It was hard to picture Mr. Darrow as a child, Caroline found, glancing at the man. He seemed so serious, had he been serious then too? Had he cared for books or adventures or tracking down a wayward sister? Perhaps one day she might find out, but she wondered if she would be able to reconcile such thoughts with the man she walked with now. What she could picture was the grief at the loss of a close siblings. While she loved her only brothers Shawn had always been the closest to her. Her lighthouse amid the waves. She had keenly felt his loss when he disappeared. She’d mourned and tried to find a way to go on. It had been tough, but her family had persisted and so Caroline did as well. When Shawn returned again she helped him find his memories, which had been almost more painful than believing him dead. Knowing that he only was close to her because she indicated they had been at one point, not because he felt it. Looking at Mr. Darrow, Caroline summoned a sympathetic smile for him, shaded by the lamplight that fell upon them. It was tough to lose family, tougher still when you were close to them.

It was rare to find someone who so completely understood a situation such as their brothers, but here Mr. Darrow was, the first of his kind. Caroline chuckled, perhaps an overly simplified version of explaining such things, but she’d long ago found that people weren’t interested in the truth and dynamics of something, but how blithely one could deliver such a story, as if she hadn’t been affected in the least. “Perhaps.” She agreed with a cheerful shrug.

Caroline was not sure she would classify the situation as madness but she smiled lightly. “Indeed. My brother turned up in my father’s office with only half an idea who he was and hardly any memories of us at all.” Caroline’s tone was light, but the words still hurt. She hadn’t talked to many people about the truth depth of the matter. Tending to leave it light and cheerful and move on. “Even though he’d returned to us physically, it was months until he was actually with us.” Caroline admitted, quieter this time, her gaze returning the dim streets before them.

It would hardly do to put such a sad point on such a fine evening, particularly with a potential suitor such as Mr. Darrow at hand. So Caroline internally shrugged the manner off and smiled at Mr. Darrow again. “But come, let us speak of happier times. Tell me of your work.” While she might not be interested in such topics, it did always do good to appear interested in such a variety of topics. Perhaps she might even find some true interest in the topic if enlightened in it, she reasoned.