[ Well, he certainly has no issues with the two of them having time together that is theirs and only theirs. And so at her direction to simply have dinner with her and keep her company, he falls silent for a moment so that he might taste the dinner she and the house staff prepared and thoroughly enjoy it as well.
Because he would be lying if he said that the dinners he had had while she was away might as well have been ash in his mouth. Not that he ever told the head maid or the steward that, because he would never insult them in such a way. But his longing for her and the loneliness he felt was all-consuming and carried over to nearly every aspect of his life.
Now, however, he feels joy again, even though his loneliness has yet to fade in its entirety. He savors the taste of the food and finds that he cannot help but smile even as he eats it. And from time to time, in between bites, he glances over at her to give her a smile as well. Life is better when she is present, and even the very sight of her is enough to lift his lowered spirits.
By the time that both of them have finished their food and sat there in peaceful silence until she stands and places her hands on his shoulders and then upon his neck, he feels considerably calmer and more content than he had when he arrived home for the evening. And it does not need to be said that this is the calmest he has been since her departure.
But at her suggestion, he cannot help the look of mild displeasure at the thought of being separated from her, even for as short a time as it takes to take a bath. ]
I suppose that is the logical course of action, and yet...
[ He finds he does not wish to be logical in this moment. And while he has never been petulant, not even when he was a youth (although he did have his moments of being rather stubborn), he feels as though he might be that way now. Or at the very least, the temptation to act in such a way when no one but her can see it is present. Still, he imagines she might find a display of that nature distasteful, and so he resolves to not let that petulance show. ]
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Because he would be lying if he said that the dinners he had had while she was away might as well have been ash in his mouth. Not that he ever told the head maid or the steward that, because he would never insult them in such a way. But his longing for her and the loneliness he felt was all-consuming and carried over to nearly every aspect of his life.
Now, however, he feels joy again, even though his loneliness has yet to fade in its entirety. He savors the taste of the food and finds that he cannot help but smile even as he eats it. And from time to time, in between bites, he glances over at her to give her a smile as well. Life is better when she is present, and even the very sight of her is enough to lift his lowered spirits.
By the time that both of them have finished their food and sat there in peaceful silence until she stands and places her hands on his shoulders and then upon his neck, he feels considerably calmer and more content than he had when he arrived home for the evening. And it does not need to be said that this is the calmest he has been since her departure.
But at her suggestion, he cannot help the look of mild displeasure at the thought of being separated from her, even for as short a time as it takes to take a bath. ]
I suppose that is the logical course of action, and yet...
[ He finds he does not wish to be logical in this moment. And while he has never been petulant, not even when he was a youth (although he did have his moments of being rather stubborn), he feels as though he might be that way now. Or at the very least, the temptation to act in such a way when no one but her can see it is present. Still, he imagines she might find a display of that nature distasteful, and so he resolves to not let that petulance show. ]