Long time no see? I can only blame the holidays. I hope you had wonderful holidays^^ I had, with a lot of snow...too much...

But now the unpleasent thing...I have exams at the moment and they will last up to end of the January. I won't upload a new chapter before Febuary. Sorry^^''

Chapter 10

I sat on the window sill, as I often did. The weather was beautiful and I watched what was going on in the garden. But there was no one other than Hans. Compared to recent days, everything was very quiet. Especially compared to yesterday, because yesterday was the day when Natalia spoke to our father. And my doubts were confirmed. Unfortunately.

I sighed. It bothered me very much that Natalia had spoken to our father. I wanted to forget about everything, but it was not easy, because everyone talked about it. Actually even seeing Hans or Natalia made me remember everything. It was therefore impossible for me to forget.

A day earlier

I watched how my father went back and forth in front of the window. He called me to his room and said that he had an important thing to discuss with me. I couldn't imagine what he wanted from me, but when I heard that Natalia had visited him before me, I knew exactly what the talk was going to be about.

"I want my children to be happy." My father just looked out the window. "And I've let you live as you wish. Freedom is the greatest pleasure, after all. But I have to keep you from making mistakes."

Freedom? I raised one eyebrow. Can this be called freedom? They decided for me what I am doing all day and I am prohibited to leave the house. But of course, Natalia and Jack lived a very free life.

"So I ask you for advice. Is Natalia making a mistake, when she wishes to marry a poor man?"

I was pretty sure that the ordinary and poor man, he was speaking of, was Hans. But the fact that he asked me about it made me angry. What could I say? If I would have said yes, then Natalia would be mad at me. But I got the impression that father was waiting for just that answer.

"Dear Dad. Even if it would be a mistake. Do not you think that we also need to make mistakes to learn?"

"Not such big ones." He turned to me. "Tell me honestly. What do you think about Hans? "

I had to think to know what to say. I had my opinion, but I'm not going to say it to my father. How could I say to him that I have never seen such arrogant man ...

"He is very hardworking and confident. In addition, he knows what he wants from life and he doesn't give up so easily. I'm sure he'll be a good husband "

I felt pain in chest when I said it. It was all true. He would be a good husband. But I did not want to imagine him next to Natalia. However, I did not want to spoil my sister's happiness.

Dad looked out the window again and stood in silence for some time.

"Do you have the same good opinion about William?"

I was very happy that father did not look at me at the moment. I was sure he would have understood that I was upset. If others did not see me through the mask, then he did.

"He is also a very nice man." I could say at least one sentence.

"He will ask for your hand, I am sure."

Robin left the kitchen, coffee cup in hand. It was night and the others were asleep. No, not everybody. Including her, Sanji was awake and at night guard. He wasn't in the kitchen, so he had to be in the crow's nest.

Robin walked to the deck to check if there was light in the crow's nest. Of course, Sanji had never fallen asleep during the night guard; however, there was a saying: Trust, but verify. Fortunately, there was light in the crow's nest. Robin just wanted to go back to when she heard a noise.

She looked down from the railing and saw Zoro training. It was weird now. For Zoro to train for almost the whole day was nothing unusual. But now at night? This was a little too much. Although when Robin tried to remember whether she saw him during the day training, the answer was no.

Robin leaned against the railing and watched. Zoro was standing with his back to Robin and it seemed that he had not yet noticed her. At the same time, the moon came out from behind a cloud and lightened the ship better, so Robin had a very good view.

She took a sip from her coffee and wondered how Jenna often spent time just watching Hans. She was happy for a long time and it was enough that she only watch. But when Jenny noticed that soon she won't be able to watch him as Natalia takes him away, she fell into depression. She knew that she had to do something against it.

But Robin didn't plan to do anything. For her it was really enough to watch. Especially, when the view was so beautiful. She took her empty coffee cup and turned towards the kitchen.

"Are you sleepwalking?"

Robin was not particularly surprised by Zoro's voice. She knew that he would notice her standing there.

"I just wanted a breath of fresh air. And you? "

"Training, do not you see?"

"I see very well, how you train your muscles." Robin smirked.

Zoro looked over his shoulder and frowned. "Whatever."

Robin stood still for a moment and smiled. Then she left for the kitchen, where she planned to go before. It happened quite often that those two saw each other at night. The others didn't notice it. But this time they were discovered.

I would like to know, what Hans was thinking. As much as I watched him from the window today, I had not felt that he had changed his behavior. No one mentioned anything about him. They only talked about Natalia. That was not anything new though.

My sister behaved perfectly normally. Maybe that's because father hadn't said if he would allow Hans to marry her. Although I was relatively sure he would allow them to marry.

I put the book aside and tried not to think about it; for a moment at least. I went to the first floor living room where Uncle Scott and Eduard were having lunch. I did not know that uncle was here today. But I liked it because I got to join and did not have to think about certain things.

Eduard talked about his work. But my uncle listened to it with more interest than me. Fortunately, neither could understand that I really did not listen. But then a man joined us, which I really did not want to see now. I was afraid how he would react to the news.

"Nice to see you all." Tim came into the living room and sat down very happily. "Not you, of course not." For a moment he looked at Uncle Scott and then at me. Seemed that he had not heard about the news.

"You know, you're not cool with your childish behavior."

Tim rolled his eyes and didn't answer Uncle Scott. Thankfully. He turned to me and smiled. I envy that he could be so carefree.

"What's wrong? You're so grouchy today. "

"Grouchy?" I forced myself to smile. "I'm not grouchy."

"Miss is not grouchy. She has spoken with us very happily. "Said Eduard.

"Sorry, but you don't know Jenna at all. Do not get involved. "

I looked at Tim and then to Eduard, slightly smiling and asking for forgiveness. Even when everybody in this house knew that Tim was very rude, I felt that it was my duty to apologize. Tim would not have done it anyway.

"But really, he does not know anything. Jenna, you can smile, but I can see that something is wrong. "

I just wanted to smile to Tim once again to show that everything was okay. But then I saw that Hans came and I was not able to force myself to smile.

I watched numbly how he put flowers into the vase. He did not pay attention to us. There was no emotion, nothing. But it was enough that I could not smile anymore.

And, of course, Tim had to see it. He immediately rose up, grabbed my hand and dragged me out of the room.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I should ask you that." I was very angry with him. He dragged me like a doll.

"Jenna!"

"Nothing is wrong."

"I can see that something is wrong. You're sad and you seem to be even sadder when you saw Hans. What happened with him?" I avoided his gaze and didn't say anything. "What is going on in this house?"

"You want to know what's going on here?" Tim troubled, when he heard a sharp voice behind me. It was Natalia. "Something beautiful is going on. I'm going to marry. "

"Who is this blind and stupid guy?" Tim looked arrogantly at Natalia.

"Hans Meyer."

Natalia smiled and the name, when she said it had swept Tim's arrogant attitude. Tim looked at Natalia for awhile like she made a bad joke. Then he understood that it wasn't a joke and he also understood why I was in a bad mood.

"Oh no ... stupid man, stupid!" Tim looked at me with concern, but I didn't look at him.