“Lucy, I am here to offer comfort to you, not garner your praise.” He (Philip) chuckled.
“Passing on my father’s praise gives me comfort. It makes it seem less like he is gone.”
“Then, I shall attempt to receive his compliments graciously.” He leaned back and looked toward the grave next to which she had been kneeling. “You said you were sharing news with your father. Is it anything with which I could be of assistance?”
She tilted her head and gave him a searching look. She had promised her father that she would speak to each of the men on his list. However, she had intended to do so with her Aunt Tess present, not while alone in a churchyard.
[from And Then Love]