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“In which case….” Mr Blake stepped toward him. “What on earth is going on with your younger brothers?” he asked, pointing across the room and Peter and Laurie. “They laugh so much together that I swear they could find something amusing about watching paint dry.”
Marcus laughed heartily at the idea, drawing the attention of his other brothers.
“What has cheered you up so much?” Peter said, moving to his feet and walking toward them.
“What?” Marcus said innocently. “Is it so rare for me to be laughing?”
“Incredibly rare,” Peter said dramatically with a great sigh. “Isn’t it, Laurie?” The youngest brother followed suit, standing and walking over.
“A shooting star could be seen more readily.”
“I am not that bad,” Marcus said with feeling. “Am I Walter?” Walter looked up from the paper he had been reading and levelled a gaze at Marcus that told all. “I am not that bad.” Marcus reiterated the point.
“I beg to differ,” Walter muttered with a humoured smile before turning his gaze back down to the paper.
“Mr Blake, you must tell us your secret,” Peter said, standing in front of Mr Blake and taking his attention.
“My secret?” Mr Blake said innocently, though there was a twitch in his face with the words.
“We cannot make our brother laugh,” Peter said.
“Though it is not for a lack of trying,” Laurie joined in.
“That is because the two of you are not nearly as funny as you think,” Marcus said with a sigh, to which Peter and Laurie appeared most offended.
“We thought putting a mole in your shoe was very funny the day after the funeral,” Peter said, before turning his gaze on Mr Blake. “He did not think it was very amusing at all. So, what is your secret? How do you make our brother laugh?”
Mr Blake looked rather put on the spot to Marcus’ mind, pulling another smile from him.
“I must just have a similar sense of humour to your brother,” he said hurriedly, then tried to walk around the brothers, yet Laurie blocked Mr Blake in, stopping him from going any further.
“Is there a reason you two are interrogating my guest so?” Marcus asked, folding his arms.
“Indeed, we are!” Peter said. “We wish to know all your secrets from London. Mr Blake, did he meet any ladies in London?”
“Peter!” Marcus said in reprimand, but his younger brother ignored him. “Has Father put you up to this?”
“Oh no, it’s fun regardless of what Father says. Well, did he?”
“Do you mean courtships?” Mr Blake asked, rather nervously.
“We do, for none of us wish to hear if he has been near a brothel,” Laurie said, before laughing loudly. The sound of it made Peter and Walter laugh too, though Marcus found no amusement in the idea.
“Laurie! You’re scarcely old enough to be thinking of such things,” he said, smacking him around the arm and nearly knocking the glass in his hand flying.
“With four older brothers, I was quite young to learn of such things,” Laurie said. “If we cannot embarrass you so, then perhaps we should embarrass your guest instead and ask if he has seen a brothel.”
“Good god! You two are not fit to introduce to anyone,” Marcus said and shoved Laurie in the shoulder. “Away! Now.”
“Are you shooing us like animals?” Peter said, sniggering into his glass.
“Yes,” Marcus said emphatically, glancing back to see that Mr Blake was adjusting his hair and looking down at the floor, with his cheeks reddening in embarrassment. The moment Peter and Laurie were gone, Marcus moved to Mr Blake’s side. “I apologise for my brothers. They are not old enough to know how to be decent yet.”
“I am torn whether to be humoured by them or….” He trailed off, not saying anymore.
“Then best not think any more about them. Let us talk of tomorrow instead.”
“Tomorrow?” he asked. “Do you not have to attend to business?” he asked.
