"The familial tragedies are often an excellent mirror for life. The same could be said of all tragedies, of course. I have to agree with you, that I hope the circumstances of romantic tragedies only occur rarely in reality. A man could mire himself in despair if he believed otherwise," Charles said.
He thought then of his mother and father. There was a hidden tragedy there, he knew. And of course he thought of his own future, a life of secrecy and potential emotional anguish for all parties involved. But he was determined not to become a bitter old man because of such possibilities. Instead he chose to smile and survey the dancers once more. He caught sight of Abigail for a moment, and he couldn't tell whether or not she seemed happy. Not wanting to seem rude or disinterested, he turned his attention back to Mr. Laurent.