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Chapter Text

Orynth, 1813

It was a truth universally acknowledged, that Aelin Galathynius, the deserving yet overlooked heir to the Galathynius estate, was in trouble. Not that she would ever admit it herself, but when it was preached to her by everyone in her vicinity, she tended to agree.

She was of age, she was female, she had no prospects of her own, and she was unmarried. And with no close male relatives, once her parents died, if she had no husband, she would be left with nothing.

It was a bullshit law, a misogynistic one at best and a cruel, vile, act of hatred toward women at its worst. Aelin knew she should inherit the money, that the money belonged to her, but she wouldn’t and it didn’t, which meant she had to get married.

There had been multiple opportunities in the past for her to find a match, but her personality and her iciness toward all of them tended to drive them away, much to the chagrin of her loving parents. They weren’t trying to force her into a situation where she would suffer, but they were afraid she would if she didn’t secure herself a future. Even if Aelin was practically determined not to.

It was her goal to piss off as many “eligible” suitors that the whole of Erilea had to offer, and she was well on her way to succeeding.

Aelin sighed as she flipped the page of her book, sighing and chewing on her bottom lip mindlessly as she leaned her head on the wing of the chair, humming as she read. It was the perfect day for holing herself up in the library, ignoring her mother’s requests for her to go into town with her and Lysandra. After all, why go chase after men when there were so many good books to read?

She chuckled to herself, laughing at her own joke. It wasn’t like she wasn’t going to get married at some point, she knew she needed to, it was just that she hadn’t met anyone worth her time yet, and she wasn’t about to lose her independence to a man who didn’t even know his left from his right.

No, she’d wait. Make her arguments well and known, make sure her protests were acknowledged, and then maybe, maybe, settle down. Just not yet.

That was a topic highly up for debate between her and Lysandra.

Her family had taken in Lysandra about six years ago, after her own parents had died, so they were raised practically as sisters, and she was much more open to the topic of marriage, much more invested in finding herself a good match. Maybe the threat of being without a safety net weighed more heavily on her mind, while Aelin tended to believe that everything would turn out just fine.

Everything had so far so she had no reason to think that it would suddenly change.

Elide Lochan, her neighbor and another close friend who was practically a sibling, tended to be in the middle of the two. Her family wasn’t quite as wealthy, so she was more practical about her future, but she was also along the same line of thinking where she didn’t want to marry just for practicality’s sake. She was a hopeless romantic, and Aelin agreed that she deserved the best love she could find.

They all did, and she was determined that they all find it.

Maybe she should’ve gone into town with them, just to make sure Lysandra didn’t end up falling for someone who had but two pennies to his name. Or worse, someone with an ego ten times bigger and an intelligence ten times smaller than it ought to be.

Someone that Aelin would never let herself fall prey to.

She only had a moment of warning before the door was slamming open, the lovely and quiet voice of Lysandra filling the room.

“Aelin Galathynius! Why the hell are you hiding yourself away in here?” She exclaimed, prancing over and plopping herself in the armchair across from her, her dark red dress flowing gracefully around her. Aelin picked at the sleeve of her own light blue dress, the light frock sitting comfortably on her body. “You missed a wonderful trip into town.”

“Oh?” She raised her brows dismissively. “What could I have possibly missed in the wonderful town of Orynth?”

Lysandra stayed quiet, and Aelin looked up, brows furrowed as she met her friend’s sly grin.

“Perranth House is finally let,” she said mischievously. Aelin snapped her book shut.

“What?” She asked with shock lining her voice. “Since when?”

That was news. Perranth House had been empty for years , the biggest house in the county left vacant without any person rich enough to buy it wanting to. The fact that it was occupied now could change everything. The Galathynius’ were wealthy for Orynth, but it wasn’t anything compared to what the owner of Perranth House would have to be.

“Since yesterday I’m pretty sure,” Lysandra answered, leaning on the arm of the chair. “And guess what?”

Aelin couldn’t help leaning forward, suddenly interested in the news. “What?”

“According to the woman we talked to in town, it’s a single man,” she raised a brow, “and he’s bringing his cousin, distant cousin I think, and a friend of his.”

“What’s his name?” Aelin asked, uninterested for herself but interested for Lysandra, and maybe Elide. She’d have to check out his personality first, but the money associated with him was definitely a point in his favor. If they couldn’t inherit money themselves, ridiculously , it was best to find it through a husband.

But the brunette girl furrowed her brows, as if thinking hard about the question. “You know, I don’t think I was paying attention by that point, we’ll have to ask Evalin.”

Aelin snorted, but stood up with her, dropping her book into her armchair.

“Does Elide know about this?” She asked Lysandra dragged her by the hand as she hurried out of the cozy library. They passed the dining room, with her piano on one side and the fine china laid out on the wooden table.

“I’m not sure, we’ll have to run over and ask her later,” she answered, pulling them both toward the front parlor, where she knew Aelin’s parents would be. “I know you have your whole thing with getting married, but -“ Lysandra turned to look at her, “this could be big, Aelin.” Her voice turned more sincere, a little more intense.

And her words were true. Lysandra hadn’t inherited much from her parents, who had been on the poorer side of town, and while Evalin and Rhoe had offered her the same dowry they were giving for Aelin, she was too proud to accept that much from them, settling for half of the amount instead. Aelin thought that was ridiculous, but her friend was firm in her beliefs.

She was beautiful enough to get a man without a large dowry though, so Aelin wasn’t too worried for her, but it was still frustrating. Maybe Lysandra was an Ennar and not a Galathynius, but she was part of their family and should be treated the same way.

As they reached the door to the parlor, Lysandra didn’t even bother knocking before shoving open the white door, pulling them both into the room. In contrast to the library, which was smaller and full of bookshelves that made the room warm and homey, the parlor was lighter, with pastel patterned wallpaper and a white couch that radiated the sunlight streaming in from the large windows. And like they predicted, Evalin and Rhoe Galathynius were sitting on the couch, Rhoe reading the paper and Evalin working on some needlepoint.

“Mama, is it true?” Aelin asked, raising her brows as her voice rose in excitement. She wouldn’t go after the man herself, but it was at least a little deviation from the normal and boring life she usually lived. Evalin lifted her gaze, a soft yet teasing smile on her face, one Aelin saw on her own face quite a bit.

“You would know if you’d come with us, wouldn’t you?” She said with a hint of snark, and Aelin almost rolled her eyes jokingly in response. She had a good relationship with both of her parents, but especially her mother. It was a joke among them that Aelin was just a copy of her with an extra addition of sass. And while Evalin was nudging her to get married, she didn’t let that get in the way of their family.

“Very funny,” Aelin replied, and Lysandra snorted. “I am so sorry I didn’t deign to accept your invitation, I promise to next time with as much grace as possible.”

Rhoe chuckled from where he sat, still looking at his paper and pretending he wasn’t listening, and Aelin shot him a grin.

“For your information, you little demon,” Evalin smiled, “even though I’m sure Lysandra’s filled you in at least partially, yes, Perranth has been bought.”

Lysandra looked back at her, a wide and excited smile on her face, so ridiculous that Aelin had to laugh.

“So what stuffy gentleman is making his rounds this time?” Aelin asked, plopping down into the chair across from her mother. Evalin scoffed.

“Don’t be so pessimistic, dear,” she lectured, setting down her embroidery hoop, “maybe you’ll really like him.” It was Aelin’s turn to scoff.

“I don't think I’ll ever find someone I like.” She lifted a hand to her forehead dramatically. “Which is why I shall die an old maid.” She succeeded in making Lysandra chuckle as she sat in the seat next to her.

“And who is going to pay for all of your books after we die?” Evalin said, raising her brows. “That should be your husband’s job.”

“You know what I’m going to say, mama,” Aelin said, shrugging nonchalantly.

“Then you know what I’m going to say, too.” Evalin crossed her ankles delicately. “I would give you our money if I could but there’s simply no way to untangle it and no way to bypass law and have you inherit it.” Aelin scowled. “It’s going to go off to a distant cousin, unfortunately, and we’ll just have to see who it is.”

“You don’t even know who it is?” Aelin asked incredulously, and Rhoe finally set down his paper.

“We do know,” he said, his tone light, “but we don’t really know him. I haven’t seen him since he was a baby.”

Aelin jumped on the words. “So you’ve met him?”

“If that counts, then yes,” he said before returning to his paper.

Aelin rolled her eyes and turned back to her mother. Lysandra took the chance to chime back in.

“What’s his name?” She asked eagerly. “And what about the people he’s bringing with him?” Evalin smiled at the two of them, warmth in her eyes.

“I believe it’s a Mr. Lorcan Salvaterre moving in, and he’s bringing his distant relation Remelle LaFleur, I’m not sure of why,” she admitted.

“Lorcan Salvaterre,” Lysandra repeated, making a noncommittal noise. “Interesting. I wonder what he looks like.”

Aelin shot her a grin. “Hopefully like that soldier you had a crush on two years ago, right? Wesley?” Lysandra shoved her slightly, frowning at her teasing.

“What about his friend?” She continued, instead of responding to Aelin’s snark.

“Mr. Rowan Whitethorn,” Evalin said with a conspirator’s tone. “He’s from Doranelle, and from what I hear, he’s even richer than Mr. Salvaterre.” Lysandra’s eyes were saucers, but Aelin laughed a bit harshly.

“That’s a pretentious name,” she said, leaning back in her chair.

“With his kind of wealth I don’t think it matters how pretentious his name is,” Evalin said, tilting her head at her daughter, “you should try and meet him Aelin, see if he’s interested in you.”

“Yeah right,” she raised her brows, “I’d rather move to Fenharrow and join a traveling carnival troupe.”

Evalin looked at her disapprovingly, but turned to her husband. “Don’t you think Aelin should be introduced to them both? See if one of them is a good match? In fact, you should go introduce yourself to them, so when we see them out you can introduce them to the girls.”

She sounded excited by the idea, but Rhoe just made a dismissive noise.

“Rhoe, you have to help us out here!” Lysandra chimed in, calling him by his first name. It might’ve been weird in other families, but Aelin had never considered it odd, it was just how it was.

“I’m not sure I’m convinced by these men,” Rhoe said, shrugging his shoulders and setting down the paper. “They come here throwing their money around, gaining a reputation before they’ve even met anyone. Why should we expose our daughters to that?”

Aelin didn’t miss the way Lysandra smiled at the word.

“Everyone else in the county will be rushing to meet them,” Evalin huffed. “It’s only right that we join the crowd, or better yet, get ahead of the crowd.”

“I don’t know,” Rhoe repeated, and Aelin grinned  at the way he smiled knowingly as the other two women tried to argue with him. She had a suspicion, but she was waiting for him to confirm it. “Alright alright!” He finally said, laughing at the pair. “Don’t worry, okay? In fact, there’s no need to worry.”

“What do you mean?” Evalin furrowed her brows.

“I’ve already met them both,” he said, and Evalin and Lysandra made sounds of surprise. “Mr. Whitethorn didn’t talk much, but Mr. Salvaterre seems nice, if a bit reserved, but I think he’d at least be open to meeting new people.”

“Is he coming to the ball next week?” Lysandra asked, and Aelin raised her brows at her father, actually curious at the question.

“I believe so,” he nodded, and Lysandra smiled and practically squealed with excitement, standing up and pulling Aelin out of her chair to spin around, making her laugh.

This was certainly going to be an interesting year.

Chapter Text

Orynth, 1813

While Aelin wasn’t thrilled by the prospect of a husband, she was thrilled by the prospect of being able to dance. Along with books and the piano, dancing was one of her favorite pastimes, and any opportunity to get out onto the dance floor was one she gladly took. Even if it meant putting up with ridiculous men the whole time. 

She laughed with Lysandra, clutching her arm as they made their way into the ballroom, fighting through raucous crowds and barely hearing each other over the loud music. People were already drinking, already running around and shouting, and Aelin smiled at the sight, always happy to participate. 

Maybe it wasn’t as “formal” as a community of more elevated status, but she wouldn’t trade it for anything. 

Not as the bustling crowd filled her with energy, a bright smile gracing her face easily as she and Lysandra hurried inside, eager to participate in the party. 

Aelin scanned the room, and managed to tug her friend from her path as she spotted Elide on the opposite side, heading over to her instead. 

“Elide Lochan!” She called out with a smile, waving as the brunette girl turned around, her brows furrowed until her eyes landed on them. 

“Aelin Galathynius,” Elide said teasingly as Aelin and Lysandra got closer. “Have you heard the news?” Her eyes had a mischievous twinkle in them. 

“Have I?” Aelin groaned. “It’s all this one talks about.” She gestures to Lysandra, who immediately scoffed in offense and smacked her arm gently. 

“I’m just interested, you can’t blame me for that.” Her expression was purposefully innocent, and Aelin rolled her eyes, laughing at the same time.

“Your ‘interested’ is what’s known as ‘stalking’ to other people.” That earned a laugh from Elide, and Aelin looped her free arm through hers, tugging both of her friends further into the crowd. “Well, Let’s go catch a man huh?” She said loudly over the noise in the room, forcing some enthusiasm for them, which made them smile. 

A new song started up, and Aelin watched the floor, sighing and longing to be out there. Especially as Lysandra got scooped up right away, agreeing to a dance with a sly smile with Wesley, a man only a few years older than them from town, who had shown interest in her before. 

Lysandra liked him well enough, but he’d never shown enough commitment to marry, and he wasn’t wealthy enough to offer a secure future either. But for a ball, none of that mattered. 

Aelin sighed and dropped her head onto Elide’s shoulder, laughing as the girl jumped in surprise.

“Gods,” she exclaimed, “you scared me.” 

“I’ve been here the whole time,” she giggled, and then raised a brow at her friend. “Were you lost in thought?” 

A couple spun by, close to them, and Aelin scooted back a bit, almost hitting another group right by them, everyone packed in on the sides. 

“I’m just thinking,” Elide sighed, eyes scanning the crowd.

“So… yes?” Elide rolled her eyes teasingly, bumping her with her shoulder. 

“Don’t be a smartass.” 

“But that’s my whole personality.” Aelin gasped in offense, placing her hand on her chest for dramatic effect, her golden skin contrasting the dark green of the fabric. Elide herself was wearing a light pink frock, looking lovely as always. To be honest, she was surprised she wasn’t married by now. Yes, maybe the Lochans weren’t the most well off family in the world, a few steps below Aelin’s, but there must be someone out there for her. 

Just then, the music stopped suddenly, the crowd all turning toward the entrance as something drew their attention. Aelin stood on her toes and craned her neck to see. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lysandra doing the same out on the floor, and their parents over on the other side, not quite as eager, but definitely curious.

And then she saw them. The group that could only be the mysterious newcomers. 

Their clothes screamed wealth, their closed off expressions showing wariness at the more common crowd, especially the man furthest from her. 

It was a group of three, a seemingly impossibly tall brunette man at the front, leading them with a face that wasn’t quite a scowl but definitely wasn’t a smile, a blonde woman next to him with narrowed eyes and a haughty expression, her pale blue dress dripping with details and jewels, and then lastly, a well built man, almost as tall as the other, his tan skin contrasting his silvery blonde hair, with a frown so potent she could practically smell his disgust from here. 

Well so be it. 

Aelin raised her brows at him, scowling herself as he stared out at the crowd, looking at the world as if he was better than it. 

But then his gaze shifted, landing on hers and pulling a sharp breath out of her. His eyes. They were the deepest green she’d ever seen, the color so entrancing and ever changing that she couldn’t look away. Her heart raced, pounding in her chest, and her hands started trembling without her consent as she watched his eyes grow wide. 

And then he looked away, snapping that hold on her body. She exhaled, infuriation replacing the wonder as he moved on from her like she was a piece of garbage not to be trifled with, the superior expression on his face drawing a scoff from her. 

It didn’t matter if he was handsome, she was already determined to loathe him forever. 

Aelin wasn’t going to put up with anyone who looked at her like that.

“Wow,” Elide breathed next to her, and she almost snapped at her to not pay any attention to that man, when she realized that her friend’s attention was locked on the brunette. 

“Which one is our Mr. Salvaterre?” A voice came from behind her, whispering in the silence, and Aelin turned to see Lysandra, back from her dance. “And which of the pair is his even richer friend?” 

Aelin chuckled quietly at her mischievousness, turning back as another voice announced loudly “May I please introduce Miss LaFleur, Mr. Salvaterre, and Mr. Whitethorn.” The man turned to the group. “Gentlemen and Lady,” he gestured to the crowd, “this is everyone.”

Silence. 

The groups acknowledged one each other, Lysandra getting her answer as the men nodded their heads with each introduction, and Aelin turned the name over silently on her tongue. Whitethorn, Whitethorn, Whitethorn. She stood by her first assessment of the name, especially as it now fit her assessment of the owner. 

The music started back up, the chaos resuming as the crowd closed in and blocked the newcomers from view. Aelin opened her mouth to say something when her mother beat her to it, appearing from out of nowhere. 

“Come girls,” she said, gesturing to the three of them, “Rhoe is going to introduce us to them.” Lysandra skipped happily after her, but Aelin just trailed behind, a scowl on her face. Surprisingly, Elide stayed back too, a distant look in her eyes. 

“You good?” She asked her, making sure to follow her mother. Elide nodded, returning to the present and smiling.

“Yes,” she replied, “I was just thinking.”

“Ooh, thinking again,” she teased, “whoever put such unladylike ideas in your head?” They both laughed, chatting lightly after that until they reached the front of the room, only a few feet away from the newcomers.

Rhoe Galathynius stepped forward, ahead of the ladies, and nodded his head in greeting. Aelin, Elide, Lysandra, and Evalin curtsied in time. Mr. Salvaterre and Mr. Whitethorn gave short nods back, Mr. Salvaterre’ s a bit more welcoming, and Miss LaFleur simply smiled coldly. 

How lovely. 

“Mr. Salvaterre,” her father greeted, “it’s nice to see you again.” He gestures to the group of them. “This is my wife, Evalin Galathynius.” Her mother nodded. “This is our adopted daughter, Miss Lysandra Ennar.” They nodded politely, Mr. Whitethorn just looked bored. “This is Miss Elide Lochan,” Elide smiled in greeting, her gaze locked on the brunette man. “Her family is very close with ours, I’m sure you’ll meet them soon.” Her father gestured to her. “And this is our other daughter, Miss Aelin Galathynius.” 

Aelin smiled, curtsying again. Mr. Salvaterre nodded, a polite smile on his face, but his eyes returned to Elide pretty quickly, and Aelin’s smile turned devious. That was convenient. 

Miss LaFleur just nodded her head, no real expression on her face, and Mr. Whitethorn rolled his eyes. Rolled his eyes .

She nearly scoffed indignantly.

“We’re quite happy to be here and meet everyone. It seems like such a nice place to be.” Mr. Salvaterre’s tone was a bit forced, but the words were genuine enough, he just seemed a bit vaguely uncomfortable in a crowd. “Wouldn’t you agree, Rowan?”

“Yes, it’s nice being away from the city for a bit. I’m sure I’ll enjoy my stay,” the other man said, and Aelin tried to ignore the way his deep voice sent a shiver down her spine. Instead she snorted… audibly. 

Her parents looked at her with wide eyes, stunned disapproval clear in their faces. Lysandra was trying not to laugh, Elide smiling slightly. Mr. Salvaterre had a brow raised, Miss LaFleur’s blonde brows were narrowed in disgust, and Mr. Whitethorn’s face was carefully blank. Unreadable. 

But they were all looking at her, and Aelin realized they were waiting for her to say something. So she smiled demurely, holding her hands in front of her and trying to look innocent, to rectify her mistake. She didn’t necessarily feel bad about it, but she knew her parents wouldn’t be happy with the indignancy. 

“Forgive me,” she said, “there was something tickling my nose, a feather or something.” 

It didn’t seem like anyone believed her, most of all the man who the slight was directed at, but no one commented, and the group devolved back into a light conversation about Orynth and the people there. 

Aelin excused herself shortly, and Elide and Lysandra followed her, the former noticeably lagging behind. Aelin exchanged a look with Lysandra, who immediately giggled. It seemed it was quite clear who of the three of them was suited for the man, or at least interested in him. Who knows what would happen?

Aelin held her tongue though, until they found some seats on the side of the ballroom, fighting through crowds to get there.

“So,” she began, a small smirk on her face. Elide tried to look innocent, but devolved into giggles too as they sat down, an enchanted smile on her face.

“I think Elide is catching herself a man,” Lysandra said in a sing-song voice, and Aelin raised her brows, staring at her friend with light accusation. Elide just shrugged. “Oh come on, he was staring at you practically that whole conversation! And you were looking just the same.” It was a mark of how close they were that Lysandra wasn’t hurt or jealous by the turning of affections. She’d been the most excited by the new arrivals, but she was willingly stepping aside when it became clear that her friend already felt strongly about him. And of course, there was still Mr. Whitethorn available, but Aelin knew that that would never happen in a million years. Yes he was rich, but that only stretched so far in a marriage before it became unendurable.

“I don’t know what you mean,” Elide said demurely, a light blush on her cheeks, ever the modest one. “Yes, he’s handsome, and he seems pleasant, but there’s no reason to assume that he’s interested in me as well.” 

Aelin scoffed, watching as people clapped and streamed off the dance floor, the song ending. And then she smiled mischievously, looking back at Elide.

“Look who’s coming your way,” she taunted, and then kept her mouth shut as Mr. Salvaterre approached their spot. He nodded his head at the group, but only focused on Elide as he spoke.

“Miss Lochan, would you honor me with the next dance?” He asked calmly, and Aelin and Lysandra exchanged another look.

“Of course,” Elide said, a small smile on her face as she stood up, accepting his hand and his invitation. She shot them an excited look before disappearing back into the crowd, joining the people gathering for the next dance.

“And what did I say,” Lysandra said, dramatically taking a bow and earning a laugh from her. “She needs to have a little more faith in her own beauty.” 

“And what about you?” Aelin asked, taking a sip of the drink she’d grabbed earlier. 

“Oh I have plenty of faith in my beauty,” she laughed, “in fact, I bet I could get Mr. Whitethorn, the richer of the two men to ask me to dance.” Aelin had to snort.

“I don’t think he would dance if he was forced to to save his life,” she groused teasingly. And she didn’t seem wrong. Glancing over at him now, she saw him still near the wall, away from the crowd and only next to his companion, Miss LaFleur, Remelle if she remembered right. At least he didn’t seem too interested in her either, despite all of her obvious attempts to engage him in conversation.

Maybe he was just that antisocial.

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The rest of the ball went by fairly smoothly, no drama and even a few dances. She danced with Mr. Salvaterre, who she determined was a stoic but fine enough gentleman, suited for the quiet Elide, and she danced with a few of the other men she knew, like Dorian Havilliard and Chaol Westfall. Aelin had known them for many years, and thought of them more like brothers than potential suitors, although she knew it would be a good match, at least in terms of Orynth.

But her parents had considered it multiple times, she knew that, as they figured it would be a good idea to match her up with one of the few men she could stand. Too bad for them that she would never consider that herself.

And now, hiding away in the corner with Lysandra, gossipping about the fact that Mr. Salvaterre danced with Elide twice , she’d completely put her ugly encounter with the other man out of her mind. Until she couldn’t anymore.

Because apparently her hiding spot was good enough that she couldn’t be easily noticed by other people. And other people included him . 

Aelin had stopped talking when he walked past with the object of Elide’s affections, chatting sternly as they walked around the room, the only time he’d really moved from his spot. 

“I wasn’t expecting to find the country so diverting,” Mr. Salvaterre said, “but I have to admit that I’m having a good time.” Mr. Whitethorn made a noise of derision.

“Maybe you are,” he said, “you seem to be occupied by the only decently pleasant girl in the room.” 

“Don’t be so harsh,” he chastised, “Miss Lochan is lovely, yes, but I’m sure there are other options as well. What about her friends, Miss Ennar or Miss Galathynius,” he added, and the two girls froze, glancing at each other but afraid to move too much, “they seem perfectly agreeable, and very beautiful.”

Mr. Whitethorn just sighed. “I fear that Miss Ennar may prove too lively for me.” The subject herself snorted at that, and Aelin snickered, both of them privately agreeing with the words. “And as for Miss Galathynius, she may be beautiful, but her personality seems purposefully crafted to drive everyone away. I don’t think I could stand to be around her for more than five minutes, let alone a lifetime. I don’t know how she’ll ever find a husband.” 

Her smile dropped, cold rushing through her. They stayed in silence as the other pair drifted away, and she stared at the table as her friend’s, her sister’s, warm hand enclosed her hand. 

“He’s an asshole for saying that,” Lysandra insisted, “don’t listen to a man with that sort of arrogance.”

Aelin shoved her hurt aside, pushing her bravado forward. “Of course. I’d never let a man like Mr. Whitethorn impact my self worth, I’m far too perfect for that.” She laughed, and Lysandra smiled, pleased that her friend was seemingly alright.

But inside, Aelin felt torn. She didn’t like him, and she didn’t even want a husband, so the words shouldn’t’ve have mattered. But, it was one thing to be alone by your own accord, and something completely different to hear it from someone else’s tongue that you’d never be anything but alone anyway.

But that was a mark on his character, not hers.