Our days soon settled into a pattern where I spent the mornings with Miss Heliotrope at my lessons while Robin carried out his chores at the castle. We finished at lunchtimes and then the rest of the day was ours. Miss Heliotrope was happy to let me go as she and Digweed had plenty of wedding plans to make. They were a slightly odd couple but Digweed clearly adored Miss Heliotrope and she seemed very happy with him. They were both going to stay on at Moonacre after the wedding and Uncle Benjamin had agreed that they should have their own living area for use in the evenings. Miss Heliotrope was busy embroidering and making furnishings for their apartment.

Meanwhile, Robin and I had our own accommodation to sort out. Once we had cleaned the den, we started to decorate it a little. I had begged Loveday to allow us to have a cover that she had previously used in her cave. She was happy to oblige us and even provided a couple of cushions. She was always happy to do anything that encouraged us spend time together and made us both happy.

Most afternoons found us there just relaxing and talking, getting to know one another. Although Robin frequently asked me questions about my life in London, it became a long distant memory and it almost felt as if they were events that had happened to someone else, and I had merely read about them in a book. He wanted to know all about my friends and seemed very interested in my best friend, Lucy. I told him how we used to spend our afternoons in the park and the games that we used to play. Sometimes I think that he worried that I missed my old life, but I didn't. I missed Lucy a little and the London shops, but I loved Moonacre and I wouldn't have swapped an hour in Moonacre for a day in London.

My uncle and Loveday decided to get married towards the end of the summer in the gardens of Moonacre and I was to be bridesmaid. I was really excited about this as I had never n a bridesmaid before. Loveday wanted me to wear pink, but I managed to persuade her that it really wouldn't be a colour that would suit me and instead we decided on a deep blue, which not only suited me, but also matched the blue of her eyes. Loveday also planned to force her father and Robin to wear something in the same shade of blue, which Robin was not happy about.

"I just can't see what all the fuss is about" he moaned for what seemed the fifth time that hour. We were sitting outside the den and he was really beginning to get on my nerves. "Why do we have to dress up like this?"

"Robin," I tried to hide my impatience "Uncle and Loveday want this. That's what weddings are like. Why can't we just do something to make them happy? It isn't going to hurt us."

He grunted in response.

"Besides," I added, "I am looking forward to dressing up and dancing." Which I was, I couldn't wait to wear my new dress and I loved dancing.

"Dancing" he groaned. And I immediately saw to the root of the problem.

"Don't you want to dance with me at the wedding, Robin?"

"No." He sounded grumpy and I pulled a hurt face in reply.

"Oh, I was looking forward to dancing with you, but never mind." He looked up at me and then he hesitated, before admitting,

"I don't know how to dance, Maria." I moved towards him and took his hands,

"Follow me" I instructed him. I walked him through some basic steps and then showed him how to hold me as we repeated the moves. At first he followed the movement sullenly, but as he began to improve his mood lifted enough to allow him to improvise a little. We twirled and whirled in each other's arms and finally sank breathless and exhausted onto the floor.

"How was that?" I asked him.

"Good. But only as long as I am with you," he said, smiling at me. I leant against him.

"We can practise again tomorrow, if you like."

He did like and we practised virtually every day after that. I loved dancing with him and he seemed to enjoy it more and more as he improved. It was another thing that brought us closer together. I had never had a really close friend before, no siblings, no one other than Miss Heliotrope in whom I could confide. Robin became everything to me. He was my best friend. He was my only friend. I didn't need anyone else.

Loveday and I were to spend a week shopping in London at the end of July. Miss Heliotrope was not going to go with us as she was allowing Loveday and me to spend some quality time together. I was looking forward to buying my new bridesmaid's dress for the wedding. I ran happily to the den to tell Robin that I would be going. He pulled a face at my enthusiasm for the city, but he could see that I was looking forward to the excursion and let me chatter about it. As I talked to him, I realised just how much I was going to miss him. I wondered if he'd miss me.

"Robin?" I asked in a small voice.

"Princess?" he replied in his gentle way.

"Will you miss me while I am gone?" I had to ask. He looked at me for a moment and then suddenly burst into loud guffaws of laughter,

"Yes, of course I will!" I relaxed, relieved.

"It will be so quiet!" he laughed. I looked at him for a moment and then hit him in irritation. He laughed even more and, grabbing my hand, pressed a kiss to it.

"I will miss you, Maria," he said much more solemnly, "But you will have a great time and soon be home." He paused, "and I will look forward to seeing the new dress."

He still held my hand and I returned his gesture by pulling his hand to my mouth and kissing it in return. He smiled into my eyes and then asked,

"Will you dance with me, Princess?"

Then I was in his arms and I forgot about London.