"She is by far the most annoying woman I've ever met." Juliana was telling Marian as they walked towards Marian's house, just coming back from some charity work.
"But you didn't actually say so to her." Marian assumed.
"Yes, I did." Juliana corrected her friend. "I couldn't help it. She just went too far."
"But still, she was just an old lady." Marian argued.
"If you'd had to live next door to that old bat for six years, and listen to her constantly complain and grouse all the time, you'd finally have it, too, Marian." Juliana laughed. "Don't give me that look, I know you would. Anyone would. A saint would!"
"Perhaps." Marian laughed. "Oh dear." she groaned when she turned her gaze to her home and saw to all to familiar horses standing outside.
"What is it?" Juliana asked.
"We've company." Marian said with a sneer.
"Not good company I'm assuming." Juliana said as they walked past the horses, she holding her hand out to pet the snout of the large black horse that stood closest to the front doors.
"No." Marian said, her good mood quickly vanishing. "The sheriff and his right hand man, Sir Guy."
"Oh." Juliana said simply.
"Marian, how good to see you." the Sheriff said as the two young women entered the room. "And I'm assuming this is lovely young woman is your friend, Sir Robert's daughter." he added with a crooked smile as Juliana stepped in behind Marian.
"Hello." Marian said with a forced smile.
"Hello." Juliana said, slightly more politely.
"My girl, Juliana." Sir Robert offered in a way of a quick and informal introduction.
"It is a pleasure to meet you." the Sheriff said as he bent over the girl's hand. "And allow me to present my most trusted friend, Sir Guy of Gisborne."
"Hello." Juliana repeated as she made a quick curtsey to both men. "Do you know my father?" she asked. "Or just Marian's?"
"I know of your father." the sheriff said. "But, I do believe we may have some business to talk over. But I won't bore you with those details."
"Now be good girls and go get cleaned up." Sir Robert said dismissively. "Leave us gentlemen to discuss our business."
Marian stared in disbelief, never really having been asked to leave the room in such a manner.
"Come, Marian." Juliana said, obviously holding back her own temper. "Let us leave the men to discuss their obviously complicated business that our simple minds surely would not grasp." she added as she linked arms with Marian and left the room.
"Damn girl." Sir Robert grumbled. "Has no filter between mouth and brain. That's her problem."
"Although she does seem rather charming." the sheriff said. "In a strong-minded way."
"If you'll excuse me." Edward said as he got to his feet. "I've some visits to make. You gentlemen make yourselves at home."
"We will, don't you worry about that, Edward." Robert said with a laugh that dissolved into a coughing fit.
"Are you alright, Sir Robert?" Sir Guy asked as he poured some water for the older man.
"I'm fine." Robert sputtered. "My girl just forgot my tonic this morning is all." he took the water and drained the glass. "Never have children, gentlemen. Nothing but a bother."
"Yes, well." the sheriff said, not caring to listen to the old man's opinions on anything but the original point of their meeting. "Are you feeling well enough to continue on?"
"Of course I am, you idiot." Robert snapped. "I'd tell you otherwise. I'm very eager to reclaim my place here in Nottingham. Didn't want to leave it in the first place."
"Of course you didn't." the sheriff said with a smile. "But, now you're back, and if you've the money, we can get started getting you back where you belong."
"Of course I've got the money." Robert rolled his eyes. "And he's sheriff?" he asked Guy. "Frightening, really it is." he sighed. "It's a wonder outlaws and bandits aren't running the whole damned place."
"So, that is the Sir Guy you wrote to me about, the one who "makes my skin crawl." I think is how you termed it." Juliana said as she came in after she had changed and sat on the edge of Marian's bed.
"He does still." Marian said as she tied her hair back. "You don't know him, Jules. He's not a good man."
"He's handsome, I will give him that at least." Juliana said with a smile. "You were lucky there at least."
"Yes, handsome but completely corrupt." Marian said as she sat down next to her friend. "Which would you rather have, a plain man who's good and honest, or a corrupt one who's the most handsome man you've ever laid eyes on?"
"Well, if you put it that way..." Juliana shrugged.
"You never mentioned your fiance very much in your letters, and you certainly never mentioned his death." Marian said softly. "I'm very sorry..."
"Don't be." Juliana cut her off. "Joffrey was a disgusting, perverted and evil man. His death was a blessing." she said as she got to her feet. "His falling from his horse was a gift really."
"Jules!" Marian said, completely shocked by her friends words. "I can't believe you're saying this. Surely you know it's wrong to speak ill of the dead."
"Just as you pointed out that I don't know Sir Guy, I will point out that you didn't know Joffrey." Juliana said as she picked up a ribbon that sat on Marian's table. "He was older than my father, and as I've already said, he was disgusting and perverted."
"I'm sorry." Marian said. "I have such trouble imagining your father marrying you off to someone like that."
"He's changed a lot over the years, Marian." Juliana said with a sigh. "I've not seen my brothers in years, only three of them survive, but those who are still alive have somehow angered him and now I'm not allowed to see them."
"What happened, Jules?" Marian asked as she came to stand next to her emotional friend.
"Matthew died. A fever." Juliana said. "Chistopher, Marcus and Daniel all went to the Holy Land, two came back but their attitudes toward that time upset my father, and Christopher..."
"What?" she prompted.
"Christopher has been disowned all together." Juliana said as she began to cry. "He married a woman he met while in the Holy Land. A Saracen."
"He disowned him?" Marian asked in disbelief. "I can't imagine..."
"Would you stop saying that!" Juliana said as she moved away from Marian and towards the door. "You were only a bit older than I when we left, and you didn't know him that well before that." she added heatedly. "I'm going for a walk."
"Jules, I'll go with you." Marian said as she moved to follow.
"No, I just need to be alone, to calm down." Juliana said as she took a deep breath. "I'll be fine. I remember my way around just fine." she added as she turned and was gone.
"So, you think Sir Robert can be trusted?" Guy asked as they mounted their horses after the meeting with the old man.
"Of course, I have it on very good authority that he can be." the sheriff said. "Oh dear, looks as though is offspring has been upset." he added as they watched Juliana leave the yard, openly crying. "Perhaps one of us should go and see if there's anything we can do." he smiled.
"You want his daughter in on this as well?" Guy asked as he looked back to the sheriff. "Do you think that's a good idea?"
"I think the more help we can get, the better." the sheriff said. "Run along now, see to teh girl." he ordered. "I would do it myself, but women do tend to find you a bit more attractive for some reason."
"The things I do..." Guy said as he rolled his eyes and steered his horse off in the same direction Juliana had just taken off in.