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 Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 6:38 pm
The Duchess looked patiently exasperated. "Terryn, you are now the young Duchess Winters. It has some weight to it, if you don't mind my saying. If you are asked to put up with a large mass...you must comply. It is only one day, after all, and you have already wed in your own fashion."
Marcus laughed. "If she got that angry now, she would just shred you to pieces with her tongue. I expect my grandfather settled her down." He wondered about him. He had never really spoken to his grandfather, and Gran generally skirted the topic, which was fine by him. "Were you able to keep your relationship with Gran while he was alive?"
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Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 6:48 pm
Terryn frowned, looking almost petulant. She wasn't sure she wanted to worry about being a duchess. She would have been glad just staying a lady. Oh well, it wasn't as if Marcus wouldn't have his share of societal expectations to muddle through. "Alright then..." At least they did have that wedding in Greece. As far as she was concerned, this was just a hyped up reenactment.
"It was difficult," he admitted, grabbing the box and fiddling with it in his hands. "but his parents were good friends of mine and hers so we were always together at least for family events. As we got older, it became more of a test. I believe your grandfather was under the impression that I was after her, and he could tend towards jealousy if he was in a mood. We mainly kept up correspondence through letters for a few years, when your father and his brother were born. She was very busy raising them, not to mention that your father took a toll on her body when she was carrying him." He shook his head, remembering how worried he had been for her, especially right before his birth. "But after you were born, he started calming a bit. Perhaps because she was past childbearing age or because he was just getting older and more calm, or at least more weak." He didn't want to give away too much about how glad he had been when he learned that Duke Winters had taken to his sickbed back when Marcus was only a child.
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Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 7:07 pm
"You will be repeating that quite a bit, make no mistake," the Duchess informed Terryn, at last settling down in her chair. "It is not quite so bad as I am making it out to be, the conjugal life. You are considerably better prepared than I was, and older. And you," she continued, closing her eyes, "will at least be happily married."
"He used to threaten Gran, even then. When Grandfather was ill, and my father took them into our home, he would still shout all sorts of vile things. He was too weak by that time to do much more." Marcus looked at his hands. Gran, he was sure, would not appreciate these details being given out. "She is quite remarkable; I had not realized that until recently."
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Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 7:31 pm
Terryn knew better than to add any more reminders to the Duchess, so she simply took the quill from the table and began writing down a few different berries that she liked that could perhaps be served after dinner with cream or something. "Does Marcus eat mushrooms? My father likes stuffed mushrooms with goose."
"That she is, Marcus. Your grandmother is a very strong-willed woman." The earl mused for a moment on just how strong-willed. "I consider myself very fortunate to have known her. Even Terryn's mother liked her, and she was just like Terryn when it came to other women. I suppose she saw a spark of a kindred spirit in the Duchess."
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Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 7:39 pm
"Marcus is a very indiscriminate eater. He was particularly fond of insects before he could walk," she added, looking at Terryn's list. At last, the two of them were bending to tradition. Now Terryn was even taking a part in planning the wedding; the Duchess had feared that she would have to be strapped down before agreeing to anything.
"Certainly not like most others. Both of them. Terryn's mother as well, though I did not have the fortune to meet her." Marcus frowned. He wondered if she would have given her blessing to them. Probably. He hoped so.
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Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 7:48 pm
"Oh, should we include beetles in the main course?" Terryn looked up at the Duchess with best look of innocence she could feign. It didn't work, of course, and she couldn't help grinning at the Duchess in spite of herself.
The earl answered his question without even knowing it. "She would have liked you very much. We were at your Christening, and I remember her saying that you were the best looking baby amongst your brothers. I believe she would be very pleased to know that you were the one marrying Terryn."
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Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 7:59 pm
"Oh, I should think that worms would suffice. Beetles are a bit overwhelming for some palates," answered the Duchess mildly, closing her eyes again. "We must think of our guests first, after all."
"Ah." Marcus smiled, a bit sheepishly. "Good to hear that she based her judgment off of something valid. If only winning over Terryn had been that easy."
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Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 8:17 pm
"Oh yes. Cousin...Barty...after all." Terryn read a name at random, for some reason believing that Cousin Barty really wouldn't notice if there were worms in the dish as long as his tankard was always full. "It would not do to upset him."
"I could imagine..." The earl leaned forward in his seat, making a curious little sound in his throat. "How was it that you did capture my daughter's heart anyway? I do not believe you regaled me that story and I must say I am quite fascinated."
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Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 8:40 pm
The Duchess shook her head firmly. "He always had an appalling temper." Almost reluctantly, she offered Terryn an extremely rare smile, uncharacteristically soft. "We get along splendidly, rest assured."
Marcus cleared his throat. "Well, we..." He glanced out the carriage window. "We had a great deal in common. And to be truthful, we only begrudgingly acknowledged that we were in love in Russia. We assumed before that we were only enjoying..." He blinked. "The company and conversation."
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Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 8:55 pm
"I would hope." Terryn caught the smile, and decided to use it to her advantage. "But is it absolutely necessary to invite the Baron DeChamp and his wife? From what I heard last of them, they were near 80 and living back in their main estate in France." She hoped that she hadn't overstepped too far by picking out a couple first. "I wonder if they would even be able to make the journey."
"The company and conversation?" The earl raised an eyebrow. "Why do I get a feeling that you are withholding information?" Marcus wasn't the only one in the carriage who had at one point been a young man chasing a beautiful woman.
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Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 9:06 pm
"The Baron...well, we were invited to both of their sons' weddings. I am afraid that it might seem rude. Though his wife may have fallen ill... even if they cannot attend, it is common courtesy." The Duchess glanced at Terryn's defeated expression. "Why? Is something a matter?"
Marcus swallowed. "I would imagine, sir, that you wouldn't care to hear of all of our exploits." He didn't particularly feel like divulging how it had all been a plan. It would only make them sound foolish. "Considering how I had 'defiled' your daughter."
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Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 9:22 pm
Terryn shook her head, remembering for once that she was a Duchess now, the highest level of the peerage. "No, no not at all." She flashed the woman a pleasant smile, doing her best to show that she was capable of maintaining a noble and respectful attitude.
The earl coughed, his breath catching in his throat a bit with the surprise. "I...well..." It was only then that he realized Marcus was mocking him in jest. "Well, you must forgive an old man. I just want to make sure that you two weren't plotting my downfall behind my back. My vineyards are a lucrative venture, I must admit." On second though, perhaps the earl didn't want to know what they had been up to. After all, he had been a young man too.
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Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 9:53 pm
"Ah." The Duchess nodded, a bit impressed. "Very good. If you are afraid of being bored stiff by them...well, you must grin and bear it, and know that everyone else is doing the same."
Marcus chuckled. "Already forgotten, sir." He'd gotten away without much trouble, thankfully. "And your vineyards are lucrative, no doubt. But neither Terryn nor I would take them in your stead," he assured the earl, glancing out the window.
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Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 10:19 am
"With any hope they will fall asleep by the time the soup arrives." Terryn cleared her throat and put on a more appropriate (though now highly insincere) face. "After all, we would not want them taxing themselves to greatly. They are our noble guests after all."
That comforted the earl, but he kept his feelings to himself. He found it sufficient to fiddle with his box a little, almost like an antsy young lad. He flipped the lid open and shut, and only put it away in his coin purse when the carriage drew up to the Duchess's estate once more. "Well, here we are then. Let us hope my daughter has gotten along with your grandmother. It would be most unfortunate to have to plan two funerals instead of a wedding."
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Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 12:06 pm
"You are adapting quickly," the Duchess answered, sounding pleased. Thank heavens that her granddaughter-in-law was Terryn, and not one of those brainless girls that infuriated her so. "Let's hope that Marcus can do the same...ah, and here he is," she announced , looking demurely at her surprised grandson, who had just come in.
Marcus looked surprised to see them, both sitting. He had expected the furniture to be strewn about, too, like some disaster zone. And Gran ...she didn't seem vexed in the least. "Everything is alright then, I see," he said, uncertainly. Terryn was in a good mood, too. Or at least pretending to be. "Good. How is the planning coming along?"
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