Mary and Tom are alone again at breakfast the next morning. Mary expects silence after the tension yesterday but is pleasantly surprised when Tom asks if she has any plans for the day.
"Not really," she says. "I was thinking of going into the village to buy some new story books for the children. Nanny says they've been making her read the same one every night for the past week."
"I was hoping to go into the village as well. There's going to be a charity event for the school and somehow Isobel has roped me into being on the committee." He rolls his eyes. "Any who, there's a brief meeting later this morning, and I'm expected to attend."
"Oh? I wonder why she didn't ask me."
"Well, things just started coming together about a week ago, right around the time of everything… You know."
"Oh." It was exactly a week ago today that she turned Henry down. "So just what I was speaking of yesterday."
Tom is silent for a moment. "I'm sorry."
"For yesterday? I don't care about that anymore, and you already—"
"For pushing you towards Henry."
She is quiet. "Why are you sorry?"
"Because…" He pauses, glancing at Carson, then leans over and whispers, "Can we continue this outside? Somewhere more private?" His blue eyes are wide, and she is somehow reminded of Matthew.
She nods, and they both leave the room. Carson watches, one eyebrow raised.
