MARIA'S POV

He leaves me on a cliff as he departs. "What do you know…" I look to the hardwood floor. "That I already know?"

I stand and straighten my nightgown while looking in the mirror. "Maria!" Mrs. Heliotrope calls and bursts through my door. "We're going on a tiny little trip." She sits on my maroon couch hidden in the corner of the back of the room. As I make my way to her, I notice she'd been crying.

"What's troubling you, Mrs. Heliotrope?" I ask her. "My aunt just died today at seven o' clock. We need to go to London to attend her funeral." I gasp at Mrs. Heliotrope's shocking words. "London? But Mrs. Heliotrope, that's so far away!" She blows her nose in a handkerchief. "I know, Maria darling, but I'd still like you to come with me."

The poor woman was in tears, I think to myself. Just agree to go to London and make her happy. "Alright, Mrs. Heliotrope. We'll go together." She embraces me in a tight hug to her bosom. "Great," She sniffs. "We'll be leaving for the train tonight at midnight." She notices my worried look. "Oh, darling, we'll be back at Moonacre in a week."

"Oh…okay, Mrs. Heliotrope." I try to smile as she exits. I gasp loudly and run to my bed. "A week in mourning! Oh, that's just what I need!" I slam my fists with fury into my plump feather pillow. "I have been to enough funerals in my lifetime!" A knock sounds at my door. "Maria, are you okay?"

I hear Robin at the door. "No! Come in." I yell. I bet he's thinking how childish I am being right now. "What's wrong?" He asks. I whack the fat pillow again. "I'm going to London for a week…" I groan to him. He shrugs his shoulders. "What's so bad about London?" He asks.

"Nothing's bad about London," I begin. "Nothing except going to Mrs. Heliotrope's Aunt's funeral to mourn!" I feel him sit on my bed. "Another funeral?" I nod and push my face into the covers. "Isn't it wonderful?" I moan sarcastically. He pats my head. "You'll survive without me for a week." I push away his hand and try to muffle my laughter. "It's not you that I can't stand being without," I say. "I've just gotten so used to living in Moonacre, that I forgot how life was back in London."

"I feel you," He replies to me. "And I'll write you, too." I bring my face from pillow-world to his face. "I would hope so." I say to him. "I've got my own personal stash of postcards and envelopes in that desk over there." He looks to me and grins. "You know princess, I think I'll actually miss you."

I ogle him in amusement. "I think I'll actually miss you too." We sit in awkward silence for a few moments. I play with my purity rings nervously as I watch him stare at the ground. "Robin." I say. I watch his face as he blankly gazes at the floor. "Robin." I say again, hoping this time he'd look up. "Robin!" I yell to him. He snaps out of his trance with fright. "What could you possibly want?" He hisses at me. I clutch my abused pillow to my chest, taken aback by his tone. "You were ignoring me," I merely say. "So I called your name."

Robin gives me a haughty look. "You didn't have to call it a thousand times." He responds. I find a hole in the pillow, and pluck from it a white goose feather. "I scared you, didn't I?" I begin to laugh softly. "What? No, Maria—"

"I scared the living daylights out of you. I did!" I declare to him. "NO, Maria. I wasn't—" I shush him with my laughter. He begins to beam at my ongoing amusement. "Shut up." He says, pleasure peeking out from their hiding places. As I continue my ridiculous laughter, his face begins to redden. He reaches over to my and cups a hand over my mouth. "Lock that thing and throw away the key." He jokes with me. He moves closer to me as I silence myself.

"Then I'd never be able to talk again," I point out with a giggle. He persists to move nearer to me. "I don't know if I'd like that or not." He whispers, his face now just inches away from mine. "You…would?" I ask quietly. I feel myself shrinking against his massive figure. "I said I don't know." He says and puts his hand beside his knees. "I guess I must start packing now, then." I say and gulp tensely.

I slide off of the bed and go into my wardrobe. I run my hands through my selection of black mourning dresses. I have a lot—that is, since I've been to countless funerals. Someone bursts through the door, asking for Robin. "Robin, my sincere apologies, but Coeur demands that you report to the castle immediately." I turn to see one of Robin's tutors whose name is Mr. Santiago. "Why?" Robin asks, removing himself from the bed so he could meet the man face to face. "I haven't a clue," He stutters. "But just by the look on your father's face, I can tell it is important."

Robin looks to me, and I give him my approval of going, even though he doesn't really need it. "Alright, then." He stubbornly says. "I'll see you later." I wave to him and then go back to my packing.