Elijah chuckled weakly. "He might not have liked that, but.. he'd have still loved you as a brother. Probably always wished you'd find a girl. But he wouldn't have disliked you or anything. And he'd have accepted eventually, I'm sure."

Simon doubted that. Tom had been kind, but also upright and proud, like father. Some teenage brother's aberrant feelings had made little impression on him, and he had listened and tried to cheer Simon up with promises that it would go away and bad jokes. But if Tom would have known how his brother would one day defile himself in return for money... Perhaps he would forgive, take pity even, but Simon could feel the shame burn in him at the mere thought of it. "I suppose... I tried courtin' a girl after his death, to try and take his place." He turned to Elijah. "You did better, never pretending."

Elijah sighed heavily. "Nan and Papa died when I was about to head to York. No one was around to depend on my having a future."

Simon nodded. He wasn't sure if that wasn't worse, having no one who expected anything. He frowned. "Well, I hope you continue makin' yer own decisions, and if ye do find someone, that ye'll allow yerself to be happy." He said that in hushed voice.

"Thank you. I don't know if my decisions are ever the right ones, but I can only do my best." He took a long sigh. "If.. and that is a big if.. I can find someone.. to love. And be loved in return.. I can't imagine I'd be unhappy." He offered a weak smile.

Simon smiled and nodded. "And I'll be happy for ye."

Nah, he'd be dead.

Elijah shivered and hugged himself. "Perhaps in the future.. We can both be happy and happy for each other. It is nice to think about."

Simon nodded. "I hope so."

Several. Feet. Under the York Prison yard.

Elijah smiled but couldn't think of what to say for a few minutes. "So, can you at least tell me about this guy you found? You don't have to tell me who, I probably don't know them anyway. I'm just curious." He never really had a chance to talk about such a thing before, and he wanted to know who had caught Simon's heart.

"Shhh." Simon quickly hushed. He looked around, but there was no one there. Yet he was afraid that their voices would easily carry in the deserted street. Simon's voice was very quiet when he replied: "'E's a wealthy man... in t' professions..." He wouldn't say which profession. Simon didn't know how many lawyers there were in Whitby. "He ain't like others. He ain't acting like he's above everybody else." Uhuh. "He's..." Simon blushed a little, "extremely handsome, and smart, and carin'." Simon felt a stab of guilt, but he ignored it. "At first I thought he wanted the same as... well... what t' other guy wanted. Couldn't figure him out at first. But he's completely different. He wanted to get to know me."