Darius held his hand behind the small of her back without touching her. Ellen let herself be guided down to her chair but not before she saw Philip’s gaze shift to her. For a second she stared back, mutely asking him to stay.
“I’m grateful for your interest in me, I am, but I must say I’m confused. My husband didn’t work for you. You had little occasion to get to know him, yet you arrive at our home to prepare his body and here we are at a hotel discussing marriage.” Ellen inhaled Darius’s smoke and fought back a sneeze.
Darius lowered his pipe and said, “Oh, your husband and I were great friends. I take an interest in your people. Having found it unusual to meet such a … a man in these parts, I made it my business to acquaint myself with him and we – I believe he would agree – became
