The embrace surprised Edmund, but he did not resist it as he would have just a few months before.  How could he fight this, when Francis' arms around him already felt so familiar?  Did it really only take one night for him to become accustomed to this?

At the mention of his sister, Edmund's face fell and he looked away.  "You don't need to apologize for anything," he assured quickly, "if she's mad at one of us, it's me.  You had nothing to do with it."

Francis had been a casualty.  The night would not have ended different is Edmund came back with anyone else, or alone.

"Now that I'm thinking clearly," he began, shaking the previous thought from his head, "I would like to tell you one thing, if you'll let me say it.  Ah, may I?"