Howard Coleman held the water glass without taking a drink; he stared at Madeleine, sitting across from him, for quite some time before he finally spoke, "Madeleine, about last night…"
As she had anticipated, his reason for seeking her out was indeed regarding what transpired the previous night.
Although Madeleine didn't know whether Howard was about to say "I'm sorry, last night was a mistake" or "I'll take responsibility," she knew that neither of these options was what she wanted.
She was no longer the brave Madeleine of the past, who could go to great lengths and scheme with all her might for love; the current her had been deeply scarred by that all-consuming, reckless love affair.
Now, all she had was timidity and sorrow.
She no longer had the courage or the audacity to let herself enter a loveless marriage simply because of his sense of responsibility.
