Marcus Crenshaw was sitting on the edge of his bed, gritting his teeth and sharpening a knife. A dagger, to be precise, but his fool of an uncle wouldn't get the chance to realize the difference before he drove it into his chest. Stupid, murderous uncle. He's going to pay for this., Marcus thought angrily, knuckles whitening as grip on the hilt of the dagger tightened. I am going to drive the knife through his heart, then twist it very slowly while plunging it in deeper until the tip comes through the other side. His screams will be music to my ears. He is not getting away with this, the bastard.
His past few attempts to kill his uncle in cold blood had remained unfruitful, but he was determined more than ever to succeed now. That son of a bitch. That stupid son of a bitch. How dare he. First his parents, now his legacy. His future. All gone. He is going to pay. If it's the last thing I do on this Earth, he is going to pay.
And now, his latest humiliation: a nanny. A babysitter. For him. The son of Lord and Lady Crenshaw. If Marcus had hated his uncle before, he now wanted to make music out of his tortured screams.
The doorknob turned, and the door swung open, and Marcus's head whipped around, sneering when his eyes met their target The nanny. With a flick of his wrist, the dagger flew across the room and buried itself in the wall directly to the right of her head.
Winnie cried out and flinched, covered her head with her arms. She shook a seconds passed. She wasn't dead, the dagger hadn't hit her. Slowly, she opened her eyes and lowered her arms. She immediately decided she wasn't getting paid enough. Clearing her through, trying to scrape up any lingering gumption she had, she looked at man. He looked to be the same age as her, and he she thought she was dealing with a teenager. "Lord Marcus, I am Lady Winifred Darcy, you're new nurse." She stated, daring to take a step closer, her heels echoing through the room.
Marcus rolled his eyes and turned away dismissively. “Of course you are.” After a second, his shoulders began shaking with silent laughter. “The look on your face.”, he snickered, smoothing our a wrinkle in his maroon bedspread. He hardly gave her so much of a glance, instead choosing to look around the room and make sure everything was in perfect order. The velvety folds of the canopy of his bed hung down smoothly from four dark wood bedposts, matching the colour of his plush pillows and bedspread. A dark bloodred carpet covered the floor, and deep red wallpaper lined with beige designs covered the walls. All in all, his room gave off a plush, royal, wine-soaked impression, nothing that would belong to a simple peasant.
Winifred followed his gaze about the room, it was easier than trying to smolder the glare she aimed at him for his little trick. He certainly had the taste of a Lord. Everything in his room sang of wealth and power. Except for that fact that you barely have power over your own mind… She smirked at the thought. The poor man was broken, living in his own kingdom of ruin mind. She pitied him, her gaze drifting to a cart near the door. There were his medicines.
Marcus’s gaze flicked briefly over her form, assesing her quickly. Very proper, judging by her stance, stubborn and not easily swayed. He could tell she was intelligent, it was going to take a lot more than a trick with a dagger to scare her away. Goddammit. He caught her smirk, and his eyes narrowed. “Out with it. Now.”
Winnie wasn't going to lie to herself. He did worry her a bit. But she couldn't help but feel a small spark of satisfaction at his irritation, not matter the dangerous similarity of poking a bear. Well, I'd might as well see how dangerous he really is, while i'm at it. She thought as she looked over him with bored eyes. "No." she quipped. She then turned and stalked towards the cart, checking the medicines. "Just because you could be easily sniffed out with your prissy and pompous attitude, does not mean I should lay my cards out on the table now does it?"
Marcus remained silent for one, two, three seconds. Then he burst out laughing. The laughter filled the room, not quite directed at her, but not as if he was laughing with her either. “You’re feisty. I like that. Much better than the last one, she was a half-dead crime with no sense of humour.” He grinned, but it was the sort of grin a predator gave its prey while luring it down a dark hole under the false pretense of safety. “If I can’t scare you away, we might as well have some fun. And I’m not taking that medication.”
(It is, I love Marcus so much. He reminds me of Sherlock)
Winnie faltered, worry creasing her brow as she looked back at the boy. He is truly unstable… she shuddered and placed the bottles down after inspection. And these are no help.. Who gave him these prescriptions anyway? Had he been tested? She would have to take these questions to Lord Crenshaw later. She lifted her brown eyes to him. "What type of fun?" she asked carefully. Just because he didn't outright strangle her didn't mean they were friends. Winnie didn't trust him in the slightest.
(Same omg also sherlock is lifeee)
Marcus just raised a perfectly groomed eyebrow, leaving her question unanswered. “The medication is useless. Unbalances me more. Drugs, however, proper ones, work just fine when injected into my bloodstream or taken in through methods of smoking.” He was an addict and he knew it, but he didn’t particularly care. Anything to give him pleasure while keeping his mind sharp. “Would the lady like a hit?”
Her eyes widened with shock. "No, the lady would not." she replied sharply, tensing as her fingers curled into fists. How could he even suggest such a thing. "That's most likely harming you more than its helping you. Those drugs could be highly-" She was cut off. Someone knocked at the door. In the heat of oncoming rage, she threw the door open to reveal the footman with her things. With wide eyes like her own just moments ago, her struggled to hand her a key. The key to her room which, Lord help her, was connected to Lord Marcus's. She ushered the footman in, unlocked the door to her room, and let him set her things down. She would unpack once she found out how to put this demon to sleep. She hardly felt comfortable turning her back on him for mere moments, much less unpack her personal items with nothing but a measly door separating them. She kept narrowed eyes on him until the footman left, disappointed with the lack of a tip, and locked the door to her room once more.
Marcus grinned at her back as he watched her go, amused. Lady Winnifred. Interesting. he could see why his uncle had chosen her, she was stubborn and fierce, not likely to back down. Fun to tease as well. Maybe he would surprise her by smoking until she re-entered his room, thag would be fun.
Marcus pressed on a hidden panel of the wall, which popped forward and slid to the side to reveal a hidden cache of drugs. A minute later, and he was inhaling the wonderful smoke of a new find, filched off of a dealer he’d left dead in an alleyway.
Returning to the room, Winnie pocketed the key as she opened the door again. "Now, as I was say-" She broke off into a coughing fit. The room was filled with smoke and she fought desperately to see Marcus, or at least the fire. But she found no fire, and through the horrid stench, she found Marcus. He doing it to spite you… she told herself matter-of-factly. Once she got her coughing under control she pinned with a deadly glare. "Very well then…" she said hoarsely through gritted teeth. "We can play this game…" She then turned to leave the room.
(gtg for tonight, Ill be back in the morning)
Marcus burst out laughing again, taking another deep drag. “You’re scared!”, he called after her, amused. “This is gojng to be fun, dear lord.” The smoke was beginning to make him feel loopy, he swayed a bit in his seat.
Rolling her eyes, Winnie got a bucket of water and returned to the room. She put it down before she threw a window open and looked back at Marcus. She grabbed the bucket once more and approached his slowly. "Put that thing out right now…" she growled.
(Morning)
Marcus raised an eyebrow, regarding her with amusement and slight disdain. “And why should I? I outrank you, I can do whatever I want.” He spoke in a lazy drawl, as if he thought she was hardly worth his government, but his posture was all careful poise, coiled up like a gambler before he makes his winning guess.
She scoffed. "I don't care who you are! You. Will. Not. Defile my air." she stated. "Put. It. Out." she demanded. "Or I will do it for you." She refused to continue to breath this abomination in. Not like Papa did… Not like Jacob did…
Marcus shrugged, an almost elegant movement, but despite his casual air, his eyes were sharp. “Put it out. I dare you.” He put the joint in his mouth, grinning like the devil.
She smiled like the cheshire cat. "Very well, then." She threw the water unto him. After he was drenched, she dropped the bucket and plucked the joint from his mouth. "As my patient, my main priority is your physical health. I don't care about your pleasure in the least." she said sharply. "And lets get one thing straight now…" she leans towards him. She had never, in her entire life, met someone so unbecoming. Even her disgusting father and idiotic brother were gentlemen at some points. Marcus was nuisance on many levels and she would stop tolerating him this minute. Her patiences as out like a candle in howling winds. Rolling up her sleeves and she sat beside him, the bed whining slightly under her weight. "I am not your friend. At all." she seethed, leaning close until they were nose with nose. "You are not my employer. I will not bow to you."
(This is so fun omg. I promise Marcus will stop being stupid soon and will not be an abusive lover. He’s just very insane and unwell lol)
Marcus, sopping wet but not without dignity, gave her a twisted grin. A part of him was filled with a burning rage, because how dare she? Most of him was filled by a buzzing curiosity. No one had ever defied him before, not like this. It was refreshing, actually, to be face-to-face with someone who wasn’t afraid of him, someone who saw him as an equal rather than a superior. Not that he was complaining about his position, being the son of a Lord, even a deceased one, came with many welcomed privileges, but if he was going to be babysat by a woman approximately his age, better a stubborn, feisty one than a terrified, shaking wreck. “I would rather you didn’t bow to me, actually, I have enough servants for that. And I completely agree with your statement on friendship, I’d really rather not get cozy and emotional with my babysitter.” He smirked slightly, shaking out his dripping hair and making sure some water droplets landed on her. “And I suppose I deserved that for the knife trick, but if I want to smoke then that’s my business not yours, as long as I don’t do it when you’re watching.”
(ya'know what, Marcus is perfect even with his stupidity)
Taken aback by his response, Winnie lost a little of her fire. She sat back, flinching from the water he flicked on her. "Uh… maybe that can be agreed upon." she agreed. She ignored the release in her stomach that followed. She'd thought her would lash out, aim for her throat or slap her across the face. That is what she had expected. But received none of that. Suddenly, she stood and moved towards the door. "You seem well enough to me…" she decided, smiling at his sodden state. "Well enough indeed, I think I shall retire from such an interesting evening. You should do the same, Lord Marcus…"
(lol thanks Winnie is amazing too)
Marcus laughed softly, almost languidly, but the look in his eyes was sharper than the blade he'dimbedded in his bedroom wall, cold and calculating with only the faintest spark of real warmth or happiness peeking out from the darkness of his irises. "You may retire if that pleases you, but I do not think I can say the same for myself." Not only were there much more important things at hand, like figuring out a way to assassinate his uncle and prove him guilty for the murder of his parents, but he was also an insomniac, and had a deep-seated fear of sleep and the night-terrors it would bring. Not that he was telling Lady Winnifred that.
