When Malone made his way into the kitchen the next morning, Roxton
and Marguerite were already at the table, leaning towards each other, hands
clasped. Roxton was speaking in a low voice, and Marguerite was smiling.
Two thoughts crossed Malone's mind. The first was that Marguerite had
obviously had her morning coffee. The second was that he was interrupting
something, and perhaps he should leave them alone for awhile. However,
just as he started to move towards his room again, Roxton saw him.
"Good morning, Malone," Roxton said, removing his hands from Marguerite's, and reaching for his tea. A vexed look briefly passed over Marguerite's face, but she quickly changed it to a smile. After all, she was happy to have Malone back, and she would have plenty of time alone with John during their trip for supplies today.
"Good morning, Roxton, Marguerite," Malone said as he made his way to the table.
"Coffee, Malone?" Marguerite asked.
"That would be wonderful," Malone replied.
Marguerite poured him a cup. "Thanks. You know, I think coffee is definitely one of the things I missed most while I was gone."
"Gee, thanks Malone," Marguerite smirked.
Malone smiled. "Well, it goes without saying that I didn't miss anything as much as I missed all of you. But coffee was pretty high on the list-especially when I visited some of the colder areas of the Plateau."
"You know, Malone," Roxton began, "once everything settles down again, we'd love to hear about your time exploring the Plateau. At least, as much of it as you want to share with us."
Malone opened his mouth to reply, but was stopped by the sound of an extensive yawn. "Morning, everyone," Finn said, sleepily. "Has anyone seen Vee this morning? I went to her room to check on her, but she wasn't there. Her bed was made, and Marguerite's nightgown was laying on it."
"No, I haven't seen her," said Marguerite.
"I haven't seen her either," Roxton said. "Challenger," he said as the scientist emerged from the lab, "have you seen Veronica this morning?"
"As a matter of fact, I have. She was up at dawn this morning, dressed and ready to work. I wouldn't let her leave until I was sure she was well, but her temperature was normal, she had color in her cheeks, and she was steady on her feet. She wanted to go to the Zanga village to see how they faired through the storm. I suggested that she wait until Finn or Malone could go with her, since we don't know what added dangers may have accumulated on the Plateau since the storm. But she didn't want to wait, so I made her take a mirror and a pistol so that she could signal us in the event of trouble. I think she was anxious to be useful, and to make sure that Assai and the Zanga are all right. Oh, John, if you could join me in the lab for a minute, I have something else to add to your supply list, and I want to show you what to look for."
"Certainly, George," Roxton answered, following the professor back into the lab.
"Wow," Finn said. "It's really odd that Vee didn't want to wait for one of us to go with her. Especially if it meant she would have some time with Malone." The reporter blushed a little, and Marguerite rolled her eyes at Finn's lack of discretion. "I mean, we all know that she's been waiting for this-OW!" Finn yelped, and rubbed her arm where Marguerite had pinched her.
Marguerite took advantage of the younger girl's pause. "Yes, well, perhaps Veronica just wanted a little time to herself. She probably feels smothered, being trapped in this house for so long."
"I hope that's it," Malone answered.
Marguerite studied his expression. "Do you have reason to believe otherwise?" she asked.
Malone proceeded to tell them about Veronica's sudden coolness the previous evening. After thinking on it a little, a knowing look passed over Marguerite's face, but she remained silent. Finn, on the other hand, wasn't so discrete. "Maybe she was thinking about that Ducart guy who said he wrote that song for her. Challenger told me about how he seduced her and tried to kill her. OW!!! Why do you keep doing that?" she backed away from the heiress, who had pinched her again.
Marguerite silently cursed Challenger for revealing painful details of her friend's personal life to this tactless child. "Did it ever occur to you that maybe this was something so personal that it's not your place to talk about it? That maybe Veronica should be the one to tell Ned?"
"I'm sorry. I didn't think. . ."
"No, you didn't think," Marguerite reprimanded. With a sigh, she said, "For your own safety, I'm not going to tell Veronica about this. But, please learn to have a little more tact in the future."
Finn felt terrible. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt Veronica, who had been like an older sister to her. Finn managed a small, "Okay," before exiting quickly towards the lab. She passed Roxton on the way, who briefly turned as she brushed past him, then looked at Marguerite and Malone with a slightly confused expression. When neither of them offered an explanation, he asked, "Are you almost ready to go, Marguerite?"
"Yes, in a minute," she answered. Roxton nodded and went to his room to retrieve a knapsack. Marguerite looked at Malone. "Oh pick your jaw up off of the ground, Ned! How many times has Veronica watched you swoon over other women on this Plateau? It's about damn time that she had a little fun of her own." She softened a little as she saw the shame on the reporter's face. "He didn't mean as much to her as you do-not even close. She'll tell you about it when she's ready." She patted Malone on the shoulder as she walked past him to join Roxton, who was waiting at the elevator, which was working again.
"My lady," he said, bowing slightly and handing Marguerite her hat and rifle.
"Why thank you, Lord Roxton. But, maybe next time you could manage to bow a little lower. It helps to demonstrate your inferiority." She tossed a triumphant smile in his direction, and stepped gracefully onto the elevator with Roxton in hot pursuit.
Malone managed a small smile, as the sound of their playful banter faded out of his hearing. His friends were obviously in love. His smile faded as he thought of Veronica. Something terrible had happened to Veronica while he was gone. Something that his presence might have prevented. He momentarily regretted his decision to stay away from his friends for so long. But, then he realized that even if he had been there, Veronica might have fallen for this other man anyway. The man that he had been before his journey hadn't been ready to put his heart on the line, especially after Veronica told him that she wanted to be friends. So, what would have stopped her from reaching out for someone else? "But I am ready to take that risk now," Malone thought. "I can't change the past. But I need to find out what happened so that I can do everything in my power to help Veronica."
----------------
"That was the last item on our list," Roxton said. "Guess we should head back to the tree house." The two had been out collecting supplies for the better part of four hours.
"Do we have to head back so soon?" Marguerite asked. She decided to amend her meaning when she saw Roxton's self-satisfied smirk. As much as she adored him, she didn't need him to know just how much she had been longing to have time with him all week. "What I mean is, I'm absolutely starving, and you certainly can't expect me to walk the hour back to the tree house before I can eat."
Roxton's smile broadened as he stopped walking and reached into his pack for the blanket. "Why Marguerite," he said, as he spread the blanket on the ground and sat on it, "if you wanted more quality time with me, all you had to do was ask."
"Don't flatter yourself, Lord Roxton," she retaliated. "It's the food I'm after, not you."
Instead of answering with the arrogance that Marguerite expected, Roxton took her hand and gently pulled her down to the blanket with him, so that she was sitting with her back resting against his chest. She smiled and laid her head against his shoulder. She liked their banter, but she also liked this softer side of Roxton-the side that reassured her that she wasn't just a novelty for him, and that he genuinely cared about her.
He wrapped his arms around her, and spoke gently. "I know we haven't had a lot of time together since the night of the storm. We've all had a lot of work to do, and I've been spending a considerable amount of time paired up with Malone. I'm afraid I've been neglecting you."
"It's okay," Marguerite replied. "You're glad to have him back. We all are. I know you've always felt a special bond with him, and it got even stronger after what he went through when he was hit with that poison dart and relived his experiences from the war."
"Malone has been like a brother to me. I'll admit, when I first met him, he reminded me of William. I think perhaps I hoped he would fill the void that William left. But I've realized that no one can do that. No one can replace the brother I lost. But Malone, on his own merits, has become like another brother to me."
Marguerite had retrieved their food from her knapsack and began feeding Roxton pieces of fruit. "Has he told you anything about his journey?"
"Not really," Roxton answered. "He mentions little things in passing, but mostly he wants to know what went on here while he was away, so I fill him in."
"Finn did a little of that herself today."
"Oh?"
"She mentioned Ducart to Malone. She didn't go into much detail, but he was surprised to say the least."
"How did she know about Ducart?" Roxton asked.
"Challenger," Marguerite replied distastefully.
"Good old George!" Roxton laughed. "Sometimes, I wonder if any rational thoughts cross his mind, aside from all things scientific. At any rate, I'm sure Veronica and Malone will work through it. He's not the same boy that left us. He's more confident now. I think he'll be able to help Veronica deal with her demons."
"I hope so," Marguerite replied.
They were silent for awhile as they fed each other fruit. Roxton had trouble thinking clearly as Marguerite's fingers lingered on his lips after each piece of fruit. He wondered if she had any idea what she was doing to him. He figured that she had to-she was a woman of the world, who never made a move without full knowledge of the consequences. Yet, she looked so innocent as she gently deposited the sweet fruit into his mouth. Finally, when he couldn't take the sweet torture anymore, he caught her hand in mid- air as she attempted to deliver another piece of mango to his lips, and captured her lips in a passionate kiss.
When Roxton pulled away, he was shocked at what he saw-instead of the fiery look he expected to see, he found tears stuck in the heiress's eyes. "Why Marguerite, what's wrong?"
Marguerite tried to pull herself together. "It's nothing, I'm just being silly."
"I'll be the judge of that. Tell me what it is, love."
The endearing term was her undoing, and the tears started to flow, much to Marguerite's vexation. "I was just thinking about how close I came to losing you."
He pulled her close and stroked her hair while she cried. He was absolutely stunned. Granted, he was getting more accustomed to the heiress showing him her emotions, but not to this extreme. Marguerite had worked so hard to hide behind a mask, and never to let anyone see her pain. And now, here she was openly crying in his arms. Roxton felt honored that she could share this with him. It made him love her even more.
But years of holding back couldn't be changed in five minutes. Marguerite soon regained her composure and pulled away from the hunter. "I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me. Enough silliness. We should probably start heading back to the tree house." She quickly wiped the tears off of her cheeks.
Roxton pulled out a handkerchief and began dabbing the corners of her eyes. "They won't be expecting us back for awhile. I think it's time we talked about what happened that day, Marguerite. You put on a brave front when you told the others about what you went through, but I know there's more to it than that."
Marguerite turned away from him and started to repack her knapsack. "Don't be silly. I was fine. I've been in near death situations before-we all have. It's a part of life on this Plateau."
Roxton gently took her shoulders in his hands and turned her towards him, but she refused to meet his gaze. "Marguerite, we both know this wasn't just another close call. This made our entrapment in the cave seem like a minor inconvenience. I'm not ashamed to admit that I was terrified that day-terrified that I would never see you again."
Marguerite looked up at him, hopefully. "Really?"
"Yes," he answered, pulling her closer.
Her tears started flowing again. "Oh John, I was so scared. For the first time, I felt like there was no escape. I found a situation that I couldn't get myself out of, and I didn't have the reassurance in the back of my mind that you would save me if I couldn't." She paused for a moment to catch her breath, trying not to lose her words in the sobs. "My biggest fear was that you didn't know how I felt about you."
"Marguerite, of course I know how you feel."
She pulled away from him slightly. "But, we never say it, John. We dance around the issue. We imply how we feel all the time through gestures, but never in words. And it's my fault. I've been so scared of what will happen in the future, when and if we get off this blasted Plateau, that I've been sabotaging my chance to be happy now. No more. I won't do it. I want you to hear the words. I love you, John Roxton, with all of my heart."
Roxton was moved beyond description. He couldn't believe she'd said it. She didn't take it back, and she didn't tell him he'd misheard. She said the words specifically so that he knew how she felt. He took her face in his hands, and tried to collect his thoughts. There was so much he wanted to say to her. "From the moment I met you, I felt something between us-a strong attraction. But, over the last three years, it has become so much more than that. You've changed, Marguerite. You've become open and compassionate, but you also kept that fire and steel that first attracted me to you. You came into my heart the way no woman ever has before. What I'm trying to say is that I'm madly and deeply in love with you, Marguerite."
Roxton leaned in and their lips met in a soft, tender kiss. When they broke the kiss, he took her into his arms and held her close. Both of them felt so vulnerable. They were two people who had hardened themselves against the world, and it wasn't easy for either of them to open up to anyone. But, they had finally done it. They had finally broken down each other's defenses. It took them three years, and many small steps, but they had succeeded. And each knew that no matter what the future would bring, they would face it together.
"Good morning, Malone," Roxton said, removing his hands from Marguerite's, and reaching for his tea. A vexed look briefly passed over Marguerite's face, but she quickly changed it to a smile. After all, she was happy to have Malone back, and she would have plenty of time alone with John during their trip for supplies today.
"Good morning, Roxton, Marguerite," Malone said as he made his way to the table.
"Coffee, Malone?" Marguerite asked.
"That would be wonderful," Malone replied.
Marguerite poured him a cup. "Thanks. You know, I think coffee is definitely one of the things I missed most while I was gone."
"Gee, thanks Malone," Marguerite smirked.
Malone smiled. "Well, it goes without saying that I didn't miss anything as much as I missed all of you. But coffee was pretty high on the list-especially when I visited some of the colder areas of the Plateau."
"You know, Malone," Roxton began, "once everything settles down again, we'd love to hear about your time exploring the Plateau. At least, as much of it as you want to share with us."
Malone opened his mouth to reply, but was stopped by the sound of an extensive yawn. "Morning, everyone," Finn said, sleepily. "Has anyone seen Vee this morning? I went to her room to check on her, but she wasn't there. Her bed was made, and Marguerite's nightgown was laying on it."
"No, I haven't seen her," said Marguerite.
"I haven't seen her either," Roxton said. "Challenger," he said as the scientist emerged from the lab, "have you seen Veronica this morning?"
"As a matter of fact, I have. She was up at dawn this morning, dressed and ready to work. I wouldn't let her leave until I was sure she was well, but her temperature was normal, she had color in her cheeks, and she was steady on her feet. She wanted to go to the Zanga village to see how they faired through the storm. I suggested that she wait until Finn or Malone could go with her, since we don't know what added dangers may have accumulated on the Plateau since the storm. But she didn't want to wait, so I made her take a mirror and a pistol so that she could signal us in the event of trouble. I think she was anxious to be useful, and to make sure that Assai and the Zanga are all right. Oh, John, if you could join me in the lab for a minute, I have something else to add to your supply list, and I want to show you what to look for."
"Certainly, George," Roxton answered, following the professor back into the lab.
"Wow," Finn said. "It's really odd that Vee didn't want to wait for one of us to go with her. Especially if it meant she would have some time with Malone." The reporter blushed a little, and Marguerite rolled her eyes at Finn's lack of discretion. "I mean, we all know that she's been waiting for this-OW!" Finn yelped, and rubbed her arm where Marguerite had pinched her.
Marguerite took advantage of the younger girl's pause. "Yes, well, perhaps Veronica just wanted a little time to herself. She probably feels smothered, being trapped in this house for so long."
"I hope that's it," Malone answered.
Marguerite studied his expression. "Do you have reason to believe otherwise?" she asked.
Malone proceeded to tell them about Veronica's sudden coolness the previous evening. After thinking on it a little, a knowing look passed over Marguerite's face, but she remained silent. Finn, on the other hand, wasn't so discrete. "Maybe she was thinking about that Ducart guy who said he wrote that song for her. Challenger told me about how he seduced her and tried to kill her. OW!!! Why do you keep doing that?" she backed away from the heiress, who had pinched her again.
Marguerite silently cursed Challenger for revealing painful details of her friend's personal life to this tactless child. "Did it ever occur to you that maybe this was something so personal that it's not your place to talk about it? That maybe Veronica should be the one to tell Ned?"
"I'm sorry. I didn't think. . ."
"No, you didn't think," Marguerite reprimanded. With a sigh, she said, "For your own safety, I'm not going to tell Veronica about this. But, please learn to have a little more tact in the future."
Finn felt terrible. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt Veronica, who had been like an older sister to her. Finn managed a small, "Okay," before exiting quickly towards the lab. She passed Roxton on the way, who briefly turned as she brushed past him, then looked at Marguerite and Malone with a slightly confused expression. When neither of them offered an explanation, he asked, "Are you almost ready to go, Marguerite?"
"Yes, in a minute," she answered. Roxton nodded and went to his room to retrieve a knapsack. Marguerite looked at Malone. "Oh pick your jaw up off of the ground, Ned! How many times has Veronica watched you swoon over other women on this Plateau? It's about damn time that she had a little fun of her own." She softened a little as she saw the shame on the reporter's face. "He didn't mean as much to her as you do-not even close. She'll tell you about it when she's ready." She patted Malone on the shoulder as she walked past him to join Roxton, who was waiting at the elevator, which was working again.
"My lady," he said, bowing slightly and handing Marguerite her hat and rifle.
"Why thank you, Lord Roxton. But, maybe next time you could manage to bow a little lower. It helps to demonstrate your inferiority." She tossed a triumphant smile in his direction, and stepped gracefully onto the elevator with Roxton in hot pursuit.
Malone managed a small smile, as the sound of their playful banter faded out of his hearing. His friends were obviously in love. His smile faded as he thought of Veronica. Something terrible had happened to Veronica while he was gone. Something that his presence might have prevented. He momentarily regretted his decision to stay away from his friends for so long. But, then he realized that even if he had been there, Veronica might have fallen for this other man anyway. The man that he had been before his journey hadn't been ready to put his heart on the line, especially after Veronica told him that she wanted to be friends. So, what would have stopped her from reaching out for someone else? "But I am ready to take that risk now," Malone thought. "I can't change the past. But I need to find out what happened so that I can do everything in my power to help Veronica."
----------------
"That was the last item on our list," Roxton said. "Guess we should head back to the tree house." The two had been out collecting supplies for the better part of four hours.
"Do we have to head back so soon?" Marguerite asked. She decided to amend her meaning when she saw Roxton's self-satisfied smirk. As much as she adored him, she didn't need him to know just how much she had been longing to have time with him all week. "What I mean is, I'm absolutely starving, and you certainly can't expect me to walk the hour back to the tree house before I can eat."
Roxton's smile broadened as he stopped walking and reached into his pack for the blanket. "Why Marguerite," he said, as he spread the blanket on the ground and sat on it, "if you wanted more quality time with me, all you had to do was ask."
"Don't flatter yourself, Lord Roxton," she retaliated. "It's the food I'm after, not you."
Instead of answering with the arrogance that Marguerite expected, Roxton took her hand and gently pulled her down to the blanket with him, so that she was sitting with her back resting against his chest. She smiled and laid her head against his shoulder. She liked their banter, but she also liked this softer side of Roxton-the side that reassured her that she wasn't just a novelty for him, and that he genuinely cared about her.
He wrapped his arms around her, and spoke gently. "I know we haven't had a lot of time together since the night of the storm. We've all had a lot of work to do, and I've been spending a considerable amount of time paired up with Malone. I'm afraid I've been neglecting you."
"It's okay," Marguerite replied. "You're glad to have him back. We all are. I know you've always felt a special bond with him, and it got even stronger after what he went through when he was hit with that poison dart and relived his experiences from the war."
"Malone has been like a brother to me. I'll admit, when I first met him, he reminded me of William. I think perhaps I hoped he would fill the void that William left. But I've realized that no one can do that. No one can replace the brother I lost. But Malone, on his own merits, has become like another brother to me."
Marguerite had retrieved their food from her knapsack and began feeding Roxton pieces of fruit. "Has he told you anything about his journey?"
"Not really," Roxton answered. "He mentions little things in passing, but mostly he wants to know what went on here while he was away, so I fill him in."
"Finn did a little of that herself today."
"Oh?"
"She mentioned Ducart to Malone. She didn't go into much detail, but he was surprised to say the least."
"How did she know about Ducart?" Roxton asked.
"Challenger," Marguerite replied distastefully.
"Good old George!" Roxton laughed. "Sometimes, I wonder if any rational thoughts cross his mind, aside from all things scientific. At any rate, I'm sure Veronica and Malone will work through it. He's not the same boy that left us. He's more confident now. I think he'll be able to help Veronica deal with her demons."
"I hope so," Marguerite replied.
They were silent for awhile as they fed each other fruit. Roxton had trouble thinking clearly as Marguerite's fingers lingered on his lips after each piece of fruit. He wondered if she had any idea what she was doing to him. He figured that she had to-she was a woman of the world, who never made a move without full knowledge of the consequences. Yet, she looked so innocent as she gently deposited the sweet fruit into his mouth. Finally, when he couldn't take the sweet torture anymore, he caught her hand in mid- air as she attempted to deliver another piece of mango to his lips, and captured her lips in a passionate kiss.
When Roxton pulled away, he was shocked at what he saw-instead of the fiery look he expected to see, he found tears stuck in the heiress's eyes. "Why Marguerite, what's wrong?"
Marguerite tried to pull herself together. "It's nothing, I'm just being silly."
"I'll be the judge of that. Tell me what it is, love."
The endearing term was her undoing, and the tears started to flow, much to Marguerite's vexation. "I was just thinking about how close I came to losing you."
He pulled her close and stroked her hair while she cried. He was absolutely stunned. Granted, he was getting more accustomed to the heiress showing him her emotions, but not to this extreme. Marguerite had worked so hard to hide behind a mask, and never to let anyone see her pain. And now, here she was openly crying in his arms. Roxton felt honored that she could share this with him. It made him love her even more.
But years of holding back couldn't be changed in five minutes. Marguerite soon regained her composure and pulled away from the hunter. "I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me. Enough silliness. We should probably start heading back to the tree house." She quickly wiped the tears off of her cheeks.
Roxton pulled out a handkerchief and began dabbing the corners of her eyes. "They won't be expecting us back for awhile. I think it's time we talked about what happened that day, Marguerite. You put on a brave front when you told the others about what you went through, but I know there's more to it than that."
Marguerite turned away from him and started to repack her knapsack. "Don't be silly. I was fine. I've been in near death situations before-we all have. It's a part of life on this Plateau."
Roxton gently took her shoulders in his hands and turned her towards him, but she refused to meet his gaze. "Marguerite, we both know this wasn't just another close call. This made our entrapment in the cave seem like a minor inconvenience. I'm not ashamed to admit that I was terrified that day-terrified that I would never see you again."
Marguerite looked up at him, hopefully. "Really?"
"Yes," he answered, pulling her closer.
Her tears started flowing again. "Oh John, I was so scared. For the first time, I felt like there was no escape. I found a situation that I couldn't get myself out of, and I didn't have the reassurance in the back of my mind that you would save me if I couldn't." She paused for a moment to catch her breath, trying not to lose her words in the sobs. "My biggest fear was that you didn't know how I felt about you."
"Marguerite, of course I know how you feel."
She pulled away from him slightly. "But, we never say it, John. We dance around the issue. We imply how we feel all the time through gestures, but never in words. And it's my fault. I've been so scared of what will happen in the future, when and if we get off this blasted Plateau, that I've been sabotaging my chance to be happy now. No more. I won't do it. I want you to hear the words. I love you, John Roxton, with all of my heart."
Roxton was moved beyond description. He couldn't believe she'd said it. She didn't take it back, and she didn't tell him he'd misheard. She said the words specifically so that he knew how she felt. He took her face in his hands, and tried to collect his thoughts. There was so much he wanted to say to her. "From the moment I met you, I felt something between us-a strong attraction. But, over the last three years, it has become so much more than that. You've changed, Marguerite. You've become open and compassionate, but you also kept that fire and steel that first attracted me to you. You came into my heart the way no woman ever has before. What I'm trying to say is that I'm madly and deeply in love with you, Marguerite."
Roxton leaned in and their lips met in a soft, tender kiss. When they broke the kiss, he took her into his arms and held her close. Both of them felt so vulnerable. They were two people who had hardened themselves against the world, and it wasn't easy for either of them to open up to anyone. But, they had finally done it. They had finally broken down each other's defenses. It took them three years, and many small steps, but they had succeeded. And each knew that no matter what the future would bring, they would face it together.