Lady Sophia scoffed. "That is easy for a man to say."
Perhaps it was. Yet his expression remained calm, steady in a way that unsettled her far more than panic would have.
Lord Simon had always possessed that quality about him, a composed stillness that made others feel irrational for losing theirs.
The fire crackled softly between them, filling the silence in the room.
"You care too deeply for the opinions of people who would rejoice at your suffering," he added after a pause.
Lady Sophia looked away bitterly. "And you care too little about it,"
"No," he corrected gently. "I simply care more for this family than for the ton."
The words lingered strangely in the room. For a fleeting moment, her tense features softened. Time had altered them both over the years, yet there remained something achingly familiar in his voice.
