Robert Maxwell

Robert Maxwell
Biographical information
Marital status	Married
Alias	Bob (by Judith Maxwell)
Physical description
Species	Human
Gender	Male
Height	"Tall"
Family information
Family members	Grandfather † Judith Gilbert (wife) Ex-fiancée Brother-in-law (brother-in-law) † Mother-in-law Elena Gilbert (niece-in-law) Margaret Gilbert (niece-in-law) Gilbert family (in-laws)
Affiliation
Occupation	Realtor (formerly) Businessman (fl.1991-1992)
Loyalty	The College of William and Mary Maxwell family
.

"And Robert, Aunt Judith's fiancé, was more like a stepfather to Margaret than an uncle-to-be by marriage."

—Description

Robert Maxwell (also known as Bob; fl. 1991) was a businessman, former realtor and resident of Heron, Virginia who studied at The College of William and Mary. He married Judith Gilbert in 1991.

Biography

Early life

Robert lived in Heron, Virginia and studied at The College of William and Mary before becoming a businessman. He got a career as a realtor, and was engaged to a woman who, during the wedding ceremony, left him for his best man. This soured him on formal relationships.

A few years after Robert's disastrous wedding, his grandfather died and left him a large small inheritance. He became a businessman.

Robert began a romantic relationship with Judith Gilbert, and, by September, 1991, the two were engaged. In 1985 or 1986, Judith resigned and moved to Fell's Church to care for her nieces. Robert became something of a father-figure to Margaret.

1991

Robert: "Well, actually, it just occurred to me that Elena is a form of the name Helen. And for some reason I was thinking of Helen of Troy."

Bonnie McCullough: "Beautiful and doomed."

Robert: "Well, yes."

— Robert on Elena

Before Elena left for Homecoming with Meredith Sulez and Bonnie McCullough, Robert remarked how Elena reminded him of Helen of Troy — beautiful and doomed. He and Judith later believed that Elena might have been hurt somehow after Vickie Bennett was found attacked in the cemetery and Elena failed to arrive at home on time. Upon her return, Robert stated that Vickie had been drinking and, so, she might have imagined the attack. Robert presumably stayed at the Gilbert house that night. He told Elena that Meredith and Bonnie were waiting at the door for her.

On Halloween, Robert told Elena that she was not to return to Old Creek Road near the cemetery to look for Stefan Salvatore, as the police were looking for him with regards to Tanner's murder. He tried to make conversation with Judith, Bonnie and Meredith during supper, while Elena could not eat and would not talk. The four of them had planned to prevent Elena from leaving the house to look for Stefan, so Robert stayed the night and slept on the couch despite the number of guest bedrooms. However, Elena and her friends managed to escape by climbing out of the window, avoiding waking Robert by using the front door.

"He's from my alma mater, William and Mary, and I just ran into him outside the drugstore. Since he was looking for some place to eat, I invited him along here for a home-cooked meal."

—Robert on Damon

Robert was invited to the Gilberts' rehearsal Thanksgiving dinner. Outside of the drugstore, Robert met one Damon Smith, who claimed to be a student at William and Mary. Damon told him that he was looking for somewhere to eat, so Robert invited him to Judith's dinner. It is possible that Robert was Influenced. Elena threw Snowball at Damon, resulting in Damon being clawed at and Snowball fleeing. Robert tried to prolong Margaret's wailing by looking for her. During the meal, Robert and Judith were taken with Damon and his light conversation and compliments. The dinner was interrupted when Bonnie was briefly possessed by Honoria Fell, after which Robert drove her and Matt Honeycutt home.

After the Founders' Day celebration, Robert and Judith argued with Elena over Stefan, who they disapproved of. Robert told her that their engagement was "ridiculous". She later went missing, and the car she had been driving was found submerged in Drowning Creek after Wickery Bridge collapsed.

Judith: "I'm saying that I can't marry you, not as soon as we planned. Maybe not ever. Margaret has lost too much already. I don't want her to feel she's losing me, too."

Robert: "She won't be losing you. If anything, she'll be gaining someone, because I'll be here more often. You know how I feel about her."

Judith: "I'm sorry, Bob; I just don't see it that way."

— Judith and Robert breaking up

Robert insisted that Elena would be found alive and well, but Judith was sceptical, and called off their engagement as she blamed herself and Robert. At first, he stated that she would feel differently about it in the morning, but, after she insisted that she would not, he left angrily. He apparently contemplated attending Elena's memorial service, but chose not to enter the church, and left after the locals' dogs went feral. Paired with his anger upon the break-up, Elena and Bonnie agreed that they should consider him a suspect in their search for the Other Power in Fell's Church. Elena volunteered herself to investigate him.

When Elena visited the Gilbert house, Snowball went feral just as Robert's car left the driveway, increasing Elena's suspicions. She told Stefan that somebody ought to keep an eye on him, which he agreed and decided to follow him and to ask Damon to follow him the following day. He was followed for a week, with Elena et al. coming to the conclusion that he was just a normal businessman.

"Hush. It's all right, sweetheart. Everything's going to be all right."

—Robert to Margaret

Robert, Judith and Margaret were later cornered by Influenced dogs in the Gilbert house with Meredith Sulez. Robert held Margaret close to him and cradled her. They were saved when the Other Power, Katarina von Swartzschild, was killed by Elena.

Elena's body was later found, and a funeral held for her. Robert and Judith were re-engaged, and had their wedding on December 25.

1992

"She [Bonnie] caught a glimpse of Elena's aunt Judith and Robert Maxwell, the man Aunt Judith had recently married, standing on the sidelines. Robert was holding Elena's little sister, Margaret, by the hand. When they saw her, they smiled bravely, but she felt uncomfortable when they came her way."

—Description

Robert attended the graduation of Elena's classmates with Judith and Margaret, holding his niece by the hand. They smiled upon seeing Bonnie McCullough, and approached her. Judith spoke to Bonnie and gave her a bouquet before the three left.

"Matt, just so you know, I heard that the McCulloughs are getting out too. Mr. and Mrs. Sulez don’t seem to be going yet, and neither do the Gilbert-Maxwells."

—Dr. Alpert to Matt Honeycutt

Despite the strange occurrences in Fell's Church set up by Shinichi and Misao, Robert, Judith and Margaret decided to remain in the town, as did 'Nando and Gabriella Sulez, while Colin and Ailsa McCullough did not. After the Celestial Court altered the world, Robert's memories were altered to forget the destruction caused by the kitsune, and new ones were added to make him believe that Elena was alive had been living with them. He was also made to forget his prejudices against Stefan.

Personality and traits

Robert was especially kind towards Margaret, and was a lot firmer and stricter with Elena. He was quick to develop a dislike towards Stefan, and instead pushed for her to be with Damon. He was prone to getting angry, such as when Elena argued with Judith, or when Judith called off their engagement.

Behind the scenes

• Robert owns a blue Oldsmobile and snores.
• Robert does not appear in the television series. Elena's aunt (named Jenna Sommers) instead has a relationship with journalist Logan Fell, and the series' version of Alaric Saltzman, who is considerably older than his book counterpart and a vampire hunter.

Appearances

• The Awakening (First appearance)
• The Struggle
• The Fury
• Dark Reunion
• The Return: Midnight (Mentioned only)
• Evensong: Paradise Lost (First identified as Robert Gilbert-Maxwell)