Ben tensed as she started talking. He could tell that she was very affected by the words, even though she didn't look it. Nova was always composed, though, so the little things like the color on her cheeks and the barest hint of emotion in her voice was enough to betray how strongly she felt on the subject. And that was before he even considered the content of what she was saying, and her choice of phrasing. Coming from Nova, the remark that he had a good, kind heart was high praise indeed — up there with Aldous saying that he'd done the honorable thing, back in January. Luckily, Ben wasn't feeling quite as emotionally fraught now as he had been then, but his lump formed in his throat all the same.

But what did Nova know about it? The article came closer to the truth than she would have guessed. Not that he was waiting around hoping Melody would die, of course, but he had been in the company of Miss Scrimgeour and Mrs. Lestrange earlier that month, and he'd been involved with both of them previously. Was the man she was describing with the words selfish, scheming, and cruel him, too? She might not see it because she was his sister and she was blinded by affection, but he — well, he had a history, to say the least.

She finished speaking, and Ben remained quiet for a long moment. No smoke without fire — the meaning there was clear enough, but she had lost him a little at the allegory of the embers. She didn't think he was chasing other women, then, but... she thought maybe he wanted to, and was holding himself back?

Oh. Suddenly this made sense. If he hadn't already been tense he would have tensed — as it was he clenched and unclenched his fist in the air over the arm of his chair. "What did Aldous tell you?" he asked quietly.