I am so sorry for the massive wall of text.
The gesture earned him a small smile of thanks. Glancing back out the window, she took a calming breath. Talking about herself had never been one of her strong suits, and she wasn't certain what else she could talk about. After a few moments' consideration, she settled for a happier memory.
"When I was a girl, I always knew what I wanted to do with my life. There was never any doubt I would follow in my father's footsteps. I'm certain it's difficult to believe, but there was a time I was far more bold, confident."
She cleared her throat, still noticeably hesitant to share her life with this man, a perfect stranger. Looking out the window again, she absently tapped a finger against her cup, gathering her thoughts before she continued.
"My first day at Oxford, I had gotten into a rather heated debate with one of my professors. I'm afraid he wasn't fond of my father's work, and he was adamant that I would never earn my degree. I wasn't prepared to accept that, and he became rather forceful."
As she spoke, she rubbed her wrist, drawing her arms closer to her body.
"I'm not certain what possessed him to come to my aid, but a young man stepped in on my behalf. I've never since seen him so angry. For a time, there were rumours he would be charged with assault. To this day, I haven't learned how he managed to escape expulsion." She allowed a faint smile. "And I doubt he'll ever tell me."
"Perhaps it's best not to know."
Again, she paused, seeming to notice for the first time the mark she was leaving on her wrist with the force of her grip. Shifting uncomfortably, she clasped her hands together in front of her.
"He never told me his name, not until much later, but he sat with me after, studying me with the most incredible curiosity. Years later, he said it was because my spirit fascinated him, that I never stopped fascinating him."
But that had all changed now. She no longer had much spirit to speak of, so she lapsed into silence. She had already shared more than she had ever intended, and it left her feeling more than a little uncertain. Touching a hand briefly to the cool glass of the window, she allowed the night to settle her thoughts, the dark calming her, giving her back the illusion of anonymity.
"I apologize. I doubt that was the story you had in mind."