𝐒𝐨 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝓛𝓸𝓿𝓮

Chapter 8

It has been storming for the past few days, and no one can come in or leave the Manor. Well, except Loveday. She can use the secret tunnels to get here. I'm not allowed to use the tunnels, though. Since no one is supposed to leave, Mrs. Heliotrope has given me extended lessons with only a lunch break and a ten-minute break that I can use at any given point during the day. The classes only end at dinner time. I've almost forgotten that my birthday is at the end of the week. I'm just glad that the weather took everyone's minds from my birthday to when the rain will stop.

Robin's POV: During the storm, Loveday filled me in on their plan for Maria's birthday. I must keep her busy on her birthday until an hour after twelve. I have to keep her away from Silverydew because someone might accidentally spill the surprise, and I also have to keep her from the forest cause people might try and take a shortcut through it. I'm going to take her somewhere I doubt she has ever been. Everyone knows about the surprise and has agreed that we will not talk or bring up her birthday. We are going to pretend that we have forgotten all about it. Loveday came up with this plan the day that the rain started. Loveday believes that the rain will stop right before her birthday. Hopefully, she'll be right.

Maria's POV: The days have been long and cold and dull. I'm starting to hope that the weather will begin to clear up. The best days are when Mrs. Heliotrope lets me finish with our lessons early, and Loveday is here. I discovered that her tunnels also lead to the De Noir castle and the back of her friend's store in Silverydew. I absolutely hate being stuck inside! I wish I could use the tunnels too.

Sometimes when Mrs. Heliotope ends our lessons early, all the adults will meet in Uncle Study. I'm not allowed to go with them. I doubt they are hiding something from me because nothing has happened since the storm. Maybe it has to do with the manor's doors being locked all of a sudden, or perhaps the thing with Robin and I sort of being in charge of Silverydew. I was starting to feel lonely. I hoped that Robin and Wiggins were doing okay.

I sat down on the piano bench, Wrolf was by the fireplace sleeping, and all the adults were in Uncle's study. I was bored and feeling quite lonely. I wished Robin was here. I looked out the window. It was still pouring outside, but it didn't seem as much as the days before. I looked at the keys of the piano, and I started playing. It seemed to flow from my heart to my hands. It wasn't Uncle's and Loveday's song but something that seemed dear to me. I couldn't remember where I had heard it, but I knew it meant much to me.

"Maria?" Someone asked almost as if it were a question. It startled me and I immediately stopped playing. I turned to see Loveday and, following right behind her, the other adults with puzzled facial expressions.

"Maria, dear, where did you learn or hear that song?" Loveday asked.

     "I- I- I can't remember Loveday. I remember hearing it many times as a child, but I can't remember who played it for me or where I heard it." I said truthfully.

    Loveday asked, "Mrs. Heliotrope do you remember hearing anything like that when Maria was a child?"

    "Um, not that I can remember, no. Why, is there something wrong?" Loveday looked at Uncle Benjamin, and he nodded.

    "Did I do something wrong?" I asked, looking from Loveday to Uncle Benjamin.

    "Well, there's this legend." Loveday started to say.

    "Another Moonacre legend," I asked nervously.

    Loveday laughed and said, "This isn't like the other one. This one is much different. It has always been that a Merryweather would be granted a gift every couple of generations on a rainy day." Loveday was now sitting beside me, and Uncle was behind us, gently laying his hand on Loveday's shoulder. "See Maria. It was a gift handed down around every three to five generations. It never came two generations in a row. Your Father, Maria, had this gift. The song you just played is a song that you can't learn or teach to someone. It's a way of finding your soulmate. One day your Father was playing the piano, and your Mother came and started playing with him. We found out later that it was from the Legend, and that's when your Father realized he had met his soulmate."