It was about two hours after midnight when we finished eating. De Noir informed us that he would sit with Robin until day break while we were to rest in Loveday's room.

I protested when I heard this news, but De Noir remained firm. We needed our rest and he would ensure we were woken if there was any change. I reluctantly left with Loveday and made my way to her room. I couldn't resist a quick look at Robin as I passed. The pallor of his face was still discernible but he appeared warmer when I leant over to touch his arm. I pressed a quick kiss to his hand, patted Wiggin's head and left before De Noir shouted at me.

Loveday was already in the room when I entered and she held out her arms to me. She was so rapidly becoming the mother I had never had; she seemed to know just what I wanted and was so easy to love. She eventually let me go to suggest that we tried to rest. I didn't think I would be able to sleep, but I lay next to her on the bed and closed my eyes.

Sleep wasn't going to come easy. I could hear the wind rustling through the trees and there was a door creaking somewhere. When I closed my eyes, I could see Robin's white face as he lay there, so immobile and I imagined that he was dead. I had to open them again to banish such thoughts and I sat up and held my head in my hands as tears began to flow once more.

Loveday was up in an instant,

"What's wrong?" Why did she need to ask? She looked at my stricken face and said firmly, "He isn't going to die, Maria." How did she know? She stroked my hair and suggested that I might like to think of happy times.

"Why don't you think about my wedding to Benjamin?" she asked. "We were all happy then. You could think about dancing with Robin. You look so beautiful together."

I thought her idea was ridiculous and was on the verge of telling her so, when she began to hum a soft melody that we had danced to. I lay back again and shut my eyes. As I listened to her, I saw Robin standing in front of me, as if he was about to ask me to dance. I felt him slip his hand around my waist and pull me towards him as I reached up and circled my hand around his neck. Our free hands touched and we were swirling around the room.

I don't know if I slept or if it was a waking dream, but it was the sun streaming through the windows that forced me to open my eyes. I stretched and sat up. I was by myself and for a moment, I panicked. I scrambled out of bed and went straight to Robin's room. De Noir was asleep in the biggest chair in Robin's room, so I tiptoed past him to look at Robin. I wasn't sure, but it looked as if some of his colour had returned and his skin felt warm to the touch, but it was the warmth of health not fever.

I noticed Wiggins had disappeared and was just about to search for him when the door opened and Loveday appeared.

"Good Morning," she smiled at me. "Wiggins just needed to go outside." The puppy bounded in the room and up to me, greeting me with a lick on my hand. I stroked his soft head and smiled as I watched him.

"Father!" Loveday wasn't afraid to disturb him. "Time to wake up" she called and he awoke with a jolt. She fussed over him a little and he complained about it, seeming to shrug her off, but it seemed that he was really enjoying having her there to care for him.

Loveday and her father went down to have breakfast. I said that I was not hungry and preferred to stay with Robin, so Loveday promised to send up a tray of food.

I sat on the bed beside him and started to tell him about my dream in which we were dancing. As I spoke, I held his hand, raising it ever so often to my face to press it against my cheek and occasionally to kiss it. I sang the music that Loveday had hummed to me as I slept and which had brought me such peace.

Elsie entered with a tray of food and a cup of tea. I left the bed momentarily to have a drink and then asked her if Robin had been given anything. When she told me that he had been given nothing, I was worried. Surely he needed water, at least? I asked her to bring me some and I told her that I would try to at least moisten his mouth for him. She looked knowingly at me and then smiled. She shuffled off to fetch the water, while I sat on the edge of the bed, sipping my tea.

She returned with a cup of water and I asked her to help me lift him so that I could try to get him to drink. Our attempts weren't entirely successful, but I did at least get his lips to open a little and managed to get some water into his mouth. Most of it went over me, but I didn't mind if it meant that Robin was more comfortable.

Elsie left the room and I replaced my cup on the tray. I went back to holding his hand and talking to him. I thought that I heard him sigh and I looked up to his face. There didn't appear to be any change. I ran my fingers through his hair, stroking the curls away from his pale forehead. I leaned my face closer to him and whispered his name.

"Robin," I had to tell him how I felt. "I love you." I was sure I saw his eye lids flicker. "Do you remember how I slept in your arms that first night?" I had to fight myself not to kiss him. "It felt right, didn't it? I am sorry I have taken so long to realise what you mean to me. I thought we were just best friends. We are that too, but it's more isn't it?"

This time, I didn't fight the urge; I leaned in and kissed his forehead. "That's why I was so jealous of Lucy, Robin, I just didn't understand." Once I had allowed myself to kiss him, he was irresistible to me. I trailed my lips between his eyes and down his nose. "I have missed you so much, my Robin." I kissed first one corner of his mouth and then the other. "You are, you know," I told him. "You are mine and I am not going to share you."

I felt his lips move slightly under mine and he was kissing me back. His soft lips parted slightly at my touch and he breathed my name as our kiss grew deeper.

"Maria." It was so soft but the sound of his voice filled me with such joy that I felt tears start to well up in my eyes again, and as they spilled over and splashed on his face, he released me and spoke.

"What's wrong, Princess?" It seemed so long since he had called me that. I couldn't speak at first; I just gazed into his eyes, so happy to see the life in them. Finally, I cleared my throat and replied,

"Nothing, Robin." I stroked his face. "I was just so afraid."

He reached up to wipe the tears from my eyes with his thumbs.

"What were you afraid of, my love?"

"Of losing you." I felt a sense of tremendous relief now I had managed to tell him. I put my hands up to touch his hands that were still cradling my face. "I love you so much. I can't live without you, Robin." I faltered slightly, "I was so scared I wasn't going to be able to tell you."

"I will never leave you, Maria." He struggled to sit up so that our faces were level. "I love you more than anyone or anything. I have done ever since I first saw you in London." He held my hands in his, squeezing them between his strong fingers. "I didn't realise it properly though until you stepped off the cliff."

He paused as if talking was difficult, so I fetched him the remaining water. He drank it eagerly, "I have been so happy, this summer. I haven't wanted to be with anyone else, but you. I've loved every hour we have been together, every dance, every walk. Even the days when we haven't done anything have been enjoyable."

I couldn't relax fully until I had asked,

"What about Lucy?"

"Lucy? What about her?" He asked; his expression was unreadable.

"You preferred spending time with her." I couldn't help myself, I knew I sounded accusatory, but I had to know. He looked into my eyes and I knew that he was speaking the truth,

"Lucy is a lovely girl, and a true friend, Maria. She knew how I felt about you, but she also knew that you needed a little help seeing me in the correct light. She had hoped you would marry her brother before she came here."

"He asked me," I broke in before I could stop myself, "but I refused."

"I should hope so too. He is nice enough, but you are mine." His tone was possessive and final. I wasn't going to argue.

"Entirely yours, Robin." I replied as Wiggins got tired of being ignored and jumped on the bed. We both laughed and simultaneously put out our hands to pet him.

"Thank you for Wiggins, he is gorgeous." I smiled at him.

"Just like his mistress." Robin smiled the special soft smile that he seemed to reserve for me. "Now enough talking. Kiss me again, please." I was only too happy to oblige.