He smiles. At their leisurely pace, they've only just reached the door, and he disentangles his arm from hers so that he can open it for her.

"I suppose we would not need to go so far away. The countryside in France would do just as well. Or even-- even a house in Paris, like yours in rue de l'Homme Armé, with--" He's blushing again, just a little. "With your garden. It was so close and quiet, it seemed to be another world entirely."

They're still half-joking, right? He's not entirely sure now.