Timothy was not surprised nor offended by her apparent shock. It occurred to him belatedly that he ought to have proposed a courtship first. Miss Binns had not struck him as the type to care much for the pomp and circumstance of such things so it had completely slipped his mind.

He waited patiently for the young woman  to refind her voice. "I apologize for the shock I must have given you. I have always felt that any bride I took on would be one I could easily converse with, one that could be a true partner in various academic pursuits, one I can deem a true friend even outside of the bonds of marriage. When it comes to women in my acquaintance, when it comes to these factors, none measure up to you."