Maria strode home in a state of absolute abject fury. How dare he? How absolutely dare he? The audacity, the nerve, the downright insult of it! But then, that was Robin all over, confident, cocky- and about a subtle as a brick wall.
Brimming with righteous anger, she didn't notice her surrounding flashing by her. Before she knew it, she was on the threshold of Moonacre Manor and her outrage had carried her right through the front door, up the steps and into the receiving hall where her uncle and Loveday were sitting before the fireplace.
"Maria?" Loveday asked, surprised first by the abrupt entrance of her niece and then more still by her angry countenance, "What is it? What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Absolutely nothing is wrong," Maria seethed as she stormed passed them, "Apart from the fact that your brother is the most ignorant, insensitive and tactless oaf I have ever had the misfortune of meeting!"
Without stopping, she continued right up the stairs and out of sight, the slamming of a door echoing loudly from somewhere above.
"What on earth was that about?" A bewildered Loveday demanded of her husband.
"I'm sure I've no idea," Sir Benjamin replied, turning the page of his book in a thoroughly unconcerned manner without looking up, "Nothing to be done though I'm sure…"
Robin, meanwhile, was walking back to his own home in a state of bewildered indignation. Bloody hell, what had all that been about? What had gotten into Maria? Not only had she been entirely unsympathetic, but she'd flown completely off the handle for no reason at all! While yes, she had always possessed a somewhat fiery temper, she was usually the image of ladylike respectability, unless provoked, and for the life of him, he couldn't think what had provoked her.
Behind Robin's irritation though, there was also a growing panic. Distracted from the initial shock of it, the truth of his situation was beginning to sink in. Married. His father wanted him married. What was he going to do? If not Maria, who the hell was he supposed to marry? While her reaction couldn't be taken as particularly encouraging, he supposed he hadn't actually asked her, so technically, it wasn't a refusal...
"Is it true?" Richard demanded, making a beeline for Robin as soon as he spotted him coming through the main gate of the castle courtyard. "Your father's told you to get hitched?"
"Yes," Robin answered shortly. Since advice or sympathy wasn't something he anticipated from any of his friends (at least not helpful advice), he didn't stop to indulge Richard, who had immediately burst into raucous laughter, with any further information. Continuing across the courtyard and through Castle Black's huge front doors into the mess hall, he threw himself onto an empty bench.
Unfortunately, Richard had only followed him. "So?" He persisted with a grin, dropping down onto the opposite side of the table and waving enthusiastically at Henry and David to summon them from the other side of the hall, "Have you asked her?"
"Asked who?" Robin grunted moodily, pulling over half a loaf of bread and ignoring the other two as they sat down next to himself and Richard.
"Don't be thick," Richard said impatiently, "The Moon Princess of course!"
"What makes you think I'd ask her?" Robin demanded.
Henry snorted. "Well who else would you ask? She's the only girl you've said more than a few words to at a time for the past six years,"
"No, she isn't," Robin denied, scowling as he dunked a chunk of bread into some butter.
"Oh yes she is, and no girl round here will have you given how you've ignored them all in favour of her since she turned up," David chimed in, "So what are you going to do?"
Robin glared down at his bread, repressing the urge to thump David. Or any of them. "I don't know," He growled.
"Well you're going to have to do something," Richard announced, "Dulac's already strutting around like he owns the place since he's convinced your father will name him in your place,"
"And if he does, we're all up the creek, so you better get your act together," Henry added.
"You know, you're all more than welcome to come up with some ideas yourself!" Robin exclaimed angrily, feeling more annoyed, infuriated and humiliated by the second.
"She's a lady, isn't she?" Henry remarked innocently, "Why don't you just try some poetry?"
Richard promptly inhaled his ale up his nose "Robin-" He spluttered, tears of pain and laughter spilling from his eyes "-and poetry?"
"Do that, and I hope your father does disown you," David informed Robin, looking disgusted, "How about keeping it traditional and just kidnapping her?"
"And how many times has he tried that before without any success?" Henry pointed out, thumping a still coughing Richard on the back, "Even if did he managed it, she'd only escape,"
"Well that depends on where he puts her," David baited with a smirk, "She was quite happy in his bed last time she was here wasn't she? Perhaps she's that much of a lady after all-"
With a snarl, Robin lunged across the table, grabbing David by his shirt and yanking him forwards. Before he could do anything else though, the Coeur De Noir's voice boomed out from behind them.
"What's going on here?" He demanded, voice ringing with authority as he glared down at the pair. Forced to let go of David, Robin shoved him back. Since his only intention had been to get a rise out of his friend however, David didn't look particularly bothered by this, and if anything, was only more entertained.
"Nothing Coeur De Noir," He drawled, tugging his jacket straight and smirking, "Robin's just a bit worked up is all- it looks like his fair lady won't have him,"
A good deal of sniggering broke out across the hall at this, and the Coeur De Noir raised his eyebrows, "Is that so?" He asked, turning his eye enquiringly from David to his son and sounding thoroughly unimpressed, "And is that it boy? Is that to represent the full extent of your efforts?"
"Of course not," Robin snapped, his eyes flickering from his father to the unbearably smug expression of Dulac standing behind him at his shoulder.
"It had better not be," The Coeur warned, "You've got until the winter solstice boy, and not a day longer," He held his son's gaze for a few moments longer, his eyes hard and unyielding. But then as quickly as he had appeared, the Coeur De Noir was his way out of the hall, a smirking Dulac marching after him.
Sinking back down onto the bench, Robin glowered down at the table. Ignoring his friends and their snickering, he hunched broodingly over his tanked, eventually reaching the only conclusion he could think of; he'd simply have to try again.
Tracking Maria down proved far more difficult than Robin had anticipated. He waited at their usual meeting places, checked her favourite spots, and even called at Moonacre Manor several times. After a week of this however, it became clear that her absence was not accidental, but entirely deliberate.
Robin's frustration by this point was starting to get the better of him. As outraged as he still was by his father's unreasonable demands, it didn't diminish the reality of them and as ludicrous as Maria's suggestion had been, his only option soon really would be to ask the next girl on the road that he saw. Many of the De Noir girls were already married by now and those who were left were either too young, too immature, or too slighted, for there was some truth in what Henry and David had said about Robin's inattentions to them over the past few years. Not that Robin was particular bothered by this; as the son regarded by his father as a disappointment and unlikely to be named his heir, most of the De Noir girls had had shown little interest in him until this changed. And by that time, Robin was too busy keeping the one person who had always been more interested in him, rather than his father opinion of him, out of trouble.
So what the bloody hell was Maria playing at, avoiding him now? Apart from when one of them was absent from Moonacre Valley, they'd never gone so long without running in to each other, either deliberately after agreeing to meet, or accidentally. And that on its own, without the added pressure of trying to find a fiancée or fathoming why suggesting Maria fill that position was apparently so very offensive to her, was enough to drive Robin to distraction.
"Why won't Maria see me?" He demanded, marching into the large glasshouse behind the Manor after been told for the tenth consecutive time by Digweed that Maria wasn't home.
Far from looking concerned by her brother's abrupt entrance or his obvious agitation, Loveday looked rather amused by it. "It would appear that you've offended her,"
Robin made a frustrated noise. "And what exactly is it that I've done?"
"I was hoping you could tell me that," Loveday stated, glancing up from the geraniums she was repotting and raising an eyebrow, "She's hardly been in this week so I haven't had much chance to talk her,"
"Well I've no idea," Robin replied flatly, "First father drops his bombshell on me and then the next thing I know she won't see or talk to me!"
"Father?" Loveday asked, looking surprised as she gestured for Robin to pass her another pot, "What's he scheming about now?"
"He wants me married," Robin said aggressively, slamming it down beside her.
"Of course he does," Loveday frowned, shooting a remonstrative glare at her brother before starting to pile soil into the luckily still intact pot, "I don't need you, or Maria, to tell me that,"
Robin shook his head. "I mean he's given me an ultimatum. Either I make sure I'm engaged by the winter solstice, or I forfeit inheritance,"
" What?" Loveday dropped the geranium plant she'd reached for, "He can't do that!"
"Oh yes he can," Robin said grimly, instinctually catching the plant as Loveday continued to stare at him in disbelief.
"But you're his only son!" She cried.
"That's not how succession works for us, you know that," Robin reminded her impatiently, dumping the geranium into the bigger pot without much care, an action which finally did distract Loveday from her disbelief.
"It doesn't have to be, but it still usually is," She pushed Robin away from the flower, wrapping a hand around it delicately and carefully spreading fresh soil around it, "I mean, who else could he name?"
"Well, Dulac was his favourite until the curse was lifted…" Robin muttered darkly.
Loveday made a noise of derision. " Dulac has the instincts of a troll. Father wouldn't name him, not now,"
"Well maybe George then," Robin shrugged.
"George can't be his heir, he's the Merryweather heir," Loveday frowned, shaking her head, "But I still don't see what any of that has got to do with Maria not talking to you-"
She abruptly broke off though, her head snapping up to stare at her brother with dawning realisation. "Oh Robin, please don't tell me you did what I think you did!"
"Oh for god's sake, not you as well!" Robin exclaimed, looking immensely irritated, "Why is it that women prefer to speak in riddles?"
"Because some things shouldn't need explaining Robin! Like how suggesting someone marry you because your father threatened to disinherit you otherwise might be rather disappointing, upsetting and insulting. Which is exactly what you did, isn't it?" Loveday demanded, her hands on her hips and a look of total dismay creasing her elegant features.
"Well actually, no, I didn't even get that far before she stormed off," Robin muttered, folding his arms and looking at his sister defensively, "And so what if I did? She's always telling me to use my head, and I am, it makes sense for both of us!"
"Robin, women do not dream of sense. And they certainly don't dream of convenience!" Loveday shook her head despairingly again, "Somethings must come from the heart. Do you think Maria jumped off that cliff just because it made sense? That sort of courage doesn't come from logic,"
At Robin's uncomprehending expression though, Loveday could only sigh. "Robin, is Maria Merryweather the kind of girl who does anything half-heartedly?"
"No," Robin frowned, "She's all or nothing,"
"Precisely," Loveday nodded. At his continuingly blank expression though, she lost her patience. " Love!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air, "For heaven's sake Robin, she'll only marry for love!"
Robin looked only momentarily surprised by this notion before his expression fell back into one of impatience, "Fine. Right, well I'll tell her I love her and then perhaps she can stop acting like such an over dramatic-"
"Oh stars above, she was right, you really are an ignorant, insensitive and tactless oaf," Loveday muttered, passing a hand across her forehead and leaving a streak of soil there. "Robin, you can't tell Maria you love her," She explained in a two plus two equal four sort of tone, "That isn't going to work,"
"Why not?" Robin frowned
"Because- well firstly, do you love her?" Loveday demanded.
"Of course I do,"
"You didn't even think about it!"
"I don't need to think about it,"
Loveday sighed a weary sort of sigh. "Oh Robin, in other circumstances, that might have actually sounded romantic. But you do need to think about it. Love isn't about being a convenient solution,"
"Well it's not my fault that in this instance it does happen to be a convenient solution," Robin said stubbornly.
"But what is your fault, thanks to your manner of suggesting it, is that your chances of convincing her otherwise are practically non-existent now," Loveday wiped her hands on her apron, looking both resigned and amused as she untied it, "But you're going to have to try I suppose…"
Thank you so much for all the support for the first chapter of this story, and I hope you have enjoyed this second one!! Not much Maria in this one, but oblivious!Robin has been fun to focus on. And De Noir banter is always lots of fun, despite the fact they its also always a bit of a surprise, since their voices aren't always something I'm confident I can find, because what are the De Noirs?? Who are they and how do you fit them into the late Victorian period when they so obviously don't? I mean I love the film (a lot, or I wouldn't be here writing fanfiction lol), but world building for it is hard given how little you have to go on from the film!! I really really wish there was more material, and not necessarily more scenes (although that would be amazing!), but just information about the creation, development and production of it all...
But I digress, as usual. I was hoping to go for the one-chapter in reserve upload plan for this, but I'm not sure that's going to work! The next chapter is pretty much finished, but the chapter after that is not. Like, really not. I know how I want this story to end, but there seems to be a missing piece for the middle, one that I have been trying to fill for ages without much success. I've written myself into a bit of a corner it seems, so without giving too much a way, I could seriously do with some thoughts on how Robin should prove to Maria that he loves her. So please, please send suggestions!!