It seemed clear as the air around them that she was most decidedly not well enough. It was also as clear that she had no intention of talking about it or even acknowledging it. Elias understood she had no desire to welcome him into her concern -- and although it felt wrong not to try to assist her, he felt that anything more than his initial question would be met with no smile.He grit his teeth and forced himself to accept her answer as it was. For now. Until he had a better chance to assist her.
But when she tried to ask him about his weekend, Elias dropped his head and stared at the floor for a long moment. His shoulders rose and fell with a controlled and steady inhalation and deep exhalation. When he looked up again, it was with nothing short of sincerity in its purest form.
"This isn't the way it should be," he said. "Ms. St. Giles - Cat - I am sorry for having put you ill at ease. You did a grand thing for me, that night. You showed me a kindness I haven't received since... I wanted to capture my gratitude with something so fine as the gift you first gave me. And yes -- I dared to hope that we... Well, now I hope you will forgive an impertinent man his assumptions. Now that I've seen you, it seems... almost laughable... to have thought -- Do forgive me, Ms. St. Giles. I trust we can be cordial neighbors."
His words were unpolished, wretchedly raw, and drawn from his throat in such a way that it seemed clear he very rarely spoke about personal matters. He could have captured his feelings far better in verse -- but that was always a separate matter entirely. He should have waited until he had the words right to try to speak them.
But she was there. In front of him. Beautiful and so distant. She was a robber of words.