As the evening settled, Allen embarked on his journey to drive Susan home. Along the way, he remained lost in deep contemplation, thoughts swirling within his mind about what happened at Barkaley's residence. Susan just looked at him with a smile. And then, as they reached their destination, Susan spoke softly, breaking the silence.
"Allen, we've arrived. See you tomorrow."
Abruptly awakening from his daydreams, Allen quickly apologized, realizing that he had neglected to fully engage in the stories Susan had shared earlier.
"Ah, I'm sorry," he confessed with sincerity. "I didn't attentively listen to all of your stories from earlier."
"It's okay; I'm used to it. I stopped telling you halfway through anyway. Lady Theda's death must have made you sad."
"That's true, but somehow I feel a little relieved. Theda had suffered too much with the disease for over two years."