|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 8:39 am
It was nearly an hour before they were both composed enough to speak of anything but the earl's tragedies. Terryn had pulled a second armchair close to him, leaning over it as they spoke more about Marcus and the wedding and Greece, though she was careful not to mention moving there. Still, the whole conversation was strained as they two spoke, hands clasped tightly and their words punctured intermittently by sniffles.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 11:35 am
After some time, the Duchess began to stiffly ask Marcus questions about the wedding. These were familiar questions, ones that Marcus had known she would ask. And so, he began to stiffly answer them.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 3:30 pm
Terryn finally felt that her father was strong enough that she could go get Marcus and his grandmother. "I will be right back." She got up and followed where she had seen Marcus take off earlier with the duchess.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 5:28 pm
"Yes, the license is valid," retorted Marcus. "They let us get away with it."
The Duchess frowned still more deeply. "Without her wearing a proper gown?" she asked, aghast.
"Good Lord, Gran, she was dressed prop--" Marcus looked up to see a tear stained Terryn, and stood up quickly. There were dozens of questions in his mind, and he couldn't decide which to ask first.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 5:31 pm
Terryn took one look at Marcus and knew that she had done a poor job in drying her eyes. No use in hiding it I suppose... She threw her arms around his neck, sobbing heavily into the fabric of his shirt. And here she thought she had composed herself.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 5:41 pm
Marcus shut his eyes. His shoulder was already damp, and it seemed unlikely that Terryn would stop weeping any time soon. His first instinct was to ask if everything was alright. His second was to feel stupid for even bothering to think of asking such a thing. Clearly, things were not alright. "What happened?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 5:54 pm
Terryn looked up at Marcus and then quickly diverted her attention to the duchess for help. She was in no mood to be explaining or saying anything at the moment.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 6:06 pm
The Duchess looked discomfited. "Well, Marcus...Serina, I am afraid...never recovered," she said lightly.
Marcus gaped for a few moments. She'd been ill. That was all. She'd been alive, just a month before. It wasn't possible. "...Terryn."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 7:03 pm
Terryn looked up to him with a sort of heartbreak that she never thought she could feel on account of that woman. "My father is so crushed..."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 7:16 pm
Marcus nodded wordlessly. The loss was too sudden and jarring for him to comprehend completely. All that he he really understood was that the earl was in tremendous pain, and Terryn the same. "We...we should not have left."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 7:28 pm
"Do not be ridiculous." The earl tottered in slowly, leaning on his cane more than he usually did. "You deserve to go live your lives. You are both young." He was feeling very morbid at the moment, but didn't share his thoughts completely.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 7:45 pm
Marcus looked up. "But we might have waited. We might have left at a better time." He swallowed, casting his eyes downwards again. "Sir, I'm very, very sorry."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 7:47 pm
The earl said nothing but shuffled towards Marcus and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Do not be sorry for loving my daughter." He sighed, his shiny face making it obvious that he had also done a poor job in drying himself off.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 7:54 pm
"I'm not," Marcus answered so quickly and emphatically that even the Duchess had to smile slightly. "But...I do apologize for our irresponsibility. And poor timing."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 8:01 pm
The earl nodded, squeezing Marcus's shoulder before looking back towards his daughter. "The duchess has offered us a place to stay for the night. I daresay you might not want me in the same home as you and your husband, but..." The firm shake of Terryn's head comforted him a little. "Right then, I believe I will retire for the evening." His head not quite well enough for goodnights and such, he merely nodded stiffly before taking off for the guest room.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
