If this was a joke, he was quite dedicated to it, but she still didn't understand. Ophelia's brow furrowed slightly. "Well, of course I did. I told you —" right after I returned from the hospital, she had been intending to say, but in a sudden flash of clarity she realized that wasn't true. She'd meant to, but he hadn't been home — she couldn't recall now where he had been. So she'd sat down and written a letter to Nova, instead, and then written three different drafts to Phyri before she'd found one she felt she could actually post. Then, she'd been so tired she'd laid down for a nap, and then when she'd woken up it had been time to dress for dinner — and she couldn't have even thought of telling him over dinner, because they'd had a cousin of his over that night.

"Oh, no," she said, face growing pale as she realized that he wasn't joking at all. He actually hadn't heard about it. "Oh, my darling, I'm so sorry, I could have sworn I said..."