Moonacre

Part 7

It was the sound of someone nearly tearing the mansion's front door down that drew their attention immediately
Jane looked at Robin, her face most likely as pale as his.
The intense yells and screams that accompanied the loud banging were enough to let them know who it was. They rushed towards the entrance. Jane's heart was nearly beating out of her chest and everything inside of her screamed to take Robin and get as far away as they possibly could before he would find them but she couldn't let Robin's father hurt anyone else in the manor.
No, she had to stop him, and she had to stop him right now.

Meanwhile, Benjamin made his hasty way down the stairs the second he heard the first loud hit against the door that echoed through the entire building. Loveday was close behind him, already preparing for the worst. She exchanged a worried look with Maria as she passed her and Miss Heliotrope in the hallway, both concerned due to the sudden noise. The enraged voice of Coeur de Noir could be heard all over the house only a second later.

"Merryweather!", his voice was booming.
Benjamin met him halfway down the hall and Coeur continued.
"Where is he?!", he demanded, shoving Benjamin against the wall.
"Father, stop!", Loveday rushed to her husband's side to push her father away from him.
Coeur turned around just as Jane and Robin came through the front door.
"You!", he angrily pointed at Robin who flinched in response.
"You will get back to the castle right now, or so help me god!"
,,No.", Jane took a few steps forward in order to keep both de Noirs away from one another.
"No? He's my son, you stupid witch!" Coeur yelled. Robin was about to lunge at his father but Jane held him back, eyeing the gun that was strapped around Coeur's waist.
"No.", she repeated without raising her voice. Yelling back wouldn't get her anywhere. She had to get her point across without being threatening enough as to turn this into a physical fight.
"You don't get to call him your son if you only do so because it gives you power over him. You only get to call him your son when you actually start to act like a father and stop treating him like a mangy dog."
She glared at him fiercely.
"All this time he tried to do everything you wanted him to do, he was at your beck and call and yet all you ever did was belittle, hurt and humiliate him. So far no one ever bothered to stand up for him but let me tell you, should you ever try to even lay as much as a finger on him again you will deal with me, and trust me, it won't end pretty."
She could see Maria and Miss Heliotrope standing at the top of the stairs, both unsure of what to do.
Her mind was racing, she had to think of something to calm Coeur down and she had to think of something fast but the severity of the situation mixed with her sheer anger, made it incredibly hard to think.
"Why do you even stick your nose into business that is not your own?!", he yelled at her.
"Because I love him."
Oh god, she did not just say that.
Jane froze, her own words echoing in her mind.
She could feel Robin's stare on her and in that very moment she wished she could just disappear, or at least bury herself in the ground right where she was standing.
Coeur was just as surprised by her words and was actually silent for a moment.
No one said a word and everyone was either staring at her or at Coeur de Noir, waiting for what was about to happen next.

Robin was the first one to move, stepping beside Jane before grabbing her hand softly.
She turned her head and looked at him with a mixture of embarrassment and confusion.
"And I love her.", his voice cracked slightly while uttering those words, yet he still looked directly at her because he wanted her to know that he actually meant it.
Loveday and Maria both gasped slightly before both squealed as silently as possible so they wouldn't ruin the moment.
Jane's eyes were wide with surprise, she truly expected anything at this point, but this? She really had not seen that coming.
"You must be out of your mind!", hollered Coeur.
"She's one of those god-forsaken Merryweathers!"
"Father!", Loveday meddled in.
"Might I remind you that I, too, married one of said Merryweathers? The curse is lifted, leave that old family-feud behind, it's not getting you anywhere!", she pleaded.
Coeur opened his mouth to argue with his daughter but Loveday interrupted him.
"Could we move this conversation somewhere else? I don't think that we should discuss this in the hallway."
She had already approached her father and was dragging him along by his arm; she didn't want to leave any room for protest. This was a matter that had to be settled.
"Maria, go to your room please.", Jane said, still holding Robins hand securely in hers.
"What? But I want to know what they're talking about too!", the younger girl argued from the top of the stairs..
"Please Maria, do as I say. This is nothing that involves you, but if you want, I can tell you later, okay?", Jane pleaded.
Maria tried to argue but Miss Heliotrope came up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"She's right my dear. Let's leave them their privacy." she said, while already leading the young girl away.
Jane could still hear Maria's protest even after they were out of sight.
Robin squeezed her hand and looked at her affectionately.
"Are you okay?", she asked softly.
"Never better.", he replied with a smile.

They both waited outside the study agreeing that it would be best if Loveday spoke to her father alone.
Coeur de Noir was relentless, still throwing insults left, right and centre while Loveday tried to convince him that staying at the manor was the best for Robin and that he actually wanted to stay there in the first place as well. Loveday also tried to avoid focusing the conversation on Janes and Robins growing relationship as she didn't want to enrage her father even more. The entire discussion was to get her father to leave Robin with them and she tried to keep that the main focus even when her father tried to drift off.

Outside the study Jane and Robin were silently listening to the conversation on the other side of the door while Benjamin was pacing restlessly up and down the hallway.
"They have been in there forever!", he exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air out of frustration.
"Shhht", they both shushed him at the same time.
All three of them flinched as the door to the study was thrown open violently before Coeur de Noir rushed out with a stoic face.
He merely glared at Jane and Robin before making his way to the exit without a single word. No one dared to move until they heard the loud crash of the front door slamming shut with brute force.
Jane slowly turned her head to look at Robin with big eyes, blinking multiple times as he did the same.
They both leaned forward in sync to peer into the study where Loveday now emerged with a huge smile on her face, Benjamin already rushing to her side.
"What happened?", Robin was the first to speak.
"Oh my dear little brother, he agreed.", she exclaimed and hugged him tightly.
"He agreed? Are you sure? He gave us a death glare as he rushed out.", Jane said sceptically.
"Of course, he would never admit it like that, so don't take it too seriously. View it as him giving his approval.", Loveday suggested.
"A death glare of approval, great, what more could I want...", the brunette mumbled.
"Well at least Robin can stay here as long as he pleases.", the older woman beamed.
"By the way, I'm sure you two have a lot to talk about.", she paused, looking between the two young adults.
"Now would be a good time, don't you think?"
Loveday grabbed Benjamin's arm and pulled him with her.
"We'll leave you to it." she called over her shoulder before they disappeared around the corner.

It was silent for a while, both of them just standing in the middle of the hallway, still looking in the direction Loveday and Benjamin disappeared in.
"Well-", both started at the very same time.
They looked at each other and laughed.
"Let's finish our walk, shall we?", Jane suggested.
Robin hummed in agreement.
"Would you like it back?", she asked while gesturing to the jacket that was still wrapped around her shoulders.
He shook his head with a grin.
"No, it looks good on you."
She looked at the ground, a faint blush dusting her cheeks.