“We speak as men who have already made the same mistakes,” Owen replied, not unkindly.
Levi stopped in front of him. He was not the oldest of the four gentlemen, but there was a quiet wisdom about him that was unmatched.
“You invited us here,” he pointed out. “You allowed her friends into your home. Those are not the actions of a man indifferent to his wife.”
Cassian chuckled ruefully. It was true that he was a good enough husband, but he felt he was still missing something.
“Then why does everything I give her feel insufficient?”
“Because withheld affection is not all too different from absence,” Morgan said knowingly.
Cassian swallowed. The truth of it struck deeper than he had expected.
Leonard briefly placed a hand on his shoulder.
It was then that Cassian realized just how much he needed the support of older gentlemen such as themselves, ones who had been where he was and gotten through it.
“You do not need to explain yourself to us,” Leonard assured him. “But you will need to decide whether you intend to remain a guest in your own marriage.”
“I am new to this,” Cassian admitted. “To all of it.”
Owen smiled, the expression unexpectedly gentle. “At one point, we all were. You will grow up, and you will learn.”
They resumed walking, side by side this time, and though Cassian did not speak again for a while, the space between them felt smaller at last.
The butcher’s stall proved more engaging than Cassian had anticipated. Owen handled the exchange with practicedfamiliarity, inspecting the cuts with a discerning eye and speaking easily with the man behind the counter. Leonard offered commentary from the side, while Levi observed with quiet approval. Cassian stood slightly apart at first, his hands clasped behind his back, uncertain where to place himself.
“Cassian,” Owen said, gesturing with his chin, “you have not voiced your opinion.”
“I have little experience in such matters. I usually send my servants to buy meat.”
“Then you will acquire some knowledge,” Owen replied. “It is not as though we are discussing treaties.”
Cassian hesitated, then leaned forward, studying the meat with care. After a moment, he nodded toward a joint. The butcher smiled, evidently pleased, and wrapped the cut with efficient hands.
“That will do,” Leonard said. “You chose well.”
They moved on through the green. A vendor called out his greetings as they passed, and Owen returned them with casual ease. Cassian watched the exchange, noting the way the others shifted naturally between rank and familiarity, never quite relinquishing either.
At a nearby stall, Owen paused to examine a collection of small carved figures. He picked one up and turned it over in his hands. “My wife will appreciate this greatly.”
“Yes,” Leonard agreed. “Once she has lectured you about your impulsive purchases.”
The gentlemen laughed, and Cassian found himself smiling before he could stop himself.
The realization startled him.
They moved on, stopping to speak with two men who wished to raise concerns about a boundary hedge. Cassian listened closely, asked measured questions, and offered a solution that satisfied them both.
When they departed, Owen regarded him with open approval.
“You speak plainly,” he noted. “It is effective.”
Cassian shrugged, a gesture that felt unfamiliar. “Of course. There is no benefit in excessive formality.”
“That is not what I would have expected you to say.”
Cassian considered that. “Then perhaps you expected too little.”
