Marcus had to close his eyes briefly and take a deep breath to keep a check on the anger that built up in his chest at Bryony's words. He wasn't sure she even realized what she'd implied, and while he knew to blame her mother's influence for all the things unspoken in that statement, he couldn't sit by and just let the entire thing go. It felt too much like a silent agreement, and that was something he couldn't bring himself to do. Ignoring the comment about the mirror - because really, he barely glanced at his own reflection most days himself - he let out a small sigh before stating, "You're the most beautiful person I've ever known."
He may not have known very much about art, but he did know exactly how smart Bryony was, and he had every faith in her abilities, so it was easy to be perfectly honest as he said, "I'm sure you'll figure it out."