She seemed thoughtful, a little nervous still, but everything she said made it sound as though she had thought it all through. How she might manage (- how had she put it? -) such a feat did not sound terribly difficult to achieve at all. But I know plenty of men, Dionisia had just said; if he had been a real husband to her, Ari supposed he should have been jealous, or offended - instead, the corner of his mouth twitched upwards briefly, if only at the oddity of this whole conversation, that unfiltered honesty.
But he was happy for her - he wanted to be happy for her, and for her to be happy, whatever it took - and if this was what she honestly wanted, who was he to question it? He ought to be relieved she saw a glimmer of happiness in this route ahead. Perhaps he already was rather relieved.
“No,” Ari agreed, shifting forwards in his seat to reassure her, as she had reassured him. “No, it wouldn’t be terrible - it wouldn’t be terrible at all. As long as you are discreet -” for there was always a danger of some questions arising, some suspicions if her affair was unearthed (but far better in the scheme of things to be thought a cuckold with an unfaithful wife than to have his affair become public and ruin Dionisia and Ben alike); and she would be discreet, she wasn’t stupid, he trusted her beyond anything, so “- you must know I have no objections.”
He smiled at her, firmly, to convince her of it. “And I’m sure,” Ari added, trying to inject a more carefree enthusiasm at all this, throw himself into it on the bright side, “that Elliott would enjoy having a sibling.”
But he was happy for her - he wanted to be happy for her, and for her to be happy, whatever it took - and if this was what she honestly wanted, who was he to question it? He ought to be relieved she saw a glimmer of happiness in this route ahead. Perhaps he already was rather relieved.
“No,” Ari agreed, shifting forwards in his seat to reassure her, as she had reassured him. “No, it wouldn’t be terrible - it wouldn’t be terrible at all. As long as you are discreet -” for there was always a danger of some questions arising, some suspicions if her affair was unearthed (but far better in the scheme of things to be thought a cuckold with an unfaithful wife than to have his affair become public and ruin Dionisia and Ben alike); and she would be discreet, she wasn’t stupid, he trusted her beyond anything, so “- you must know I have no objections.”
He smiled at her, firmly, to convince her of it. “And I’m sure,” Ari added, trying to inject a more carefree enthusiasm at all this, throw himself into it on the bright side, “that Elliott would enjoy having a sibling.”
