James had been ignoring the whole marriage thing, as much as he had actually been slightly tempted to show up to the party for it, even if just for the food. But showing off the ring is just so... Well, it's kind of pathetic, in a way. Not that he's found someone willing to commit themselves to him--though James cannot understand what could've possibly convinced Billy to do such a thing--but more just something about the way he's not-at-all-subtly flashing it in the low light.
Or perhaps it isn't pathetic, and the emotion James is feeling is something else he doesn't care to analyze.
Either way, Hickey is unfortunately correct: they're still in the cave, because James hasn't actually admitted something strong enough to count; after all, it's not exactly a secret that James uses charm to earn favor with superiors. But he'd never really expected that statement to be enough anyway, and had meant it as something of a precursor to the actual confession he knows the cavern wants. And with everything Hickey had admitted, James has a feeling he knows exactly how much he has to say too.
He reminds himself that it doesn't matter if Hickey knows, and finally decides to stop stalling.
"I'm not entirely English." It's a mirror to Hickey's first admission, though not the entire truth, and before the cave can do more than rustle a very pebbles loose he continues. "It's likely my mother was Portuguese, but I don't know for certain, as she was not my father's wife."
The words have a recited quality to them, as he focuses on the content of them only, without any deeper thought or emotion. And as Hickey had admitted more, James doesn't even bother to pause in hopes of the cavern accepted that truth as enough, continuing with slightly easier admissions that allow him to distract from the first.
"I purposefully misrepresented my early service records and attained the rank of midshipman without fulfilling the requirements. And I was promoted to Commander due to earning a favor from the son of a high-ranking Admiralty official."
Vague, perhaps, but honest representations of what happened, and it seems they're enough. The unmistakable feeling of a faint, cold breeze drifts through the cave.
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Or perhaps it isn't pathetic, and the emotion James is feeling is something else he doesn't care to analyze.
Either way, Hickey is unfortunately correct: they're still in the cave, because James hasn't actually admitted something strong enough to count; after all, it's not exactly a secret that James uses charm to earn favor with superiors. But he'd never really expected that statement to be enough anyway, and had meant it as something of a precursor to the actual confession he knows the cavern wants. And with everything Hickey had admitted, James has a feeling he knows exactly how much he has to say too.
He reminds himself that it doesn't matter if Hickey knows, and finally decides to stop stalling.
"I'm not entirely English." It's a mirror to Hickey's first admission, though not the entire truth, and before the cave can do more than rustle a very pebbles loose he continues. "It's likely my mother was Portuguese, but I don't know for certain, as she was not my father's wife."
The words have a recited quality to them, as he focuses on the content of them only, without any deeper thought or emotion. And as Hickey had admitted more, James doesn't even bother to pause in hopes of the cavern accepted that truth as enough, continuing with slightly easier admissions that allow him to distract from the first.
"I purposefully misrepresented my early service records and attained the rank of midshipman without fulfilling the requirements. And I was promoted to Commander due to earning a favor from the son of a high-ranking Admiralty official."
Vague, perhaps, but honest representations of what happened, and it seems they're enough. The unmistakable feeling of a faint, cold breeze drifts through the cave.