"Well, even dull men need to love and be loved in return," Robert said, with a passing attempt at levity. "True, an exciting man could make the best of any circumstance, rich or poor, but with enough money, one could create enough excitement to make up for a boring husband."
He was experiencing a degree of unhappiness hithero unexperienced. True, there had been that time he was beaten within an inch of his life, but there really wasn't much room for emotion when wandering on that knife's edge of pain that killed all thought except "Oh God, make it stop."
"That- that's right," Robert said, with a sudden, insiduous sweep of hope. "She won't, will she? And... well, she could just... be in love with him and he could not be very in love with her?"