"I hope nothing is the matter." Guy said as he rode up behind Juliana, scaring her as she hadn't been listening and didn't hear him approach.
"I'm fine." she said, looking at him in confusion.
"Oh, we saw you leave the house so quickly.." he said as he dismounted.
"I felt like taking a walk." she said as she watched him closely.
"Do you often cry as you walk?" he asked.
"Are you always this nosy?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest. "Besides, if I didn't feel like talking to Marian about it, then why would I discuss it with a stranger?"
"Very good point." he said as he lifted his hands. "I apologize. I do know however that Marian isn't always the easiest person to talk to."
"Do you?" Juliana asked.
"Yes." he nodded. "She isn't always very, open minded I guess is the term I'm looking for." he said. "I'm sorry to have bothered you. I hope you enjoy your walk." he added as he turned and began heading back for his horse.
"Did you have a happy childhood?" Juliana asked as Guy grabbed his reins.
"Excuse me?" he asked, confused by her sudden question.
"A happy childhood." she repeated. "Did you feel loved, safe, even wanted?"
He thought a moment before answering. "No, I didn't." he said as he looked at the ground.
"Neither did I." she said.
"From what I've heard of your father..." Guy began.
"He's always been a superb actor." Juliana cut him off. "In public, he was always the nice charming man, everyone's friend."
"But not in private." Guy assumed.
"No, at home he was then as he is now." she said flatly. "Only know, since those attacks, he's not able to hide his nasty side as well. Not at all really."
"I'm sorry." he said, not really sure what the appropriate thing was to say to her venting.
"You don't need to be." Juliana shrugged. "You are right about Marian. I do love her, she's one of my oldest friends, but, she had the great luck to grow up with people who loved her, who wanted her. Who still want her about."
"And as such she can't really understand." Guy said.
"Exactly." Juliana said with a smile. "Handsome and intelligent. Very nice characteristics."
"Not so much intellegence as it was a good guess." he said, smiling a bit.
"You know, Marian often wrote to me about you." Juliana said as she walked towards him.
"I'm sure that made for interesting reading." he said, having a good idea of what Marian had been telling her friend.
"And all those letters, all of Marian's bemoaning your bad qualities, it was you I felt for." she said as she came to stand in front of his horse, stroking the animal's muzzle.
"I do believe that is a first." Guy said, taken aback somewhat.
"Somehow that doesn't surprise me." Juliana said with a sigh as she continued to pet the horse. "You know, this has made me feel much better. Thank you, Sir Guy." she said with a smile as she moved away and began heading back towards Edward's house.
"Your mood seems to shift quite quickly." Guy said as he rode up beside her.
"Yes, I fear that's in part from being around my father so much." she sighed. "You know, I do believe we could be great friends." she said as she looked up at him. "We could be quite useful to one another as well."
"Have you something in mind already?" he asked with a slightly mischievous grin.
"I do." Juliana replied, smiling. "I just need to get things in place first."
"Jules!" Marian's voice called.
"Over here, Marian." she called back. "Give me time, Sir Guy, and you and I shall be very useful to each other indeed."
"There you are..." Marian said as she walked up breathlessly. "Oh, Sir Guy."
"I was just leaving." he said. "Good day, Juliana." he added. "Marian." he put in as he rode off.
"I don't think it's such a good idea for you to be alone in the woods with that man." Marian warned.
"I'm still alive, aren't I?" Juliana asked. "Besides, I grew up with four brothers, I do know how to defend myself."
"Still." Marian said. "Be careful."
"Yes, mother." Juliana said with a sigh. "I do think he's rather charming actually." she said as she began walking again.
"Physically speaking, yes." Marian agreed, falling into step beside her. "But, his character is seriously lacking."
"I didn't get that impression at all." Juliana said with a smile.
"You don't know him." Marian said. "Trust me, he's not a man to be trusted."
"You needn't worry about me." Juliana sighed. "I can handle myself."
"Jules." Marian said as she grabbed her arm as they approached the house. "You need to be careful. Sir Guy and the sheriff, they're not good men." she warned.
"Once a sinner, always a sinner in your opinion, Marian." Juliana said as she shook Marian's hand from her arm. "That's your problem." she added as she headed back into the house, leaving Marian to stare after her, worry clearly written on her face.
"Where was this money headed?" Will asked as the group looked down at the piles of gold and silver coins.
"To Sir Robert." Robin answered uneasily.
"Who is that?" Allan asked as he eyed the money with a smile.
"He was a man who lived in Nottingham, not far from Locksley Hall when I was a child." Robin answered as he swatted Allan's hand away.
"So, you know him?" Much asked.
"He and his daughter." Robin nodded.
"Does Marian have competition?" Allan asked with a smile.
"No." Robin snapped. "I just didn't realize he was back in Nottingham. I didn't know this was his money."
"Robin!" a voice called.
"Marian?" Robin asked as he looked around and just caught a glimpse of her standing at the edge of the ravine where the group was gathered.
"I've been looking all over for you." she said as they saw her wave to someone.
"Marian?" Robin asked, getting to his feet, "Who do you have..." he stopped and smiled when he saw Juliana stepped out from behind the brush. "Jules!" he said.
"Hello, Robin." Juliana said as she and Marian carefully made their way down the steep slope. They'd both almost made it when Juliana lost her footing and went tumbling down. "Well, that wasn't very graceful." she said as she spat out a leaf.
"Are you all right?" Robin asked with a laugh as he and the others went to help her up.
"Right as rain." she said as she sprung to her feet and smiled at him. "It's so good to see you."
"And you." he said as he embraced her in a hug. "To what do we owe this pleasure?"
"Father got it into his mind to move back." she said. "And who are your friends?" she asked as she looked around his shoulder to the group of people staring at her.
"These are my men." he said as he moved aside. "Little John, Allan, Much, Will and Djaq."
"Hello." Juliana smiled and waved to the group. "Been at work I see." she said, nodding towards the chest they'd just been discussing. "That looks like... Is that my father's?"
"Yes." Robin said. "I didn't know it was Sir Robert's." he explained. "If I'd known..."
"Take some." she said.
"What?" he asked.
"Take some." she repeated as she walked over and removed some of the coin and handed it to each person. "Do with it what you like."
"But your father..." Much started.
"My father has plenty of money, there's no reason he can't share it." she finished.
"Is that such a good idea, Jules?" Marian asked nervously. "If he finds out..."
"Then I'll tell him I spent it." Juliana said with a roll of her eyes. "Where is the carriage that was carrying it?" she asked.
"It went back the way it came." Little John answered.
"Okay then." Juliana said. "I've got my horse with me, I'll just take it home when I go."
"How are you going to explain you riding up with a chest full of money?" Marian asked.
"I'll tell my father that I came across the carriage while I was out on my ride, and it had broken a wheel, so I brought the money back to avoid any robberies." she said, not having to think much at all of ways to fool her father.
"If one of you can help her with that." Robin said, nodding in agreement with her plans.
"I will." Allan chimed in along with Much and John.
"How nice." Juliana said cheerily. "Now, tell me how it is you became such a wanted criminal." she said as she took Robin by the arm and led him off, leaving Marian to stare after her friend, once again, in disbelief. How could she find lying to her father so easy?