I am very sorry to hear it," Miles replied honestly, thinking of Katherine's rather odious fiance. "At least you had the leisure to reflect on your own thoughts, without any competing claims of society, family, or business."
Actually, running off to France for a year was starting to sound enormously appealing. "Oh, they aren't much, the circumstances. My father was murdered and I had to take over his business and his place in the family." He spread his hands, trying not to slosh punch out of his cup. "As I said, not much. Just rather constraining."