Tiberius considered his response, weighing his words but finding none that required a response in his estimation. They had more pressing things to discuss — like Tatiana's requests for the conversation, to begin with.

"Good," he said in a clipped tone. "I am confident saying my sister would not have agreed to proceed this far if she did not feel similarly. And I suppose I need not ask if you feel yourself prepared to support a wife. You've done it once already, haven't you?"