She didn't move even as he climbed down from the chair. There was nowhere left to go now, she realized with a twisted pang to her heart. Alfred was leaving to the Sanditon presumably in preparations for whatever the next step with Zelda was. And it wasn't as though they could just chat and drink together when he was an engaged or married man. There was a line, a rather sharp one at that, drawn in the sand. Regardless of what Alfred thought it was always going to boil down to a choice, and it was never her he would choose.

"What isn't official? Your new house?" A pit of dread formed in her stomach and her every sense screamed at her to flee. To not have this conversation with him. To not open herself up to him anymore. It was a foolish decision to open herself up at all, just as it was a ridiculous decision to fall in love with a bloody bookshop owner.

She glanced back towards the floo and wondered briefly if she just ought to leave. It wasn't as though Alfred could follow her back home, and she could ignore whatever confused letters he sent. Jo took a small step backwards, likely unnoticeable unless he was watching her intently.