She was laughing, so Ford supposed that must have been a joke. He chuckled, too, though honestly he didn't know enough about society to know how serious she was being. Prior to his father's death, he had always imagined that he would marry when the time was right, and that he would deduce when the time was right either because it would become apparent of its own accord or that someone would tell him. Then, there would be a range of women who were available on the scene of society. He had never really considered how old they would be — or how old he would be, honestly. Older than he was now, but beyond that he couldn't say. It was a topic of interest, though, certainly — because if women were considered eligible well into their twenties it would mean considerably more competition for his sisters, and they didn't have the luxury of time and money on their side.

"I don't think I'll ever be able to think of someone a year below me in school as old, even if you were already married and had a dozen children," he joked lightly. "If I thought you old, what would that make me?"