It was overly kind of her, to offer information when he had been less than forthcoming. To extend the olive branch over and over again when he'd pushed her away, sometimes none too gently. It made him stop, for a second, and in that moment of utter silence his stillness gave everything away.
He turned to look over his shoulder at her, pushing himself to meet the eyes of a woman who, even in another incarnation, willed him to be a better man.
A dozen things he could have said went through his head. 'How do you know this?' 'Where?' 'Thank you.' 'You shouldn't meet her.' 'She deserves to be just like you.' 'You won't like what you find.' But who was Preston to tell Evey what to do? She was a stubborn woman - regardless of which version of her he was dealing with.
"She'll be fine," was what he ended up saying, sounding more resolute than defeated.
"Ms. Hammond." He lowered his gaze and gave her a nod farewell, like the gentleman he wasn't.