Aurelie wasn't convinced. Daphne had never liked children, and her mother had been amazed enough that she seemed to like her own son. "Well, it's about time the girl embraced her maternal instincts." She would love to have more grandchildren, and with this man, they would be positively adorable. "I'm sure your children together will be beyond precious," she said, preening. "I'm sure Daphne would love to have a little girl to dress up and show off."
"Equals then?" she asked, nodding. In her experience, such marriages always worked out better that way. It was when one had complete power over the other that things ended poorly, usually with the subservient one eventually losing their composure or doing something outlandish. As much as she would love to see her daughter in a position of power, the last thing she needed was another marriage to end prematurely. That wouldn't sit well at all.
Aurelie picked up her tea, blowing on it lightly before taking a delicate sip. "Russia is too cold for my tastes," she said, making it clear that she wasn't overly fond of the place. "Perhaps it is best that I stayed home then." She refused to comment on being singled out - her daughter had shut her out ever since she'd given her that first dose of bad news. The deaths of her brothers had only widened the rift between them. "If you say so, although I am sorry to hear that you were all unwell."
"Well, then hopefully she'll be back soon," she said, flashing him a smile. No doubt her daughter would be furious, but she didn't rightly care. "And yes, we took ill with it, just as everyone else has. Very mild cases, however - we were out of commission for only a day or two. I honestly thought it was just a bit of a cold until I heard the news."