Percy and Margot at home
After saying goodbye to her dear friend and watching the coach carry Suzanne towards Richmond, Marguerite reentered the manor and began her search for Percy. She asked several servants, none of whom had seen Sir Percy in the most recent hours before coming upon a maid who thought she had seen him enter his suite a short while earlier. Marguerite quickly rushed up the stairs to his door and placed a hand on his doorknob briefly before retracting it. Instead, she knocked several times softly on his door to see if he would answer.
Having just slipped in a knife in the secret panel to his wall, Blakeney turned around at the knock. "Hello?" He inquired, but made no notion to unlock his door.
Marguerite took in a deep breath as she heard him reply to the knock. "Percy, it's me, Marguerite, may I come in?"
Lady Blakeney. He would have been greatly more disappointed had it not been for her being absent for the most part of a day. He actually had the needed break to regroup his thoughts and rebuild the wall she constantly tore. "One moment Lady Blakeney." He finished his business and opened the door.
Marguerite waited quietly for him to open the door, and hesitated for a moment when she first saw him, trying to hold any and all of her emotions in check. However, happy to see him once more she slowly stepped forward and reached her arms out to gently hug her husband.
"There there." He said, giving her a pat on the shoulder before ending her embrace. "Did your travels find you well?" He asked simply, moving over to the tall looking glass to straighten out his cravat and lace.
"For the most part." Marguerite said as she moved to stand beside him. She rested one hand on his tall shoulder and her cheek against his forearm as she glanced into the mirror. At least she looked better, having put on a little more weight, she was nearly the same size as when they first wed, and spending so much time outside over the past few days, her skin had taken on a warm, health tone. "I hope you also had a good trip. When did you return?"
The day before this." He had moved to the desk, to gather a few more touches of finery. Lady Blakeney was left alone as he conveniently squandered from her touch once more.
"Where did you go?" Marguerite asked softly. She moved as if to take a seat on his bed, but then thought better of it, moving to sit down on a sofa as he answered.
"To the north. A property of mine needed repairs and they insisted upon a signature. Silly, really."
"Oh, so it was a short trip then." Marguerite replied, "Why didn't Armand go with you?"
"No need. Why bore the whole of the manor with such a simple triviality." He turned and faced her, shaking a finger, "Although, the incident with the goose did turn out to be rather exciting." Sir Percy smiled.
Marguerite gave a small smile. "What incident with the goose? And don't tease and tell me it would bore me, if there's a story here, I want to hear it."
Of course. You see, I had passed a little villa just outside of London. Sultan was clopping about as usual, regardless of my wishes for haste. When all of a sudden, this goose came out from the bushes, honking about. Well, you never saw such a scene! The horse was spooked by the goose and the goose spooked by the horse. I imagine Sultan galloped for near a whole ten minutes out of fright!"
"Well," Marguerite said with a giggle, "I never imaged much of anything would spook that beast. It serves him right though, for trying to eat my robe."
"Indeed." Sir Percy seemed to scarce remember what she spoke on. "I'm headed to the library Lady Blakeney." He informed her. "I will see you later for tea."
"Percy," Marguerite said, "won't you sit with me, just for a few minutes more. I do have something serious to discuss, something that came up while I was in London." Marguerite tightly clasped her hands in her lap, not wishing to put off t he inevitable much longer, and feeling his private room would be a better place to discuss the issue with Percy than the library.
"Why not follow me down and you can tell me on the way." The fop replied.
Marguerite swallowed the small lump in her throat and nodded. "Alright then, if that is what you wish." She stood and stepped nearer the door, gently taking his to walk with him towards the library.
He walked along, while humming a merry tune.
Marguerite glanced about, not ready to speak up yet as she noticed a few servants milling about and tending to their duties throughout the house. "That's quiet a happy tune. I don't know that I recognize it."
"Something I picked up over the years. Scarcely know it myself." He continued on.
Marguerite just nodded to acknowledge his response, still looking down the halls, watching to see who if anyone was still about in the rooms nearing the library.
Entering the library, Blakeney choose a simple book, one with more
pictures than words. The household knew this practice of his. It was the part of the day when Sir Percy 'read' until he fell asleep.
Marguerite left Percy's side as they entered the library to make sure no one was lurking about the room and to securely lock the door. "Percy, could you spare me a few minutes before you sit down to read. I don't think what I need to say will take very long." she asked, barely able to turn in his direction, and unable to look at him directly in the face.
Sitting in his chair, putting the book in his lap, Sir Percy languidly blinked at Marguerite. "Alright then."
Marguerite moved and sat in the chair nearest to his and took in a deep breath, trying to figure out how to begin. "Percy, to you believe yourself to be a forgiving person? I mean, if some did something wrong, and hurt you, but they were sorry and tried to make things right, do you think you would be able to forgive them?"
"Can't say I know dear Marguerite." He sat there and rubbed his chin. "Why? Did a servant break The Ming?"
"No, no Percy, this is about something that I did." Marguerite said.
"You?" He blinked and looked rather surprised. "What in the devil's name were you doing dusting The Ming?"
Marguerite felt her lips tremble a bit, but held herself back from crying. "Oh Percy, this has nothing to do with the Ming." She wrung her hands so fiercely while gripping the fabric of her dress she nearly tore the fine skirt. "Something horrible has happened, and it's my fault, it's all my fault.
'Did you swat and kill a bug my lady?" Blakeney wore a stone face of stupidity.
The word kill was almost too much for her. Marguerite turned away, trying to hide the shame and guilt from her husband. "Not a bug Percy." was all she could muster.
"Well, if not a mere bug, what then Marguerite? I can't imagine you would bring yourself to murder." Blakeney studied her carefully, while Sir Percy rambled on whimsically.
"I didn't know Percy, I swear I didn't realize what I was doing. If I had I would have been more careful." Marguerite couldn't stand it any more and moved closer to Percy. She knelt on the floor beside his chair and dropped her head on his lap, her hands reaching up to him. "I'm sorry Percy, I'm so sorry."
"There there." He patted her hand.
"I feel so awful Percy." Marguerite said, as she attempted to wrap her hands around his. "I'm an awful woman and an awful, awful wife."
"Lady Blakeney," Sir Percy said, pulling his hand from hers. "Do make some sense, as my little brain does not at all follow."
"I went to see a doctor while I was in London, Helene insisted." Marguerite began. "And I told him about how I had been sick, and that I thought it was the climate, but said it probably wasn't, and I what I was feeling was normal for a woman expecting."
"That is good." Sir Percy smiled. "I would expect you to feel better as well."
"No Percy, I don't mean like that." Marguerite said, beginning to grow frustrated and emotional. "I was expecting, I was supposed to have a baby, our baby Percy. But when I was depressed, and didn't eat, it was bad for the baby, and I lost." With finally admitting that she had miscarried the baby, Marguerite finally gave in and let a few tears drip from her eyes. "I'm sorry Percy, I'm so sorry. I swear I didn't know, if I had I would have been more careful, I would have taken care of our baby."
"What...?" Blakeney could barely manage the words. He thought she was going to tell him on the St. Cyrs. On something he already knew. A child. His own son or daughter. The normally gentle blue eyes narrowed at Marguerite St. Just.
Marguerite looked up to see his eyes darkened with anger towards her. "I'm sorry Percy, I'm so sorry. I should have been more careful. I was foolish to behave as I did, to not eat when you left me, but I was so upset, so depressed when you kept pushing me away, and now look what's come of it. I feel like such an awful woman."
Blakeney stood up, peeling her from him. At first, it was all Percy could do to contain his anger. He walked over to the nearest bookcase and stared at the books. Some where children's books from his youth that his mother had read when she was well.
"Percy," Marguerite gasped and she tried to hold onto him before he pulled away. "Percy please say something, anything, just please speak to me."
"I have to go now." Percy said, as if in a trance. "Will you please excuse me Lady Blakeney?" Before she could say another word or leech on, Blakeney headed out towards the stables.
"Percy, no, Percy please don't leave me like this." Marguerite struggled to her feet to follow him, finally throwing her arms around him from behind. "I swear I didn't know, and I didn't mean to Percy, and I'll make it up to you, I swear I will. The doctor, he said I'm still well enough, and he doesn't think any damaged was done to my own body. He says I can still have children, and I will have children. I'll give you as many children as you want Percy, a dozen children if you want Percy, or more if that's still not enough, just please don't leave me like this."
She was clinging to him and he hated that. Tossing her grip from around his body, Blakeney growled, "I need not a single child."
"Then why, why are so angry?" Marguerite said, "You must care if you're so cross. Please Percy, why do you keep pushing me away."
"Excuse me Lady Blakeney. But I *will* take my leave of you now."
Marguerite was still determined to keep up with Percy. "Please Percy, please just tell me that you understand, that you know that I didn't mean to do such an awful thing, please tell me that much."
Entering the stables, he snapped his fingers angrily at one of the stable boys. "Right away boy." He said with a strange sort of authority.
"Percy, please don't do this." Marguerite continued to plead with him. "Don't you see, this is why this happened in the first place. You kept leaving me, and pushing me away. If you hadn't kept pulling away from me, if I understood you better, maybe I wouldn't have grown so depressed, I would have been more careful. Why won't you talk to me?"
Mounting Sultan, he grabbed the reins forcefully. "Do not try and blame your failures on me Madam, less next I be single handedly responsible for the St. Cyrs!" With an angered kick, he charged Sultan off, leaving a unpleasant dust cloud in his wake.
Marguerite gasped in shock at his last words. So surprised was she that she needed to grab onto a post to support herself as she finally realized what he had meant. He knew. He had known all these months and rather than approach her, to speak to her, even if it meant accusing her in rage and anger, he quietly ignored her and pushed her away until she killed their baby and nearly herself as well.
With a start Marguerite took off and ran towards the manor, not caring who saw her or what they would think of their mistress running through the house like a mad woman. Crying and scream she ran all the way up to her own suite, slamming the door behind her and throwing herself onto the bed to cry.