"Died?" Théo repeated, eyes widening. He had met Julien several times, the latest having been the wedding those years ago, but he had seemed a decent sort of man. At least, that was the impression he gained from listening to the man's conversation on dowries and wedding gifts with their father. He had not been a great man; but a quiet one that seemed to talk good sense- a sort of Nestor for the modern age. "I'm sorry, Thérèse." He said, kneeling down by her and patting her hands. "I'm very sorry. But I'm glad you escaped." He shock his head, having read about revolutions, uprisings, but never really before thought of them as anything but events of the past. And now someone, someone else, in his family was dead. It was too much to think about.
"My life?" He said to her, still focused on her news. "It is very much as you see it. Saving and studying antiques and precious relics. Most of these I saved from auctions or industrialists wanting to melt them down."