The Troubles from Monsters and Men (The Secret of Moonacre Fanfiction)

Of Trust and Memories

On Christmas morning Maria jumped out of bed, threw on her robe, and wrapped her neck in a pretty blue scarf that Loveday gave her. The bruises had now dulled to a feint purple.
She ran down her tower and up to Albert where they played by the fireplace. After breakfast, she and Albert were allowed to open one gift each. The rest would have to wait until the De Noirs arrived. Maria chose the largest box from Loveday and Sir Benjamin that contained an assortment of clothing for her. There were three beautiful dresses, a blue, a green, and a burgundy colored one. The burgundy and green ones were velvety and of the style that Loveday wore. The blue one was a bustle grown, however, it came with two bodices. One was a matching blue with a sweetheart neckline, and the other was a white high-collared blouse. Maria scowled at the wink that Loveday gave her over Sir Benjamin's shoulder.
There was also a long ivory cloak and matching gloves and scarf that were lined with wool and fur on the inside. After thanking them, she rushed to her room and changed into her new green dress and new cloak, scarf, and mittens to keep herself warm.

As Maria and Albert played in the snow with their family, a carriage led by black stallions pulled up.
Maria tensed, and her stomach flipped. Coeur, Mr. Havisham, Dulac, and Robin dismounted from the carriage. Robin was formally dressed in black slacks, a black dress shirt, and his leather jacket. Robin caught Maria staring and his heart quickened, whether from fear or curiosity, he wasn't sure. Before he could decide, Maria took Albert by the hand and walked in his direction. His heart stopped and his mind flashed scenes from the book of their supposed time together. She greeted his family with all her charm, but when it was her turn to greet him, she averted her eyes to the ground and dropped a short curtsy.

Robin gave her a short nod, conscious of all the eyes on him. He didn't like the smile Loveday had on her face. She was enjoying this far too much. He was wary and wanted to stay away from her, yet another part of him was drawn to her. It was as though she held a piece of him he so desperately wanted back.

He wondered what she thought. Was she mad at him for leaving? Or perhaps, disgusted at their kiss?

During dinner, Maria and Robin were seated next to one another, no doubt thanks to Loveday. Tension oozed between them. This made for a quiet dinner. Sir Benjamin and Loveday didn't mind their silence, they were just happy neither was trying to kill one another.

Maria was very conscious of their proximity. When her hand brushed against his, or her knee bumped his thigh, Maria would quickly retract until she sat as still as a statue, barely nibbling at her food to keep herself from accidentally touching him.

Albert soon grew tired of his food and whined until he was allowed to roam free. He walked over to Robin and reached out his arms. With a soft chuckle, Robin lifted him into his lap. Much to everyone's amusement, Albert rummaged through Robin's torso, searching for his feathered scarf. When he couldn't find it, he grumbled and asked to sit on Maria's lap, which she was happy to oblige. Unfortunately for Maria, Albert was determined to stuff his mouth with her soft scarf. It became a battle between nephew and aunt, both refusing to let go. Feeling bad for her, Robin tried to help her out.
He lifted Albert from her lap, but her scarf snagged on a button from his jacket's sleeve and she was pulled along with him. With a yelp, Maria was yanked off her chair, dragging Robin by the sleeve down with her. Their family gasped and stood to help them, but Maria waved them down.

"I'm alright!" She managed to say.

"Erm, Maria your scarf is stuck to my—"

"—Yes, I can see that!" She snapped, her face red with embarrassment. She tried tugging herself loose but only managed to pull him down until he was on his knees behind the table with her.

Maria began to pull harder, she needed to get loose before he saw her neck. Oh, how she wished she wore that high-collared shirt!

"Would you stop pulling, it's making things worst," Robin asked trying to pull the button off.