Mary too appreciated the slower tempo as it gave her a chance to speak quietly to him. She pulled back so that she could look at him, even if their faces were still close together.
"Seeing Matthew's ghost made me think about what I would do if he were ever to arrive on this island, or whenever we might be." She took a deep breath before continuing. "As much as I loved him, my time with him is over. I'm married to you now, and I love you deeply as well. I couldn't hurt you like that. You don't have to worry about losing me to him, in the unlikely event that I ever see him again."
She wouldn't have married Howard if she still had the expectation of Matthew showing up and her being with him. That wouldn't be fair to him. She had come to terms with Matthew's death and the permanence of it, and there was no use dwelling on hope. And with that, she was fully ready to devote herself to her new husband.
"I'm yours," Mary continued, nuzzling his cheek before giving it a light kiss. "So I suppose you'll have to continue to put up with me." Humor seemed to be a good mode of deflection for both of them.