Perhaps it was different with George because Matthew was his father. They'd tried so hard for a baby and she would have given the moon to Matthew if he'd asked. He was incomparable as of yet to any of the men on the island.
When Christine mentioned Jim, Mary felt her pulse quicken. "You're not out of line," Mary replied quietly. "He does seem like a kind man and I quite like him." She sighed, debating how much to share, but there was something about Christine that engendered trust. "The last time we were together I came right out and asked him if he actually had a fondness for me or simply for what we do together. I believe he was telling me the truth when he answered that he liked me as well."
Hearing what Christine had to say was comforting. Mary hadn't doubted that Jim was a good person, but she did have her doubts about whether she was anything special to him. Despite his words, Mary still wondered if there weren't half a dozen other women on the island that he preferred.