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 Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 8:22 pm
The Duchess shook her head, her mouth open slightly at Marcus's 'unfounded' accusation. "Not in the slightest."
Marcus raised his eyebrows. "Go on, then. Sorry to interrupt. By all means, continue."
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Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 8:23 pm
"Well..." The earl shrugged. "It is simply that I do not know where Terryn would be able to sleep."
Terryn swallowed hard. She knew exactly where this was heading and she looked up at Marcus with a knowing glance.
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Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 8:27 pm
Marcus nodded, amused.
The Duchess, meanwhile, tapped lightly on the table. "Do either of you have any idea at all?" she asked innocently, her eyes betraying her and looking sharply at Terryn for a split second.
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Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 8:28 pm
"No." Terryn locked eyes with her, trying to keep a straight face. "But I believe you do."
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Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 8:42 pm
The Duchess gave Terryn a rare smile, and stood up. "If you'll follow me, please. I'm not sure which nightgown will be to your liking," she informed Terryn, before exiting the room.
Marcus laughed, and he looked up at the earl. "You were planning that? All along?"
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Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 8:44 pm
Terryn looked rather confused, but she did as was requested and followed her out.
The earl shrugged. "This old mind is not completely senile yet."
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Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 8:49 pm
"Now, if I remember correctly," began the Duchess, "As I usually do, you had sworn off both sex and marriage." She took a sharp turn and continued speaking. "Clearly, circumstances have changed since then. And since you have not been able to uphold your first vow, your father and I are curious as to whether or not you would mind breaking the second."
Marcus nodded, finishing off the remainder of his water. "No, sir. Not at all."
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Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 8:51 pm
Terryn blinked, wondering if the woman was some sort of psychic. "What would cause you to think that I have already broken it?"
The earl smiled slightly at him, contemplating his next words. "However, I will not be around forever. I would prefer to see Terryn in the hands of someone I knew was capable before I was gone." Not the smoothest or lightest of transitions, but it would have to do.
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Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 8:58 pm
Still better than the Duchess's abrupt lack of transition. The Duchess smiled slightly. "You have no problems with sleeping in the same bed as my grandson. It does seem to imply things." She stopped, finally at the giant wardrobe that contained her nightgowns. "Besides, do not avoid answering the question."
Marcus straightened up. Actually, he'd been thinking along the same lines. "And...am I, sir, capable?" he asked carefully.
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Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 9:01 pm
But avoiding answering the question was exactly what she wanted to. "Sleeping with a man and bedding them are two different things."
The earl tried to keep his face expressionless, but he couldn't help but let out a small grin. "Well, what do you think?"
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Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 9:07 pm
"That may be so, but you've no objection to either," answered the Duchess impatiently. "At least when it comes to Marcus. Now. Your father must have told you that it is rude to not answer a question from your elders."
"I--" Marcus stopped, and smiled uncertainly at the earl. "I don't know if she's ready for such a thing. I am, I know I am. But I don't want to ask her if she's going to say no."
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Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 9:10 pm
Terryn looked away from her as long as possible, but she could almost feel the burning stare of the duchess. "What do you wish to know? If I would marry your grandson?"
"Well I-wait..." The earl leaned forward, staring intently at Marcus. "You are? But your grandmother said-"
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Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 9:14 pm
The Duchess paused. "There are a great many things that I wish to know regarding this. Whether or not you would marry Marcus is, of course, one of those things."
Marcus waved it away. "I've thought about it over the year. I've changed my mind. I'm absolutely prepared to marry Terryn." His voice dropped. "I would like to, even."
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Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 9:16 pm
"I..." Terryn took a seat on the bed, pondering things as she looked at the stone floor. "To be honest, I never really considered it."
At this, the earl positively beamed. "It appears prison has made an honest man out of you." He winked at Marcus, smiling with satisfaction as he knew that the boy wasn't expecting him to know that particular tidbit of information.
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Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 9:22 pm
The Duchess took a seat beside her. "Is there any reason for that?" she asked. She admitted to herself that she liked Terryn. Here was a girl of good standing, pretty, clever, and a good match for Marcus. And it was not only for grandchildren, she also admitted, that she wanted the two of them to marry.
Marcus nearly leaped up. "What!? Pr--" He sat back down. "You...how did you know? Does grandmother...?"
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