Oscar had ignored what he'd said and whined about a perceived slight, precisely as Beatrice had done during Victor's last interaction with his family. This was not an auspicious start to his return home.

"I couldn't have, actually," he returned in an abrupt tone. "Incorporeal," he said, and waved an arm through the nearest bit of furniture as though this needed to be demonstrated — as though Oscar had forgotten. Maybe he had. Maybe they all routinely forgot about what Victor was dealing with. You could have left a note, you ought to knock, et cetera.

"If her things are still here we ought to send them out first thing," he continued, hoping that Oscar ignoring his question had been a sign at least that Christabel hadn't tried to come back.

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