'Living in London' was vague, and Brannon suspected intentionally so. There were good, respectable neighborhoods of London, but they were outnumbered by cheap boarding houses, overcrowded townhomes, and areas rife with crime and poverty. If he lived on Kensington High Street, he likely would have said so. 'Going out to sea regularly' was not an auspicious addition to the statement, either: it meant that if he and Zelda married, she would be left frequently alone in one of those areas.

Brannon had a good deal to say about that, but before he could begin Zelda had spoken up. He looked over to her, almost surprised. It was not customary to have one's daughter present during a discussion like this, and he had almost forgotten that she might, in fact, have an opinion on the matter.

"Yes, Zelda?" he replied, though he doubted anything she had to say would change his mind much about this fellow.