On a rainy night in Moonacre Valley, a knock echoed through the Merryweather house. Benjamin opened the door and found no one there. He looked around and saw nothing, up until he looked down and saw a crib containing a young girl. Inside it was a note.
My dear brother,
My wife has given birth to twins, unfortunately she has not survived the process. In front of you is Margaret Merryweather. I will be honest with you, I am in deep debt and I cannot support two children when I can barely provide for myself. Please treat her with kindness and love as if she were your own daughter.
Sincerely,
Your brother
"Uncle why do I call you uncle?" A small three year old girl asked as she sat next to Benjamin at the piano. Loveday just departed from the manor when she asked the question.
"Because I am your uncle." He answered her.
"But why can't I call you father? Marmaduke said that a father raises and loves their children. You do that to me right? So why can't I call you father?" She asked with innocent eyes.
"But I am not your real father."
"But I want you to be." Thus, Benjamin Merryweather became the new father of the young child.
A few years later, a six year old girl wandered through the forest. She drifted to a tree with large roots around it.
"Margaret. Margaret." It called. She found herself drawn towards it and she started to walk to the tree.
"Hey." She whipped her head and found a much older boy behind her. "What are doing here?"
"You're a De Noir." She stated after looking at his outfit.
"And you're a Merryweather. Are you lost? Your family doesn't usually wander off to the forest."
"I was curious."
"Shall I escort you home?"
"A De Noir being a gentleman? Father said that your family are vicious men without class." The boy laughed and went to guide her back to the Merryweather estate.
"Father? I didn't know that Benjamin Merryweather had a daughter."
"He's my uncle but I call him father since he was the one that raised me."
"Where's your real father?"
"Not really a great question to ask me."
"I'm Robin, if you were wondering." He said after a long silence.
"Oh, I'm Margaret." She introduced herself, forgetting that she hasn't even said her name. The two were silent for most of the walk and then they were finally at the big house.
"Can I see you again?" He asked her.
"Maybe."
They didn't see each other again for at least two months when Margaret was riding her horse near the edge of the forest.
"So Sir De Noir what brings you to the edge of the forest?"
"I was actually hoping to see you." He said and she tilted her head in confusion.
"I was curious about you."
"The same way that I was curious about the forest?" She asked.
"A little bit like that."
The two continued to meet at that spot for at least twice a week and then at a certain month Robin asked her. "Where's your real father Margaret?"
"He left me with my uncle Benjamin. He says that I have a sister somewhere but my father chose to keep her instead of me." She says sadly.
"What?"
"I don't care about him anymore, but sometimes I wonder why he kept her and not me."
"Well it's his loss."
"Robin! You're father's here." Edwin who was one of Robin's friends ran towards them. Margaret managed to be friends with all of the people in his circle of friends. And they found the girl endearing and kept Robin's secret friendship with her.
They both ran to hide, but the gallops of horses kept getting louder and soon Coeur De Noir was next to them. Robin's friends tried to hide girl behind them when he appeared.
"Robin. What are you doing here?"
"Uh.. Father."
"And who's that behind your friends?" He asked. And they were force to part and reveal Margaret.
"G-Good afternoon Sir De Noir." She said.
"And who might you be?"
"I'm a friend of Robin's"
"And where do you live?"
"At the village Monsieur." She lied thoroughly and she thought that it was lucky that she wore a simple brown dress and not the usual blue ones.
That was the moment Robin fell head over heels for the girl. He realized that she was willing to protect him even if it meant lying and the idea of making her a De Noir was so appealing to him.
A noise woke Robin up at one night and when opened the window below it was Margaret Merryweather. She was throwing rocks at his window and her face was illuminated by the light of the full moon.
"What are you doing?" He half-whispered half-shouted at her.
"Come out. We need to go somewhere." It was the first time that Margaret actually snuck to the De Noir castle during an indecent hour
"Where are we going. And what time is it?" He asked her once they were together.
"Almost midnight. It's a surprise."
And that was when Robin met Loveday De Noir again. Margaret actually stumbled upon the older De Noir lady when she woke up early one morning and saw Loveday in her room laying down sweets and milk. She already knew the woman because her father was her ex-fiancé. Loveday guided her through her secret entrance that lead to her makeshift home, which was a burrow. That was the first time she saw the mirror that revealed the valley's fate which she already learned from her father. She decided to keep what she saw to herself.
The first time that they kissed was at the forest the same spot where they first met. It wasn't planned or expected and it was actually clumsy but full of love.
"Robin." She said breathlessly. "Why?"
"I love you. A lot." He said. "I just hope you return my feelings."
"I love you too."
Margaret was pacing back and forth in the forest angrily. Robin was on the edge, she dragged him from the De Noir castle to the forest which she usually doesn't do. She was unexpectedly angry and he wondered what was so important, that she had to drag him all the way here.
"Tell me what's wrong?" Robin said worriedly.
"Maria's coming here!"
"Who?"
"My sister!"
"What?" Robin asked in surprise.
"My real father died and now he's leaving her here like me." She stated as she stopped pacing and face her back to Robin
"Then what's wrong? Don't you want to get to know her?" He asked and was faced with a crying girl when Margaret turned aroun.
"I'm scared." She sniffed. "I'm scared that she'll take everything from me. Father, Loveday, for goodness sake she's already captured my real father's heart before she could even walk."
"He has a good reason why he left you here and if he didn't do that, you wouldn't have met me." Robin tried to reassure her.
"I'm scared she might take you away from me." She said quietly after a few moments of silence.
"She could never get me away from you."
"Tell me you love me."
"I love you."