"Do you think this home would work well while we're here?" He asks softly. "It's lovely." She sits in the rocking chair and closes her eyes as the crashing of the waves reaches them. Rene sits beside her and hesitates again. Celine looks so at peace, a part of him doesn't want to take the chance to disturb that, but he can't not ask. He takes a slow breath. "Celine, I know that I have no right to ask this, especially now ..." Her eyes open and focus on him. "Would you like to move in with me?"She stops rocking the chair and stares at him, obviously surprised. He's sure she's remembering everything at the ball again – everything he can't forget. Celine stands and adjusts slowly. "I'd love to, Rene, but ..." She heads back inside and out of the wild breeze that's coming. He follows dutifully. "You want to know why I acted like such a jerk?" She sits on the couch and watches him carefully. Rene sits close to her, but allows some space between them for now. "I ... When I danced with Denyse, she made some threats about telling press we were together if she suspected anything. Mentioned how people would say I seduced you while you were young and innocent. How others would think that you were using me to make connections and get more fame ... She talked about how wrong and inappropriate our relationship would bebecause of the age difference and what a joke it would be. It was cruel and it flustered me."Celine doesn't say a word, just continues to listen.
