Now that he had pulled back enough to look at her, Evander was less convinced of her answer that yes, she was well. She did not look - herself; he had never seen her look quite like this, and he raked his gaze over her more worriedly, whatever she said, scared that it was more than just exhaustion and dishevelment.
But his eyes eventually returned to hers as she managed a few details of what she had been through - as if he had not considered it in great detail, imagined all the horrific things that could have happened, the myriad ways in which she might have drowned. A gentleman - well, good, as he should was all Evander could think at that; and he didn’t know who Elsie was, but he was grateful to her too; and he might have been outraged at the lifeboats being almost all gone (of course these cruise ships did not plan properly for disaster, they probably thought it a waste to have any lifeboats at all), if she had not gone on to mention his brother.
“Thank Merlin for that,” Evander got out - for all of it, really - and he managed a weak smile back at her. “And thank Merlin for him and his damned ship, I suppose -” he said, with almost a laugh at the absurdity, because Alfred’s ship had been actually cursed once, and his whole career had seemed cursed, and now it felt like it had all been a blessing. If he had not even had Alfred’s letters detailing his progress out there, how much worse would have Evander been these last few days, knowing nothing at all? “I - I wish I could have been there,” he added, without really thinking about it, although in truth he would have been utterly good for nothing at rescuing people from shipwrecks and probably no comfort to anyone either, even Caroline. He squeezed her hands, and then realised she had said she was tired, was probably dead on her feet. “Here, you ought to sit - you ought to go home -” he blurted out, knowing it was necessary and the most sensible course, although at the same time he could not fathom letting her out of his sight so soon.
But his eyes eventually returned to hers as she managed a few details of what she had been through - as if he had not considered it in great detail, imagined all the horrific things that could have happened, the myriad ways in which she might have drowned. A gentleman - well, good, as he should was all Evander could think at that; and he didn’t know who Elsie was, but he was grateful to her too; and he might have been outraged at the lifeboats being almost all gone (of course these cruise ships did not plan properly for disaster, they probably thought it a waste to have any lifeboats at all), if she had not gone on to mention his brother.
“Thank Merlin for that,” Evander got out - for all of it, really - and he managed a weak smile back at her. “And thank Merlin for him and his damned ship, I suppose -” he said, with almost a laugh at the absurdity, because Alfred’s ship had been actually cursed once, and his whole career had seemed cursed, and now it felt like it had all been a blessing. If he had not even had Alfred’s letters detailing his progress out there, how much worse would have Evander been these last few days, knowing nothing at all? “I - I wish I could have been there,” he added, without really thinking about it, although in truth he would have been utterly good for nothing at rescuing people from shipwrecks and probably no comfort to anyone either, even Caroline. He squeezed her hands, and then realised she had said she was tired, was probably dead on her feet. “Here, you ought to sit - you ought to go home -” he blurted out, knowing it was necessary and the most sensible course, although at the same time he could not fathom letting her out of his sight so soon.
