Irene draws a conclusion then, and it is as follows: he's sort of sweet, isn't he?
She likes watching the battle of youth vs something more dignified, doubtless the air of command and early success, though he doesn't sound smug about his career- slightly boastful, yes, but in a way that suggests he's proud of himself and wants other people to feel the same way, rather than an attempt to rub people's noses in his own ability.
What he says hits something of a chord, making her think of the success she'd enjoyed before Sherlock bloody Holmes- but at the same time, when has she ever been able to settle?
If Sherlock Holmes hadn't caused her to abandon ship and jump country and start again elsewhere, something or someone else would have done the same thing very quickly. It's not hard to make Irene run for freedom- which is the worst thing about Baedal. Being trapped. That's what she misses; not a place to belong, but a place to reinvent herself.
"People go home," she points out, her tone surprisingly gentle nonetheless. He's adopted her as a confidante, so she may as well play along. "But I won't patronise you- that's no guarantee." She lifts her eyebrows slightly, and asks, "Are you making do?"
Somewhere in the reasonably light tone of her voice is concern. It's hard to say whether that's genuine or not. On the one hand, Irene's primary interest is herself, and largely she's carrying on this conversation for the sake of idle entertainment. On the other, she has a marvelous ability to connect with just about anyone should she care to make the effort.
no subject
She likes watching the battle of youth vs something more dignified, doubtless the air of command and early success, though he doesn't sound smug about his career- slightly boastful, yes, but in a way that suggests he's proud of himself and wants other people to feel the same way, rather than an attempt to rub people's noses in his own ability.
What he says hits something of a chord, making her think of the success she'd enjoyed before Sherlock bloody Holmes- but at the same time, when has she ever been able to settle?
If Sherlock Holmes hadn't caused her to abandon ship and jump country and start again elsewhere, something or someone else would have done the same thing very quickly. It's not hard to make Irene run for freedom- which is the worst thing about Baedal. Being trapped. That's what she misses; not a place to belong, but a place to reinvent herself.
"People go home," she points out, her tone surprisingly gentle nonetheless. He's adopted her as a confidante, so she may as well play along. "But I won't patronise you- that's no guarantee." She lifts her eyebrows slightly, and asks, "Are you making do?"
Somewhere in the reasonably light tone of her voice is concern. It's hard to say whether that's genuine or not. On the one hand, Irene's primary interest is herself, and largely she's carrying on this conversation for the sake of idle entertainment. On the other, she has a marvelous ability to connect with just about anyone should she care to make the effort.