AN: I am experimenting with which person to write in. I am not sure I want to whole story to be Maria's POV as in Chap 1.

Chapter 2

Maria skipped out the back door of the Manor with excitment bubbling in her chest. She didn't expect Sir Benjamin to agree to her request so easily and she had been prepared to put up a fight if need be. But she was thankful it hadn't need be.

She made her way through the garden trying to appear leisurely as she passed windows all the while darting and ducking between shrubs when possible to make her journey from the vast gardens to the stables quickly. She didn't want to raise suspicions at her haste and she needed to hurry if she was to return at a rather unsuspicious hour.

Thankfully Digweed had already sadled Perwinkle having heard the conversation at breakfast and having known of Maria's plans to take Periwinkle out. And thankfully Digweed had already moved on and was nowhere in sight. A right busy man he was being the only buttler and server, apart from the cook, Marmaduke at the Manor. Perhaps Uncle need to acquire more help now that he is no longer the only inhabitant there, Maria thought.

And thankfully one could not see the stables from the Manor, not very well at least, for all the trees blocked the view, because Maria quickly greeted Periwinkle, mounted and yelled, "Yah!" as she gave a swift tap of her heel into Periwinkle's side and they rode off past a canter and quickly into a gallop. The wind howled in Maria's ears and her heart pounded at the speed and she felt a smile spread across her lips. She was very pleased indeed at having succeeded in misleading Miss Heliotrope and Sir Benjamin.

Once at the edge of the Forest Maria dismounted Periwinkle near a small stream of clear and icy cool water and hitched her to a tree. "You'll be perfectly safe here", Maria whispered to Periwinkle nuzzling her neck. She passed her a carrot from her pocket as a treat and patted her nose goodbye.

Maria took a deep breath and stepped into the Forest for the first time in nearly a week. She had a moment of fear and quickly thought she ought to change her mind but just as quickly she shook the thought away and continued. And then she thought again about how it still wasn't quite clear how things were now between the two previously rivaling families. After so many years of pride and hatred, hearts have grown stubborn and stuck in their ways. But as far as Maria was concerned, wasn't it she, a Merryweather, that had broken the curse and saved all of Moonacre Valley? Who could yet still rival and loathe a Merryweather now? The Last Moon Princess?