Ned sighed, knowing he had to do this. Knowing that he had an apology to make, but completely uncertain of if it would be accepted. And, he also had concerns about whether or not it would be overheard...
Marguerite was mending a skirt when he made his way over to her and knelt down in front of her. She started, then frowned at him.
"What do you want, Malone?" she asked flatly. "I'm busy."
"I know..." he said softly. "But, we need to speak... we can't just keep avoiding the big elephant in the room. You pretend nothing really happened, but... it did."
Neither happened to notice the presence of the Hunter enter the room, who stopped at hearing the hushed tones, not quite ready to make his presence known.
"Nothing happened, Malone." Marguerite said firmly.
"Marguerite, that's not true!" he breathed, taking her hand.
The way she skittered back, a flicker of fear in her eyes, made Roxton's jaw clench. It made him want to walk right over and demand Ned take his bloody hands off of her. But, Ned swallowed and let go.
"See? You're still a little frightened..."
But, Marguerite glared, the small flicker of fear replaced with a blaze of anger in those grey eyes. "I am not frightened of a snively little boy like you, Edward Malone!"
Ned met her gaze with determination, however.
"I don't remember what happened after I... got taken over... but, I remember when I was on the fringes, before I fully turned, and the transformation was physical."
Marguerite eyed him.
"I remember saying things to you... reaching for you, chasing you... grabbing you..." he said, flustered, swallowing hard.
Roxton's fists clenched by his sides.
"I remember, and there was this small part of me that said it was wrong. The part that was still me, that was still awake..." he wiped at his eye a bit with his fist. "Please... tell me nothing happened after I became the creature?"
All of the oxygen was suddenly sucked out of Roxton's lungs.
"All that happened was that I hit you with a chair and knocked you off of the balcony." Marguerite said flatly, and both men could finally breathe again.
"Good, oh, thank God..." Malone said with a shuddering breath.
"Oh, don't start blubbering on me." Marguerite said disdainfully. "I'm the one who got sexually harassed--- before you morphed, might I add? Now, no, nothing happened... but if you do it again, I once dated a man in France who gelded horses for a living, and showed me the craft." she said, a suggestive-yet-lethal purr to her voice.
Ned swallowed. "I'll, um, remember that."
"You do that." Marguerite smirked.
"But, really, I am quite sorry for how the fever made me act?"
"It was the fever; forget it." she dismissed, going back to what she was doing.
Ned scrambled up gratefully and raced out of the room, where he bumped into Lord John Roxton, who had his arms folded, glaring at him. For a second, he almost wished he was the wolf, for if the hunter had heard their conversation, he was certain to face his wrath...
"Look, Roxton--- Marguerite and I squared everything, and it was... kind of between us. None of your business."
"I think I'll bloody well decide what's 'my business', Malone; and Marguerite is my business."
Ned nodded. "Well, if you were listening, you'd know nothing actually happened?"
"Hmm... Veronica didn't mention you acting that way towards her. Just that you rescued her from Danu." Roxton mused.
"And?" Ned frowned.
"Well, I just find it funny that your 'uninhibited' self found Marguerite suitable for mating purposes, but treated Veronica like some kind of virgin treasure to be guarded."
Ned smirked a little. "Well..."
Roxton's gaze turned threatening. "Even look at her wrong---"
Ned's hands went up in a surrender-like gesture. "Never! I swear!"
"Yes, well... keep it that way." Roxton growled.
Ned nodded. "Right, well, off to bed I go..." he said, making a mad-dash towards his own quarters.
Roxton smirked slightly, and he walked back to where Marguerite was sitting in the chair. His smile softened into a more laughing one as he saw her fussing with the knotted thread.
"Damn, damn, damn!" she swore, throwing the skirt down in frustration.
"Aw, and I like that one." Roxton tutted, picking it back up. "Frames your arse so nicely..."
Marguerite smirked at him in slight surprise. "Well, so do most of my clothes."
"Yes... well, it's hard to hide such a thing of beauty." he said, looking at her with open desire written all over his face.
Marguerite laughed. "Well, Lord Roxton, then enjoy yourself, because you can watch me walk back up to bed. I, am worn out."
Roxton grinned, but, he sat right where he was and admired the view until she had exited the room...
~END~