If he allowed himself to sit a little nearer to her than he ordinarily might have, enough to feel her arm against his, Evander pretended he had done it unwittingly, and not because she was a grounding presence.
For a moment neither of them spoke, and Evander was at just as much of a loss of what to say; it seemed grossly insensitive to ask about the rescue mission, and equally so to ignore it in favour of the pleasant holiday the first part of the cruise might have been, but eventually Caroline found solid conversational ground, too.
Well, theoretically. Charity’s a morbid little creature sometimes, and I have the unpleasant suspicion she would have been pleased if you had been lost at sea, Evander did not say. That he could not say. Nor could he explain she was well enough, but I was a wreck and possibly on the verge of a mental breakdown.
So his first answer was written only in his furrowed brow, but by the time he glanced sidelong at her, he had mustered up a false smile to make up for it. “Oh, she’s - resilient. Quite unfazed, for someone so young...” He did not want to say odd, but - well, Caroline was a cheerful presence, that would be good for Charity. Miss Clearwater was perhaps more the motherly, disciplinary presence she needed, but Caroline would nevertheless be - a role model, and perhaps a friend to her. Evander could only imagine what would become of Charity if left alone with him. Rather a grisly, downcast picture the two of them made.
“I doubt if we will be venturing on any cruises, ourselves, though,” he added, which - was not at all a joke. Hopefully Alfred would not think to take her sailing again anytime soon after all this, and after the things Charity had ruminated about, like being lost beneath the waves. “But she will be - glad to hear you are safe,” Evander said hurriedly.
For a moment neither of them spoke, and Evander was at just as much of a loss of what to say; it seemed grossly insensitive to ask about the rescue mission, and equally so to ignore it in favour of the pleasant holiday the first part of the cruise might have been, but eventually Caroline found solid conversational ground, too.
Well, theoretically. Charity’s a morbid little creature sometimes, and I have the unpleasant suspicion she would have been pleased if you had been lost at sea, Evander did not say. That he could not say. Nor could he explain she was well enough, but I was a wreck and possibly on the verge of a mental breakdown.
So his first answer was written only in his furrowed brow, but by the time he glanced sidelong at her, he had mustered up a false smile to make up for it. “Oh, she’s - resilient. Quite unfazed, for someone so young...” He did not want to say odd, but - well, Caroline was a cheerful presence, that would be good for Charity. Miss Clearwater was perhaps more the motherly, disciplinary presence she needed, but Caroline would nevertheless be - a role model, and perhaps a friend to her. Evander could only imagine what would become of Charity if left alone with him. Rather a grisly, downcast picture the two of them made.
“I doubt if we will be venturing on any cruises, ourselves, though,” he added, which - was not at all a joke. Hopefully Alfred would not think to take her sailing again anytime soon after all this, and after the things Charity had ruminated about, like being lost beneath the waves. “But she will be - glad to hear you are safe,” Evander said hurriedly.
