a leather strap? Not bein' funny, but some of Robin's ideas were nothing short of daft. And now, Much had to come along? Fine help he'd be, with his endless blathering! It wasn't right for Robin to ask them to risk their necks over a worthless trinket!

Allan decided to speak his mind. "Look, Robin, I don't feel good about this. You don't really need me in there, do you?"

Robin stared after the carriage. It was nearly at the castle gate. Once it passed through, they would have missed their chance.

"Create a distraction," he ordered his men. "Now!"

Allan reacted without thinking. Grabbing Djaq, he planted a long kiss on her lips.

Little John and Much stood by in shocked surprise. Robin was a little surprised himself. Will was angry.

He seized Allan by the back of his shirt and pulled him off Djaq, who seemed calm and unperturbed by the sudden kiss. Will then began to shout. "What do you think you're doing?"

All eyes in Nottingham, including the castle guard at the gate, turned to look at Will and Allan.

"There's our distraction," Robin whispered to Much. "Come on!"

They darted off, and easily jumped into the carriage just as it was about to pass under the raised portcullis.

"Oh, no," moaned the voice of Martin of Aylesbury, for it was his carriage. "Locksley! Not you again!"

"Well, well, well," Robin laughed under his breath, "we meet again."

"You're not going to rob me again, are you, Hood? I need every penny to pay the sheriff. I still owe him from the last time you robbed me!"

Robin and Much exchanged a look of agreement. "Hand over your money, Dunderhead," Much instructed, holding out his hand.

"I will not! Come on, Hood, stop punishing me for kissing Lady Marian. After all, I was hardly the only man she kissed while you were at war!"

Robin's eyes turned hard. "And what's that supposed to mean, Aylesbury?"

"Oh, here we go," Much whined. "Now, Master, what does it matter? What's done is done. It's not as if you played the monk while we were away from home!"

"Who else, Aylesbury, not that I'd believe your gossiping tongue. But who else? Gisbourne?"

"I don't know...probably. He does pursue her relentlessly."

Robin glared. "Marian would never kiss him. She has too much sense."

"But, Master," Much objected, pointing to Aylesbury, "she kissed him."

"But he is not a vicious killer. Trust me, Much, Marian's seen Gisbourne kill. She won't have anything to do with him."

Much nodded his head, convinced. He remembered all too well being at close range with Robin and Marian when Gisbourne thrust his sword through Joe Lacey's body. He guessed the image haunted Marian's dreams as often as it did his own.

Robin turned back to Aylesbury, wearing a false smile. "So, tell me, Aylesbury, since you're so eager to fill me in...who else did Marian kiss?"

Martin was only too happy to oblige. He loved to gossip. Besides, he could finally focus Robin's ire toward someone other than himself. "Spencer," he answered. "And Roger of Stoke."

Robin's eyes grew wide as Much's. "Spencer?" he asked in disbelief. "And Roger?"

Both men had served under him in Acre, but he had known them for years before that. Spencer he had always despised...but Roger had been a true friend. Robin was too stunned to speak.

Much took up his cause for him. "You are a liar, Dunderhead. Spencer's married, so that proves Marian wouldn't kiss him. And Roger of Stoke wouldn't kiss Robin's...Robin's..." Much turned to his master. "Robin, just how should we describe Marian in relationship to you?"

The carriage had stopped and the doors were thrown open. Crouching down out of sight, Robin hissed to Aylesbury, "You tell anyone we entered in your carriage, and I will personally hunt you down and make you regret your words."

Aylesbury gulped. "I won't tell. Just get out of my carriage and leave me alone." He was relieved to have kept his purse, and sure that Hood would now refocus his anger at other men who had pursued the fair Lady Marian in his absence. Stoke was thousands of miles away in the Holy Land, but Spencer was in Nottingham, at the Council of Nobles meeting right now...the meeting Martin was late for. Oh, dear. The sheriff didn't approve of his nobles being late. At least he would be pleased by the purse Martin would give him.

"Master," Much whispered, "how are we going to steal your tiger tooth necklace back from the sheriff?"

"Never mind about that just yet, Much," Robin answered. "There's been a change in plan. I need to have a word in private with Spencer first. We'll find him, and see just what he has to say about Marian." He seized Aylesbury's purse just as the nobleman was about to step from his carriage.

"Thank you very much for your generous contribution," Robin grinned, leaping with Much to the ground before Martin. "The poor of Nottingham will be most grateful. Goodbye." Slamming the carriage door shut in Martin of Aylesbury's face, he hurried off with Much to seek disguises.