The Longest Journey Chapter 3

In which a young Cambridge man spends Christmas among the lively austerity of the Ansells and the cultivated quietude of the Pembrokes, observing family ties, social aspirations, and the subtle tensions of affection and restraint. Amidst these visits, he encounters the complex presence of a former schoolfellow and the delicate, almost sacred intimacy of two lovers, which stirs in him unspoken reflections on love and human connection.