He didn’t know if she was offended by the question – she had not outwardly flinched at it, and her tone carried no bite – but Endymion did regret voicing it a little, no matter how relieved (and surprised) he was to hear the answer. He frowned a little, meaning to say I’m sorry, that was rude, but then she had mentioned his travels and he wavered, flustered. “Yes,” he said hastily, so as to explain himself: “Yes, I was away for a few years. I’m – behind, on most things. But I’m back now. At Gringotts.”
Because perhaps she would like that warning, so that she didn’t have to bump into him again (after today). Not that she was being unpleasant, or that he presumed there were any lasting hard feelings between them... she still wasn’t married, but there had been plenty of time in the interim for her to have settled down with someone else, and she said she had been well, regardless, so he didn’t know why he was overthinking this so well as to have made himself guilty. “Not married yet, either,” he said lightly – although that was a foolish thing to say, because she hadn’t asked and he would still have been Mr. Dempsey regardless, so it didn’t matter, practically...
Merlin, he was making a mess of this. He cleared his throat. “Is there mud on my face?”
Because perhaps she would like that warning, so that she didn’t have to bump into him again (after today). Not that she was being unpleasant, or that he presumed there were any lasting hard feelings between them... she still wasn’t married, but there had been plenty of time in the interim for her to have settled down with someone else, and she said she had been well, regardless, so he didn’t know why he was overthinking this so well as to have made himself guilty. “Not married yet, either,” he said lightly – although that was a foolish thing to say, because she hadn’t asked and he would still have been Mr. Dempsey regardless, so it didn’t matter, practically...
Merlin, he was making a mess of this. He cleared his throat. “Is there mud on my face?”
