She was nervous, and it was making him nervous. With a small sigh he lifted the teapot and busied himself with it. "You two will never see eye-to-eye, I think I know that now ..." Freddie smiled a little, despite himself. He'd often found himself between the two girls; one his friend, the other his ... what was Alice? He glanced up at her thoughtfully. She didn't seem to be looking at him too much, he found to his relief, he wasn't sure he could bear her scrutiny. The guilt he had repressed for many months-- that he had forgiven James in a matter of weeks but reserved a harsher punishment by far for poor Alice-- was sitting heavily in his throat now that she was here in front of him. And she was radiant-- of course she was-- it was his penance, he thought, pouring her a cup of tea. "Still milk and one sugar?" he asked, his voice a little choked.