A Moonacre Fanfiction Peace on Earth

Marmaduke's breakfast was delicious, as always; but the real treat was the addition of Sir Benjamin and Loveday. Maria was tickled to see his uncle interact with his new wife. They were so easy and natural with each other. Miss Heliotrope rattled on about her engagement to Digweed, Maria and Robin's getting lost in the blizzard, Coeur De Noir accompanying Lillian to town, and the upcoming ball. Uncle Benjamin and Loveday endured her monologue with the patience of saints.

Maria told Miss Heliotrope and Lillian about the dress, both of whom insisted on seeing it the moment breakfast was finished. The morning would be spent bathing and preparing for the ball. Maria found the preparation wearisome, but she knew the end result would be worth it.

Presently they finished breakfast, complimented Marmaduke, and the women migrated upstairs to examine Maria's dress.

"I declare," Miss Heliotrope said, after sputtering various unintelligible exclamations, "Loveday, you have a fine eye. Maria, you will be exquisite."

"The belle of the ball," Lillian agreed. "You won't want for dance partners."

"I have a feeling she wouldn't have lacked them anyway," Loveday said, an amused twinkle in her eye. "But let us see your dress, Lillian; I'm sure you'll be twirling the night away, too. You seem about my father's age. I'm sure he would—ah, but you've already met, haven't you? Well, I'm sure he'd be overjoyed to have you on his arm tonight."

"It would be an honor," Lillian said. Maria watched her closely. If she felt anything for Coeur De Noir, she concealed it well. "Come, my room is downstairs."

As it turned out, Lillian had good taste. Her gown was a fern green satin with an elegant bustle skirt and Queen Anne neckline. Gold was embroidered into the bodice.

"I thought I'd wear white gloves with it," Lillian said, "But what do you think?"

"White gloves would be the finishing touch," Loveday decided. "In fact…Maria, do you have gloves?"

"I do; do you think I ought to wear them with my dress?"

"Of course!" Miss Heliotrope huffed. "You wouldn't dream of dancing in bare arms?" Maria giggled.

"Of course not, Miss Heliotrope." Although she hadn't considered dancing without gloves scandalous before. "May we see your dress?" She directed this at her tutor, whose eyes brightened. Miss Heliotrope always loved a good dress.

"Yes, yes, come this way." So they examined her dress, too: a peacock charmeuse with black brocade accents. Maria hadn't ever seen Miss Heliotrope wear this dress. All the ladies fawned over it with appropriate remarks until at last Miss Heliotrope said, "We really must start drawing water for the baths if we're all to wash before the ball." Maria was about to say that Loveday would be going back to the De Noir village where she could bathe there; then she realized that Loveday wouldn't be going anywhere. Moonacre Manor was her home now. Which meant drawing bathwater for four ladies. They had better get to work.

Meanwhile at the De Noir village, Robin was loitering in the magazine, polishing an axe disinterestedly. His mind was elsewhere, but it was good to keep working. Torchlight flickered off the walls. It was a good place for thinking.

"Oi! Robin!" a voice echoed off the walls. "You in here?"

"I'm here," he replied.

"Right. Your father's lookin' for you. I'll tell him you're here."

"Do that." He returned to his polishing. Presently heavy footfalls on the cold stone floor broke the stillness, and Robin knew his father had come. It was unlike Coeur De Noir to seek him out, even since they had become friendly again. Usually Father summoned him. And so he looked up when his father greeted him.

"Robin."

"Father."

Coeur De Noir shifted on his feet, eyes skimming the walls laden with knives and bows and arrows. He seemed uneasy.

"Is there something you wanted to tell me?" Robin probed. Coeur De Noir met his son's gaze.

"Yes." His voice had an uncertain pitch to it. "It regards…well, correct me if I'm wrong, but, ah, I believe you and Maria are…" he fumbled for words.

"In love?" Robin supplied.

"Er—yes. That." Robin frowned. Could it be that his father disapproved of Maria? How could anyone disapprove of Maria? But he let his father continue haltingly. "She's a fine girl." There. He knew Father wasn't daft.

"I agree. Father, do you have a point?" Robin tilted back his bowler hat with the axe. He wasn't trying to be impatient, but Father wasn't exactly being straight and to the point.

"I do. Forgive me. Son, it's been a while since you've had a mother." Robin's frown deepened. This was beginning to sound familiar. He thought back to his conversation with Maria yesterday. She'd been going on about…what was it? His father and Lillian. He'd thought it preposterous. But what could Father be talking about?

"Yes. You know I've never known a mother." Robin's mother died at birth; how could he have known her? And what was his father getting at?

"I know. That was why I thought…that is, I've been thinking…I mean, well, what do you think of Lillian?" Coeur De Noir said this all in a rush. Robin's chuckle was low.

"Well, I'll be…" he shook his head in amusement. "Maria was right." Now it was Coeur De Noir's turn to frown. He didn't see what this had to do with Maria. What could his son find so funny? "There'll be no living with her after this. But of course I mean to," Robin added with a grin.

"What in tarnation are you going on about?" Coeur De Noir demanded.

"Sorry, Father. It's just that Maria predicted this. Yesterday, she proposed the idea of you and Lillian. I just laughed. And now…" He swept out a hand.

"Really, Robin. What do you think of her? I want to know whether you like Lillian before I think of courting her. This is your family, too." Robin liked the sound of that.

"I think she's grand, Father, I really do. A peach." He was rewarded to see his father beam with pride.

"I'm glad to hear it," Coeur De Noir puffed out his chest. He slapped Robin on the back affably and strode out, a little bounce in his step. Robin stared after him, still a bit in shock. Nevertheless, he had meant what he said. Lillian treated him like a young man, not a boy, as Miss Heliotrope tended to do. Lillian was lively and kind. If Father could be enchanted by a woman after knowing her for so short a time, if gruff Coeur De Noir, of all men, could fall in love at his age and with so a fine woman, Robin wished him all the luck in the world.

A/N: My dear reader,

Thank you ever so much for keeping up with this story! I'm excited for the next chapter. I'm sure you can tell this is beginning to wrap up (we're not quite there yet!) but where something ends, another must begin. Therefore, if you have any splendid ideas for a new Moonacre fanfiction, do let me know in the reviews! I can't promise anything, of course, but so many of your suggestions have sparked my stories. I'm sure you're familiar with the stimulation that accompanies marinating in story ideas. At any rate, I thank you once again for your attention and bid thee farewell.

Until next time, I remain your

Ponygirl7