Ignatius turned abruptly at the sound of Helena's voice. He had been so deep in thought that she had caught him unawares (blast, he was losing his edge!) Gazing at her, he thought she looked much more like herself than she had when she was first brought here, though she would never again be the optimistic and ingenuous young girl who had left his house in the middle of the night all those years ago. But looking in her eyes, he could still see his little daughter.
"Helena," he responded finally, clearing his throat when he heard the word come out a bit too husky. "You're looking well. I take it you're much better." It wasn't really a question, but it was Ignatius' way of leaving a conversational opening. |