CHAPTER 14
“Ipromise that I am not lying,” Lady Honoria said as she took a sip of tea. She wore a straight face… a little too straight, as if she was trying to keep herself from smiling.
“You say this, but I choose not to believe you,” Lucy said rightly. “An actor? There is no way.”
“It is true!” Lady Honoria cried, dropping the façade of seriousness. “Hand over my heart. When Marcus was younger, he wanted to be an actor.”
Lucy rolled her eyes. “We are speaking of the same Marcus? My husband? A man who looks like he is in pain when he smiles.”
Lady Honoria laughed. “He does make it look difficult, doesn’t he? Sometimes, I find it hard to believe that the two of us are even related.”
Lucy was having the exact same thought.
She had been caring after James when she was told that Marcus’ sister, Lady Honoria, had arrived at the house. Typically, Lucy assumed her husband’s elder sister was here to see him, so she thought little of it. However, minutes later, about the time that Honoria swept into the nursery to officially introduce herself, did Lucy realize that she was who the woman wished to visit.
She was as unlike Marcus as ice was to fire.
Oh sure, they had the same dark eyes and darker hair, the same sharp features too, but that was where the similarities stopped. Lady Honoria was a joy to be around. Affable, positive to a fault, and always looking on the bright side of even the most morose of topics.
Once James fell asleep, and once Lucy assured that he would stay as such, they moved to the sitting room where they had tea poured so that they might speak further.
To call their conversation revelatory would be an understatement.
“And how old was Marcus when he was bitten by the acting bug?” Lucy asked as she sipped her own saucer of tea. “I take it this was not recent?”
“Oh, he was only eight at the time, obviously,” Lady Honoria said. “Our parents had taken us to the theatre for the very firsttime, and for a good week, Marcus would talk of nothing but his newfound desire to join a traveling troupe or what have you. He would even route around in our father’s wardrobe, searching for outfits for him to perform in.”
Lucy laughed at the image. “And what happened? Why did he not pursue this dream?”
Lady Honoria winced. “Our parents happened, is what. I can still remember the look on our father’s face when Marcus finally worked up the courage to tell him his dream.” She winced again. “You would think that he had said he wanted to walk into the King’s bedroom and pull down his pants so he could spank his bottom.”
Lucy burst into laughter… but stifled it when she saw the serious, even sad, expression on Honoria’s face.
“That was around the time that Marcus grew up—or was forced to do so.” She looked over her saucer of tea at Lucy. “What has he told you about our parents?”
“Not much,” Lucy said.
“Typical,” Honoria sighed. “And expected. Our parents were not exactly warm or loving. Not to us, and not to each other. Their marriage was one of business, as is standard among our peers. To marry, to secure the lineage, and to not kill one another while they were at it.”
“I take it that Marcus meant to take after them? Where marriage is concerned.”
“It would seem that way,” she sighed. “It is not his fault. And in truth, I do not even think he likes it about himself. But these lessons are learned hard, and Marcus was taught them expertly.”
Lucy knew a little of Marcus’ upbringing. And what she did not know, she had come to figure it out for herself. But to hear it told to her from a firsthand source confirmed what she had long suspected, just as it confirmed why Marcus was this way.
Perhaps I should be grateful that he isn’t nearly as bad as he could be? By the sounds of it, he had every chance to turn into a monster, which he certainly is not.
“But enough about that.” Honoria waved her down. “Pray tell, how is married life to my brother.”
Lucy shrugged. “It is fine.”
She snorted. “Meaning it is tragic.”
“No,” Lucy confirmed. “You know of our…” she considered, even looking about as if to make sure they were not overheard. “Our arrangement?”
“I do.”
“Then what else is there to say? In truth, Marcus is rather accommodating. He told me what was expected, he has not broken his promise, and that is as much as I could hope for.”
