"No," he murmured, one corner of his lips lifting slightly into a half-smile, "I don't think you would at all."
The situation seemed as such thus far: Tatiana was an ageing debutante, very much wanted to be a married woman, and Mr. Macmillan provided pleasant company and fit her expectations. It seemed contrary to his mother's suggestion that Mr. Macmillan was not quite up to par with what she'd expected for Tatiana's future husband, and was now what Valerian intended to fixate on for the next minute.
"Mother thinks differently," he responded, intending it as a joke. It did not come out that way, though, as he was far too focused on her expression to worry about the tone of his voice. "Not in regards to his pleasantness—" Although that was also suspect. He wondered how Tatiana found good company in a man so uptight. "—but rather suited to meet expectations."
The situation seemed as such thus far: Tatiana was an ageing debutante, very much wanted to be a married woman, and Mr. Macmillan provided pleasant company and fit her expectations. It seemed contrary to his mother's suggestion that Mr. Macmillan was not quite up to par with what she'd expected for Tatiana's future husband, and was now what Valerian intended to fixate on for the next minute.
"Mother thinks differently," he responded, intending it as a joke. It did not come out that way, though, as he was far too focused on her expression to worry about the tone of his voice. "Not in regards to his pleasantness—" Although that was also suspect. He wondered how Tatiana found good company in a man so uptight. "—but rather suited to meet expectations."
