ROSE!
Thomas had left Alice with his mother because he could not allow his daughter to become a distraction from his goal. His lips twisted in frustration and he knocked rapidly on the front door of Rose Knightley's house.

He had--Thomas has reasoned that he had been very good at giving her space and privacy to figure out whatever it was that she needed to figure out. He understood privacy, he lived in it. But--but she had missed the first game of the season. That was! That was serious. The whole lineup of the Catapults was in shambles, but he only gave a damn about Rose. If she was pregnant, then yes, that was understood. Wonderful, even. Thomas had found himself excited at the idea of Alice having a cousin of sorts so close in age, if Rose was indeed pregnant.

But he didn't know. Rose had always been very quick to run to him with her problems, her concerns, her secrets. It startled him that he couldn't get a straight answer out of her and he feared that his indiscretions from last year had irrevocably ruined their friendship. Was there a lack of trust? He had been so sure that they'd rectified the damage he caused, but now he didn't know. What could be serious enough that she couldn't talk to him? He felt terrible.

His mind drifted to Brookstanton; he was the change in Rose's demeanor, Thomas knew. He had kept his distance from the relationship, but if the Kestrel was doing something to her that could cause her any sort of pain, it--it would not be pretty, Thomas could assure. He made to knock again, but the door opened. Thomas pressed his lips together.

"You missed opening weekend," he stated as he looked over Rose. She didn't appear to be dying, but that didn't stop his mind from continuing to fret that might indeed be the case.