"How novel," he remarks, obliging Francois by straightening slightly and raising his arms; there is little to complain of in his posture or comportment, at least, and he is already a good deal more compliant than Adelaide, but that probably only means he's going to be an entirely different sort of problem. "I don't recall my preferences making a blind bit of difference to my mother, the last time."

Granted, certain natural limitations had given him his choice regardless -

This time, well.

He will not be any easier to marry off, he suspects.