Page 35 of The Marquis' Game of Seduction
Rose chuckled and followed Duncan out of the library. They snaked up the staircase to Duncan’s room, as Duncan explained to her the meat of the predicament: One of the legs had popped off of his soldier men (not the one he currently held in his hands—but one of his wounded brethren upstairs). Rose pretended to take the matter very seriously, and said she would dedicate her time to fixing him as soon as they arrived. Duncan’s face was strained with worry.
Once inside his bedroom, Rose dropped to her knees and committed to the restructuring of the wounded soldier. As she worked, Duncan played beside her (and she occasionally wondered if he’d actually broken the toy himself, to bring her into his room—the act of a lonely boy who simply wanted to play).
As she worked, Rose’s head filled with the story of Colin: of a man who blamed himself so completely for his father’s death and his sister abandoning them that he’d committed to dividing himself from society.
“Duncan. Do you mind if I ask you a question?” Rose said.
Duncan swept a toy train through the air, making it fly. He made little “whizzing” noises, then smashed the train into the ground. He peered up at her and said, “Sure. What is it?”
“I was wondering. What is your mother like?”
Duncan considered this. “You mean, what does she like to do?”
“No. I mean, if I met your mother, what would I think of her? What would I notice?” Rose asked.
Duncan exhaled. “She’s quite pretty. Father always says so, and so does everyone else. According to Father, she could have had any husband in the world, and she chose him.”
“Wow. So, she’s quite pretty. What about her personality?” Rose asked.
Duncan dropped to the ground and splayed his legs out on either side of him. He revved the train between his thighs. “She can get angry sometimes, I suppose. But not often. Before she got sick, she laughed often. She was always making little jokes.”
“She sounds like she has a good humor,” Rose offered. “I expect she had a good time playing with your uncle Colin when they were younger. Did she ever talk about that?”
“She said that they used to play in the forest. She’s a tiny bit older than Uncle Colin, I believe—and she said that he often got underfoot or annoyed her. But she said that’s what little brothers do.”
Rose considered this. She was surprised not to see any sort of regret pass over Duncan’s face. Did he feel any sort of remorse for the fact that he hadn’t any brothers or sisters to play with? Certainly, Rose’s entire world had been her sister Carrie when they’d been younger. She wouldn’t have lived through her time at the orphanage without her.
“What about when she learned of your grandfather’s passing?” Rose asked. She hoped she wasn’t digging too far—that Duncan would take the question in stride, since he’d never known his grandfather.
Duncan tilted his head and crashed his train into the side of his thigh. “Goodness!” he cried. His eyes turned toward Rose, feigning panic. “Didn’t you see, Rose! The train has crashed and everyone died on board! It’s absolutely dreadful. What will we do?”
Rose let out a little sigh, recognising that Duncan wasn’t going to allow her to ask another question—at least, not that afternoon. Finally, as Duncan continued to stare at her, waiting, she cried, “No, but look, Duncan! There! I see it! A little family, walking out of the train unharmed! It seems that they avoided death and will be allowed to walk free!”
“Remarkable!” Duncan whispered. “They should be so grateful.” He beamed at Rose—seemingly grateful that she’d allowed these invisible humans to live. Then, he slowly lifted the train upright, as though it was up to him to ensure it never crashed again.
On cue, Rose shifted the soldier’s leg back into place and stood him upright on the hardwood floor. “There,” she said. “I don’t think the soldier should go immediately back into battle. Do you? It seems he’s had quite a hard road. Perhaps it’s best that he rest. Settle with someone he loves. Maybe even have a few children…”
Duncan scrunched up his nose. He grabbed his soldier and gave him an enormous hug, then splayed him next to the train. Rose watched as the boy fell back into the pits of play, his brain whizzing with imagination. Rose ached with a brief moment of jealousy. She remembered it all too well, following her thoughts into the Neverland of imagination. Now she had to remain largely outside, with adult problems and adult conversation.
That night, Judith informed Rose that Colin had invited Rose to dine with him and Duncan once more. Rose agreed and felt her heart jump into her throat. Then, she and Duncan collected his toys and tidied them into the toy chest and padded down the staircase to greet Colin in the dining room.
Colin was seated at the head of the table, already with a glass of wine set before him. His dark eyes found Rose’s immediately upon her entrance. He stood slowly and pressed his massive hand against his flat stomach, as though he was going to dip into a bow.
“Good evening,” he said.
“Hello there,” Duncan said. He slipped into his ordinary chair and kicked his legs out in front of him. He always did this when he was anxious, Rose had noticed.
Rose sat across from Duncan and bowed her head toward the Marquees. She felt her cheeks grow flushed with memory of the previous time they’d met: when he’d cupped her elbow with such a tender motion and she’d had to depart so quickly, frightened of what she might do or think or feel if she remained.
But it was obvious he was willing to look past that awkward encounter. After all, he’d invited her to dinner, which seemed like an act of generosity and goodwill. Rose had to lean into it, and remember what Anna had told her regarding his past. The man’s heart ached with darkness and memory. Rose could do nothing but attempt to make life seem just a little brighter.
“I expect you’ve already begun your sessions with Miss Anna?” Colin asked. He dipped his knife into a piece of steak, his eyes flickering toward Rose’s.
Rose nodded. “She’s achieved so much in the past weeks, my lord. I’ve never seen someone advance so quickly. I imagine she’ll be able to write her own letter quite soon.”
“A letter? To whom?” Duncan asked.
Rose and Colin shared a glance. Colin cleared his throat and said, “Anna has people to write letters to, just as you do. Didn’t you know that?”
