Combeferre held Sybil tightly, and for a few moments, he worries fell away. If they had each other, then surely nothing else could matter. But dread settled in his stomach too quickly for him to grasp firmly onto that hope, and when he pulled away, his expression was grave.

He swallowed. “Sybil, last night…” But what could he say? He wasn’t sorry for what he said, though he wished he hadn’t upset Sybil so. He was worried about her, but a bit hurt as well, though perhaps he had no right to be. “If God were truly just, the earth would have swallowed me whole,” he finally said with a touch of a smile. That, at least, was true.