Hearing the honesty in Marcus' tone - and seeing it across his face - Bryony beamed at him. The reality of the situation would take some getting used to, but anything that made Marcus happy was good in Bryony's book. "How long has it been?" she asked, not because she thought she had any right to know earlier, but just because she was curious.
She'd have known - even if he hadn't said so - that he had no experience with this. Nor did she, save for watching her sisters date, which didn't seem a sensible comparison at all. She felt a slight pang at the thought that she would never get to experience it; a belief she'd held for years, though never spoken aloud, and another when she wondered if there would come a time when there was some one more important to Marcus than herself. Her pleasure in his happiness easily overrode the shamefully selfish feelings that she didn't allow herself to dwell on. "I'm so happy for you!" she said, without the least trace of bitterness.