Marcy Greene

Marcy Greene is a minor character in The Smoke Room. She is a friendly but eccentric resident of Echo who appears during William's route. She is married to Huxley Greene.

## Appearance

Marcy is a 'plump and pretty' rat. She wears a striking red dress made out of yarn with mismatched buttons, which Samuel remarks is easier to imagine on a child or a doll than on a woman. She also wears a yellow checkered shirt and a blue ascot-like accessory. Marcy is often shown frowning deeply.

## Personality

Marcy appears fanciful and childlike, and spends much of her time playing with puzzles and making crude yarn dolls, for which she feels a deep affection. She considers herself 'simple' and unskilled, although she demonstrates a talent for baking and is a prolific knitter.

Marcy is prone to odd and vacant behavior and has trouble focusing, but she is also chipper and warm and seems to enjoy entertaining guests. Many who meet Marcy find her 'slow,' but her naïve, airy affectation is indicated to be the result of the difficult circumstances she has faced throughout her life, and is possibly a way for her to cope.

## Story

### Prior to The Smoke Room

It is implied during William's route that Marcy was still a child when Huxley made her his wife, and that he coerced or stole her away from her family. She mentions having a sister, Penelope, whose doll Marcy stole out of jealousy when she left or was taken from her childhood home and was never able to give back. At some point, Marcy and Huxley came to live in a log cottage on a large fifty-acre property near the outskirts of Echo, not far from Lake Emma.

According to Samuel, their home was well known in town for the smell of Marcy's baking, which often lured passersby in to chat. A year prior to the events of the story, Marcy's front windows were always open to visitors, but she eventually stopped welcoming them on Huxley's orders.

It is revealed during the course of William’s route that Marcy was desperate not to have children with Huxley and relied on abortive drugs provided to her by Gretchen Byrnes to ensure this.

### Prologue

Marcy is first mentioned during a conversation between her husband Huxley and his friend Reed Morris, which Samuel overhears in the saloon of Saguaro's Hip while the two are playing poker. Huxley complains that Marcy keeps her mother's dirty rug in their home, and Reed disparages Marcy for depending on Huxley to 'coddle' her.

### William's Route

William, Sam, and Todd arrive at the Greene residence to interview Marcy about Huxley, who has gone missing. Marcy's windows are open again when they arrive, and they can smell her baking. Marcy welcomes them cheerfully and serves them huckleberry pie.

In response to William's questions, Marcy explains that her husband's drinking has caused him to disappear before, but never for so long, and she is eager for him to return. She unnerves Sam with her oddly childish behavior, but is ultimately able to give Will a weak lead to follow when she mentions that Huxley sometimes threatened to hop a train and leave her.

After Huxley turns up dead, Will, Sam, and Todd return to Marcy's home to discover that things have degraded considerably: Marcy has stopped baking, the place is grimy, and Marcy herself is vacant and distraught. Without telling Marcy about Huxley's fate, William begins questioning her about the last time she saw him but she responds as if in a daze, and instead recalls a song about a 'Rodeo Romeo' that she associates with Huxley.

Abruptly, Marcy accuses Will and the others of hiding the truth from her and says she knows Huxley is dead because her 'dollies don't lie.' Will tries to be vague with her, but Todd cuts in and confesses, causing Marcy to become distant and begin whispering "I knew" to herself repeatedly. Will asks for permission to conduct a search and Marcy gives a hollow agreement, stating 'nothing matters anymore.' Sam and the others leave to search the property, and can hear Marcy wailing from inside.

Marcy reappears out in her yard in front of Sam and Todd sometime later, screaming in distress as blood runs down her legs. Will, Sam, and Todd realize she has gone into labor and try to comfort her, although she is losing blood quickly and seems to have an infection. The baby is ultimately stillborn and Marcy begins saying that it was her fault, weakly explaining that "he would have taken it" if the child had lived. Marcy seems to be especially bereaved by the fact that her child, had it survived, could have grown up free from Huxley's influence, and realizes that its death along with Huxley's means she cannot conceive another.

Will notices mugwort, which induces abortions, in a jar in the kitchen and also finds what seems to be the remains of other stillbirths in Marcy's bed, swaddled in her grandmother's blanket. Marcy is later specified to have had over ten miscarriages in total. Todd and Sam carry Marcy inside and place her on the couch, despite her request to be moved into her bedroom so her child can be "with the others" Todd takes the remains and carries out her wishes for her.

Will and the others then find an expensive doll and a crib beneath a padlocked trapdoor in Marcy's kitchen. When they bring the doll to Marcy she smiles wistfully and explains that it belonged to her sister Penelope, who it is implied she has not seen since they were children. Marcy says Huxley kept the doll locked up because he knew she wanted it, and withholding it seems to have been one of his methods of controlling her from a very young age. It seems to hit home for Marcy that Huxley was simply cruel for no other reason than because he enjoyed the power it gave him over her.

Marcy's condition continues to worsen, but she becomes determined to answer Will's questions about Huxley's disappearance so that her late husband cannot "hurt people no more," not even after his death. She confesses that on the night he disappeared, she last saw Huxley taking his gun and leaving their home in a carriage driven by a red fox. In order to find a discreet doctor who can care for Marcy while keeping her condition confidential, Will sends Sam to the Hip to get help from Madam Dora.

Marcy is then brought to the Hip to recover and is treated by Avery. Encouraged by Dora’s dedication to pay whatever costs are required, he considers her prognosis dire but not hopeless, although he says it is likely she will suffer permanent damage. Gretchen visits Marcy’s bedside and tears up to see the state she is in, while holding her hand and stroking her head as if she is her own daughter.

## Relationships

### Huxley

Huxley has controlled Marcy since she was young, when he took her away from her family, and has kept her for years in a marriage that makes her miserable. As much as she suffers from his treatment, however, Marcy has been made very dependent on Huxley for stability and routine, and she is badly shaken by his disappearance. The exact nature of Huxley's abuse is left unspecified, but it drives Marcy to such a desperate place that she frequently takes abortive drugs in order to spare any potential children she conceives from experiencing his cruelty.

During her first conversation with Will, Marcy expresses particular disapproval to William about her husband's drinking, but explains that she has stopped trying to discourage it because Huxley is nicer to her when he gets what he wants.

### Todd

Marcy has been a family friend of the Bronsons for Todd's entire life, and he has helped her with household chores for years. Marcy calls Todd a "good boy" and seems appreciative of all the support he offers her.

## Gallery

DefaultTalkingSmilingDazedMarcy as seen in a promo for the twenty-second build of The Smoke Room.