Chapter Twenty Eight ~ Discussing A New Prospect

ROBIN'S POV

"Here you are," Mrs Harper placed a bowl of warm food beside me. I was sat in the confinements of my room, and was awaiting Mr Gomez's return. "Eat up. You look as if you haven't eaten a thing in London." I smiled slightly and glanced up at Mrs Harper.

"Thank you." I told her quietly. She seemed to study me for a few moments before taking a seat on the chair opposite.

"I've sent word to your sister of you arrival home." She began. "Though I don't think she will be visiting as they have to prepare for Miss Maria and Mrs Heliotrope's arrival tomorrow." I flinched at her name. Mrs Harper must have taken my reaction differently as she continued in worry. "I hope that's alright, I can send for her to come visit if you want?"

"No, that's fine, Mrs Harper." There was a long moment of silence.

"Tell me about what happened in London, dear." I met her gaze and held it for a long moment before shaking my head.

"It doesn't matter." I sighed, picking up the bowl of food and spooning some of it into my mouth.

"It clearly does, Master Robin, as you seem most troubled by it." I was tempted to tell her that as a servant, she should mind her own business. But I gazed at her and remembered this was Mrs Harper I was talking to.

So I proceeded to tell her everything, minus the first night I had spent there; in Maria's bed, and the time things got out of hand between Maria and myself. Mrs Harper would most definitely not approve if I told her. She listened carefully, not once interrupted, and by the time I had finished, my food had gone cold. Just like the expression on Mrs Harper's face.

"What?" I demanded, unable to take her stare any longer.

"You left Maria?" I clenched my jaw and looked away.

"I needed to get away." I tried to reason.

"That is no excuse!" Mrs Harper cried. "You turn up in London, halfway through her trip away, you put her in a position where she has to lie to Mrs Heliotrope then you waltz away without a shred of a goodbye?" Her expression was incredulous when I met her eyes again.

"Well, maybe it is better this way. Perhaps now she can have what she deserves."

"And what exactly does she deserve?" Mrs Harper demanded.

"Not me!" I cried. The tension in the room lessoned slightly and Mrs Harper's face softened.

"Oh no, Master Robin, you don't believe that do you?" The look on my face must have said it all. She opened her mouth to retort, though the door to my bedroom opened and Mr Gomez stood in the doorway. He nodded politely at Mrs Harper then looked to me.

"I reckon you can go see your father now." He told me. I quickly got to my feet and bid Mrs Harper goodbye before making my way to my father's chambers.

His chambers were situated in a secluded part of the castle, which he would only allow a certain few to enter, myself being one of them. I made the long trek, my thoughts racing and trying to produce some form of apology to my father for the conversation in the main hall. There were scarcely few servants passing me in the corridors so I was given no comfort as I neared my father's room.

I reached the stone steps up to them and took a deep breath before making my way up with careful steps. His door was closed when I reached it, so I braved knocking. There was a short moment of silence before my father's voice from within called;

"Enter." I went inside.

His room was much more extravagant than my own and he definitely prided himself with the De Noir emblem on tapestries and chests numerously dotted about the room. His large, four-post monster of a bed was set on a raise to the rest of the furniture and I shuddered at the memories of walking in on my father, when I was younger, to find him in bed with some of the younger female servants.

My father, himself, was stood by one of his open windows, his back to me and looking out across the grounds. I came further inside the room and shut the door shut behind me. With meaningful strides, I came to my father's side to look at the scenery that seemed to have him in a trance.

I saw nothing unusual, but the grounds of De Noir castle and the main gates leading off into the thick of Moonacre forest. People bustled about in the courtyard, it was a lot busier than I remembered it. It was a beautiful day, I noticed.

"Soon this will be yours." My father spoke suddenly, startling me. I glanced to him and then back out. This was a topic we had rarely ever touched on and I shifted uncomfortably, waiting to see where he was leading this. "I've tried to raise you the best I can, though not without struggles. I've tried to raise you a leader, Robin, and I want the day I die to be a day where I have confidence that you will take over from me and do the job right."

"I don't know why we're discussing this, you're not dying any time soon." I stated quickly. I expected a harsh reply, though I got a deep chuckle from my father.

"I know that." I sense a grin in his voice, though I didn't turn to look at him, I continued to gaze out. "I don't think you've truly grasped the responsibilities you have, Robin." I opened my mouth to speak, but I was cut off. "Yes, I know I've told you plenty of times, but has the thought truly crossed your mind regarding taking over from me? Have you ever thought about being a leader?"

I didn't answer.

"I'll take that as a no." Father chuckled again. "You're a young man now, Robin. You need to start thinking about your future and not about what spontaneous game you're going to play with your friends tomorrow."

"I don't play games." I muttered, irritably.

"Can you remember when we feuded with the Merryweathers?" Father asked, suddenly.

"How could I forget?" I glanced at him, and saw a thoughtful, yet slightly amused look on my father's face. I wasn't sure I should be unnerved by it or comforted.

"And the curse over Moonacre?" I nodded dumbly at this. "Loveday told me a while back that the only way the curse would be broken if our families united."

"And we did. Peace was made and the curse was broken." I stated, frowning. "Are you trying to tell me that you don't think the curse is broken?"

"No, I am most certain that the curse is broken. Moonacre is at peace, I am talking most about what Loveday said; uniting our families." He paused and licked his lips. With a sigh, he walked away from the window and I heard him take a seat in one of his lavish armchairs. I didn't follow him, I remained standing though turned to him, waiting for him to continue. "Loveday married Sir Benjamin, and I suppose that's unified us all, more than expected." He sighed and met my eyes. "You're getting older by the day, Robin." He smiled at me. "You're turning into a man, though I wonder when you will start thinking like one."

"I still fail to see what you're lecturing me on." I frowned, folding my arms across my chest. There was a long moment's pause.

"What happened on your trip to London?" He asked, suddenly, posing the near same question Mrs Harper had done earlier. I raised an eyebrow. "You gallivant off without any warning, I would have expected a much more extravagant return than the one I've received today."

"I don't see why it matters-"

"Just tell me." His tone was soft and he raised his hands in a questioning gesture. I was taken back by his demeanour and I regarded him evenly to see if I could see any hints of rage. When I found none, I took a sigh and told my story for the second time that day, though this time I left nothing out.

END OF ROBIN'S POV

Merryweather Manor was a grand spectacle to behold as we pulled up through the gates. I couldn't contain a grin as I saw the figures of my family stood waiting at the entrance and I turned to Mrs Heliotrope with glee. She merely beamed back and laughed a little at my enthusiasm.

Finally the carriage came to a halt, and I didn't let Digweed even have the chance to open the door for us as I quickly clambered out myself and rushed towards Loveday with open arms. She gathered me up into a hug.

"Oh, Maria, how good it is to have you home again!" Loveday gushed, squeezing me tight. I didn't mind, though the air was rushing out of me. When she let go of me, she held me at arms length. "How was London?"

"Eventful." I admitted after a pause. "Though it's great to be back in Moonacre with you all again." Loveday beamed again and kissed me swiftly on the cheek. Beside her, Uncle Benjamin waited for us to finish. I quickly threw my arms around him too, taking him off guard. "Oh, I've missed you, Uncle." He chuckled slightly and patted me lightly on the back.

"We better not dilly-dally." He stated. "Marmaduke has a dinner made for you inside. Digweed, take Maria's bags up to her room, please."

"My pleasure, sir." I glanced over my shoulder to see a cheerful grin on Digweed's face and I followed my Uncle and Loveday inside. Where I was greeted by the heavy sounds of footfalls and Wrolf's bounding figure coming towards me.

I giggled and rejoyced at the sight of the large black lion, and greeted him with a hug of his own. I was home now and I couldn't be more happier. Everything could return to normal.

My smile wavered slightly when the immediate thought of a certain De Noir came into my head and I wondered if perhaps everything could return to normal.

ROBIN'S POV

"Oh, you are a fool, boy." Father chuckled, heartedly. "My, my, I daresay I'm actually quite proud of all the trouble you and Mr Gomez had gotten yourselves into." I frowned.

"You seem strangely calm." I observed.

"Mr Gomez has already informed me of what happened, you've just filled me in with all the gaps." He explained, briefly. "Us De Noirs sure know how to make ourselves welcome." I smiled slightly, and paced a few steps in front of the window before glancing back towards my father. "Though what I'm more concerned about is how you let this Haversham boy run you out."

"Were you not listening to what I've just told you? What I heard him saying to Maria, before he proposed to her?"

"Yes, and how have you let anything from that snobby bastard's mouth get to you?" He threw back. "You truly are a fool if you really believe half of those things. He said those things to win over Maria, he manipulated her feelings for you and who you are. He's a city boy, they're all like that."

"And what if it did win her over?" I asked.

"Why didn't you wait around to find out?" I didn't answer for a few moments.

"Because I needed to get away. From him and from her." Father shook his head.

"You take things to heart too easily, that's your problem, Robin. Your jealousy is your fatal flaw and I think it's about time you overcame it, don't you?" Father began evenly. "You've known Maria for over three years now, son. You've saved her, befriended her, gotten close to her, fallen for her, saved her again, courted her and loved her. You must think so little of your relationship with her if you think that she will be easily infatuated by the likes of this Haversham boy, whom she has known over a single month." A pause. "What is a month to your three years?"

"He could provide her with some much more, Father." I sighed, my voice quivering. I had to swallow before continuing. "He could provide her with everything she wants, everything she needs-"

"And have you actually asked Maria what she wants and needs, or is this just your assumption?" He challenged. I gritted my teeth and stared him down. "Why are you persistent to throw away that girl?"

"Because I love her." I didn't know I was crying till I felt a tear on my tongue and I wiped them away in frustration. "I want her to be happy and be with someone who can treat her well and give her what she wants."

"And yet this Haversham boy fails to meet your description, in my opinion." I met his gaze again. "Are you really so insistent to end it all without truly thinking it all over? Thinking about all of your options?"

"And what other options do you propose, dear Father?" I asked bitterly. A smirk came across my Father's features.

"Well, the option I have in mind involves you being the one doing the proposing." There was an eerie silence in the room as I regarded my father and processed what he had just told me.

"You want me to propose to Maria?" I choked out.

"Well, I hardly was suggesting you propose to the Haversham boy, was I?"

I shook my head frantically before backing up slightly and nearly knocking over a mirror on the wall. I clumsily stepped away and had to hold onto the wall to brace myself. Marriage was something I had not thought about, something that had never crossed my mind.

"Give me a reason why not?" Father challenged, rising to his feet and walking over to me. "You're both at marrying age now and you're at the age where you're gaining new responsibilities as a young man. Robin, you need to wake up and realise that this is a part of growing up. You can't expect life will continue on all the same, you can't expect to live the rest of your life playing in the forest with Maria, you need to start thinking about becoming yourself and doing your duty as a man."

"My duty?" I cried, my voice not holding the same strength as before. My head seemed to be spinning with all these new prospects. "You're saying that I should ask Maria to marry me because it's my duty!"

"No, I'm saying you should ask her to marry you, because you love her!" There was silence again as we contemplated each other. Father's face softened slightly and he smiled. "And it's about time you showed her truly how much you love her."

I studied my father in silence for a few moments before patting the wall a few times with my knuckles as I tried to process some train of thought.

"I suspect this was what you were discussing with Mr Gomez earlier?" I asked, carefully.

"Of course." Father smirked. "We put our heads together and discussed the prospect of having a new De Noir into the family. We've thought about this long and hard, believe me, and we've come up with the first step; discuss it with you and see if it gains your approval. Though judging by you current stance and the fact you look as if you want to throw up, I'm not sure you're totally on our wavelength?"

"Marriage is a big thing." I managed, earning myself an affectionate pat on the back.

"As is the world out there." Father turned me gently to face out of the window. "You have faced a lot more than you should have at the young age you're at and I know you are most definitely strong enough for this new direction." I stared out at the blue skies, my heart pounding hard and my head tinkering through all these new suggestions.

Was I ready to brave this step? Was I truly strong enough to ask Maria to marry me? All of Haversham's words buzzed into my head, echoing and hissing at the back of my mind. His words had hit me hard, though my father's words were sinking in fast and giving me a whole new prospect that I had never even thought of before.

This was now my next decision. Maria would return the next day and I knew she would be expecting a lot of explaining because of my hasty departure from London. There was still the nagging thought that Maria could have perhaps accepted Haversham's proposal and would be returning with news that could potentially break me apart, though I convinced myself not to think of that possibility and shunned it to the back of my mind.

Was marriage the next obstacle in my life that I would have to overcome? Did I want Maria to be my wife?

"Hypothetically," I began, slowly. I saw my father's mouth twitch and him raise a questioning eyebrow. "If I was going to ask Maria to marry me, what is the next step you and Mr Gomez have concocted?" Father didn't appear to contain his grin at this and squeezed my shoulder before replying.

"Discussing with Sir Benjamin Merryweather the prospect of you asking for his niece's hand in marriage."


(A/N) Friends, I'm back again with a new chapter to sink your teeth into! I hope you enjoyed it!

I know this is quite a big jump now and I hope it's in the right direction. The road I intend to go down, is all thanks to the awesome s a mcauley, who I have mentioned already in one of my previous Author's Notes. She came up with wonderful ideas to finish my story on, which I have taken on board and incorporated into the rest of Past, Present and Future. Thank you for the umpteenth time, Stephanie! :)

I'd love to know what you all think about this chapter and the new prospect for the characters? Do you want Robin to propose to Maria? Do you think Maria will say yes if he does? How do you think Sir Benjamin will react if Robin asks him for Maria's hand in marriage? Please review, I'd love to know!

Oh and time wise; Robin's POV is set before Maria's POV. For Robin, Maria hasn't returned yet. So whilst he's talking with his father, Maria in theory is still in London with the Havershams. She returns the next day in Robin's 'time scale'. Confusing? Send me a message and I'll try and explain it better. Hopefully I made it clear enough?

Thanks to everyone who reviewed the previous chapter and hopefully I'll have a new one for you soon!

-Jemlou-