All eyes were on Marguerite. But she had yet to notice, her eyes hadn't wavered from the dead soldier on the floor. She swayed slightly, and in a moment Roxton was at her side, leading her to a chair.
"What exactly happened here, John?" Challenger asked, as he covered the body, which was obviously distressing Marguerite.
"He snuck up behind me asking where Marguerite was. He raised his gun, but I fired first." John said, his arms still around Marguerite's shoulders protectively. She was still staring at the covered body, almost as if in a trance. "Marguerite?" Roxton turned her head towards him, and he looked deep into her eyes. "Marguerite, did you know him?" He asked this question gently, not wanting her to push him away or to close him off.
"No," she said in a whisper so low he didn't catch it.
"What?"
"No, I didn't know him." She said this loud enough for even Challenger and Malone to hear. "If you all don't mind, though, I'd like to go back to sleep." With that she rose up from her chair, and Roxton aloud his arms to fall from her shoulders. She quickly went to her room, and carefully closed her door.
"She's not telling us the truth," Malone said, "That man obviously knew who Marguerite was. And she knows him."
"I know, Neddy boy, I know. Now the trick is to get her to tell us the truth," Roxton answered, still staring in the direction Marguerite had left in.
"Let's work on that tomorrow. I think the rest of us should get some sleep as well," Challenger said, ushering the men in the direction of the sleeping courtiers of the treehouse.
"Right, I'll just check on Marguerite. You know,
make sure she all right," Roxton said, turning towards Marguerite's room. Ned smiled at Roxton's apparent concern, but he was worried about her as well.
* * * *
Marguerite heard the knock at her door. She had known John would come and check on her before he allowed himself to sleep. But tonight she was happy. It felt good to have someone caring about her so much. It scared her ,too, but tonight she needed him to fell safe.
"Come in," she said softly. John appeared in front of her.
"I just wanted to make sure you were OK. You seemed a little shook up." John looked at Marguerite, and saw something that was rarely seen on Marguerite's face. He saw fear. "Are you OK?" He whispered, aching to hold her. She lied down on her bed, and invited him to sit on it.
"John, could you stay here. Just for tonight?" Marguerite asked, her eyes silently pleading with him. "Please?" There was something in the way she said that word that tore him up inside. He smiled at her.
"Of course, I'll stay." He lied down next to Marguerite, on top of the blankets. He slipped his arms around her and pulled her close. Her eyes slowly closed. "I'll stay with you forever..."
* * * *
Malone busied himself with cooking breakfast. He and Challenger had disposed of the body, and now Challenger was down in his lab. But Malone hadn't seen Marguerite or Roxton this morning. He wasn't worried about Marguerite, she was usually the last one up, but Roxton was always up before everyone. He's probably just exhausted after last night, Malone told himself.
* * * *
Roxton stared at Marguerite's sleeping face. He had woken up a while ago, but he didn't want to leave her until she woke up. He didn't want her to feel as if he had left her. There was soft knock on the door and he heard Malone call Marguerite's name softly.
"Come in, Neddy Boy," Roxton said, shifting in the bed so he was sitting up, without waking Marguerite.
"Roxton? What are you doing in here?" Malone asked, smirking.
"Not what you think, Malone. She asked me to stay last night, who ever that man was he scared her. She didn't want to be alone." Marguerite stirred, and slowly sat up.
"What is everyone doing in my room?"
"I was invited, remember?" Roxton smirked, and looked at Malone.
"Don't smirk like that, Lord Roxton, because you know very well nothing of that sort happened last night," Marguerite punched him in the arm lightly.
"I know, I was just seeing if I could get you worked up. Apparently I can." Roxton grinned, but Marguerite ignored him. Realization of the events last night came to her. They're going to want an explanation, and I know George understood that german. What am I going to tell them? She racked her brain for an idea. A believable lie.
"Marguerite?" Roxton asked so tenderly, that she turned to face him. Her silver eyes met his deep brown-green ones. I've got to tell him the truth. He deserves to know. They all do. My past is not going to put them in danger. "I was just kidding, I'm sorry," he apologized, and his smile faded into a worried frown.
"I know," she whispered, and leaned close, giving him a light kiss. That made his smile return, but the questioning look in his eyes didn't dissolve.
"You do realize Malone's standing in the doorway, don't you?" He asked quietly, so Malone wouldn't over hear.
"yes, do you have a problem kissing me in front of him?" She asked, smiling. She loved to play with his image of her.
"No, but up until about 5 seconds ago, you did."
"Maybe I should leave you two alone," Malone voiced, with a mischievous glint in his eye.
"No, I'm starved, and I do believe I smell breakfast?" Marguerite said, yawning, and struggling to get up. Roxton reached down a hand to help. "Thank you, John."
When they reached the kitchen, they were surprized to see Challenger, helping himself to breakfast.
"Good morning," he said before taking another bite of toast, but Marguerite didn't hear him. she was staind at the blood stained blanket, still on the floor. Challenger followed her eyes, and jumped up. "Oh, dear. I'm sorry Marguerite, I don't know how I forgot to pick that up." With that he gathered the blanket in his arms and threw it off the balcony, along with the other dirty laundry. When he came back everyone was silent as they ate.
"I'm sure you all want the truth," Marguerite said, breaking the tension, not looking at any of them.
"What exactly happened here, John?" Challenger asked, as he covered the body, which was obviously distressing Marguerite.
"He snuck up behind me asking where Marguerite was. He raised his gun, but I fired first." John said, his arms still around Marguerite's shoulders protectively. She was still staring at the covered body, almost as if in a trance. "Marguerite?" Roxton turned her head towards him, and he looked deep into her eyes. "Marguerite, did you know him?" He asked this question gently, not wanting her to push him away or to close him off.
"No," she said in a whisper so low he didn't catch it.
"What?"
"No, I didn't know him." She said this loud enough for even Challenger and Malone to hear. "If you all don't mind, though, I'd like to go back to sleep." With that she rose up from her chair, and Roxton aloud his arms to fall from her shoulders. She quickly went to her room, and carefully closed her door.
"She's not telling us the truth," Malone said, "That man obviously knew who Marguerite was. And she knows him."
"I know, Neddy boy, I know. Now the trick is to get her to tell us the truth," Roxton answered, still staring in the direction Marguerite had left in.
"Let's work on that tomorrow. I think the rest of us should get some sleep as well," Challenger said, ushering the men in the direction of the sleeping courtiers of the treehouse.
"Right, I'll just check on Marguerite. You know,
make sure she all right," Roxton said, turning towards Marguerite's room. Ned smiled at Roxton's apparent concern, but he was worried about her as well.
* * * *
Marguerite heard the knock at her door. She had known John would come and check on her before he allowed himself to sleep. But tonight she was happy. It felt good to have someone caring about her so much. It scared her ,too, but tonight she needed him to fell safe.
"Come in," she said softly. John appeared in front of her.
"I just wanted to make sure you were OK. You seemed a little shook up." John looked at Marguerite, and saw something that was rarely seen on Marguerite's face. He saw fear. "Are you OK?" He whispered, aching to hold her. She lied down on her bed, and invited him to sit on it.
"John, could you stay here. Just for tonight?" Marguerite asked, her eyes silently pleading with him. "Please?" There was something in the way she said that word that tore him up inside. He smiled at her.
"Of course, I'll stay." He lied down next to Marguerite, on top of the blankets. He slipped his arms around her and pulled her close. Her eyes slowly closed. "I'll stay with you forever..."
* * * *
Malone busied himself with cooking breakfast. He and Challenger had disposed of the body, and now Challenger was down in his lab. But Malone hadn't seen Marguerite or Roxton this morning. He wasn't worried about Marguerite, she was usually the last one up, but Roxton was always up before everyone. He's probably just exhausted after last night, Malone told himself.
* * * *
Roxton stared at Marguerite's sleeping face. He had woken up a while ago, but he didn't want to leave her until she woke up. He didn't want her to feel as if he had left her. There was soft knock on the door and he heard Malone call Marguerite's name softly.
"Come in, Neddy Boy," Roxton said, shifting in the bed so he was sitting up, without waking Marguerite.
"Roxton? What are you doing in here?" Malone asked, smirking.
"Not what you think, Malone. She asked me to stay last night, who ever that man was he scared her. She didn't want to be alone." Marguerite stirred, and slowly sat up.
"What is everyone doing in my room?"
"I was invited, remember?" Roxton smirked, and looked at Malone.
"Don't smirk like that, Lord Roxton, because you know very well nothing of that sort happened last night," Marguerite punched him in the arm lightly.
"I know, I was just seeing if I could get you worked up. Apparently I can." Roxton grinned, but Marguerite ignored him. Realization of the events last night came to her. They're going to want an explanation, and I know George understood that german. What am I going to tell them? She racked her brain for an idea. A believable lie.
"Marguerite?" Roxton asked so tenderly, that she turned to face him. Her silver eyes met his deep brown-green ones. I've got to tell him the truth. He deserves to know. They all do. My past is not going to put them in danger. "I was just kidding, I'm sorry," he apologized, and his smile faded into a worried frown.
"I know," she whispered, and leaned close, giving him a light kiss. That made his smile return, but the questioning look in his eyes didn't dissolve.
"You do realize Malone's standing in the doorway, don't you?" He asked quietly, so Malone wouldn't over hear.
"yes, do you have a problem kissing me in front of him?" She asked, smiling. She loved to play with his image of her.
"No, but up until about 5 seconds ago, you did."
"Maybe I should leave you two alone," Malone voiced, with a mischievous glint in his eye.
"No, I'm starved, and I do believe I smell breakfast?" Marguerite said, yawning, and struggling to get up. Roxton reached down a hand to help. "Thank you, John."
When they reached the kitchen, they were surprized to see Challenger, helping himself to breakfast.
"Good morning," he said before taking another bite of toast, but Marguerite didn't hear him. she was staind at the blood stained blanket, still on the floor. Challenger followed her eyes, and jumped up. "Oh, dear. I'm sorry Marguerite, I don't know how I forgot to pick that up." With that he gathered the blanket in his arms and threw it off the balcony, along with the other dirty laundry. When he came back everyone was silent as they ate.
"I'm sure you all want the truth," Marguerite said, breaking the tension, not looking at any of them.