Elijah nodded. "I know and I don't want to cause Alice further unpleasantness  by having her hope for someone who would fail her and delaying her having some stability in this difficult time.

He looked at him. "That's nice. It's not that it has to be love, but if they find that they just do not care for each other it will practically be strangers living together out of necessity. I would like them to at least grow to be somewhat fond of each other even if that sounds like a silly romantic dream. " He sighed and frowned feeling foolish all the more so and all the more happy he never considered marriage. It seemed like it could be such a cold ordeal.