He glances at her but instantly looks away, ashamed. He has a wife, and they are happily married. And so is she. He tells himself that he will not speak to her, that he will not submit to the burning temptation. But then her voice rings across the ballroom.
"Owen! Owen, is that you?" He turns around slowly, renewing his promises to see her as no more then a friend. "Kel," he says graciously, "It is good to see you." And it's not a lie. It is good to see her, but not so for the sake of everyone else. Or more precisely, not so for his wife.
"Shall we sit?" he asks tentatively. She nods, and follows him to an empty table where they sit in a heavy silence. "Where is Neal?" he asks finally, desperate for something to say. She shrugs and responds, "The Great Desert. I asked to be posted with him, but I was needed elsewhere. Duty is duty." She fidgets briefly before regaining the conversation. "And your wife? Is Margarry about?"
And there it is; the burr he was trying to avoid rubs him in the face. "Cavall," he says softly, "With the children." Kel seems to notice the change in Owen's demeanor and excuses herself slowly, wandering off to locate their other friends. He thanks Mithros, not because she left, but because she saved him from doing something again- something he always deeply regretted.
Oooh, the ambiguous hints :D. Interpret as you like.
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