She looked even more out of sorts than he did, with her wet dress and frazzled hair. While he was curious as to what had caused her state of disarray, he wasn't willing to longer in the hallway to question her and risk her returning the favor. No, he'd rather walk by and say nothing. Perhaps he'd look into where she had been later; more likely, he'd decide her didn't care when he had the lock sorted and he could be sure of a sanctuary there, free from the chance of encountering his wife.

He hesitated at her question, sure at first that it was referring to his absence from the house during the storm and might be some sort of coded jab. He realized after a second's reflection that they actually hadn't seen each other properly since his return from abroad. That was a slightly less provocative subject, but he still had very little desire to discuss it.

"Yes," he said curtly, moving to pass her. Had she noticed a difference in his posture before he straightened up? Could he hold this until he was safely out of sight? He didn't know whether she even cared enough to notice, but wanted to take no chances.