Henry sighed. He didn’t want to talk about it, but if something like this had been going on in Chit’s life, Henry would have felt insulted to not have his closest friend share. Now that the relationship had ended, his promise of secrecy to Amala no longer applied, and he didn’t have to wonder if he could trust Chit to never repeat anything confidential. Knowing that Chit preferred just getting to the point, Henry simply said, “I asked Amala to marry me.”

“You’re joking, surely!” Chit said with an astonishment that made Henry angry—or at the very least defensive. “I know you have a great fondness for the girl, but you can’t honestly believe that such a marriage would ever bring anything but grief.”

Henry heard the agitation in his own voice as he countered, “I believed that the depth with which I love her would compensate for the obvious challenges. I realize I’m the sentimental one here, but I’m still not a fool. Don’t think I didn’t consider the implications very carefully. I love her.”

“I see,” Chit said in a way that indicated he was listening, even if he didn’t necessarily agree. “From that look on your face, I’m assuming she doesn’t share your affection.”

“Oh, she does,” Henry said and took too big of a swallow of brandy, which made him cough. “She also agrees completely with you. She’s committed herself to a life without marriage or children, believing that it’s simply not possible for a woman like her to have those things living in this society.”

“She’s probably right.”

“You say that as if it’s nothing at all. I don’t believe that anyone should spend their life alone . . . without love in it.”

“And yet . . . many people do,” Chit said, his voice now expressing more compassion. “Unfortunately, being married and having love in your life are not necessarily synonymous in this world. But you are obviously not currently in a place where hearing such things is going to make you feel any better.”

“Right now I don’t think anything can make me feel better,” Henry admitted.

“So she’s refused you, I take it? Not because she doesn’t share your affection but because of the obvious challenges of such a relationship?”

“That basically sums it up,” Henry said and swallowed more of his drink.

“Well,” Chit said as he stretched out his legs and eased lower into his chair, “everyone certainly has a right to grieve over such a disappointment.”