"Do you see now, cousin? Do you see why I have stayed away for so long? How could I leave such a place as this to death and darkness? Here is where my heart lies, until the Sea decides she will make off with it." It is one thing to tell his cousin that he cannot come, but this makes for a much more compelling argument. Let the land tell her itself. With a smile, he picks up her bag and tucks it inside the small house the door now leads to, for retrieval, later. Much later, if he has his way. That done, he follows her off the porch and offers her his arm.
"Breakfast is being served down in the Great Hall, and I, for one, am expected to be there. Would you come, cousin? If you would not, there is still much to see and do while I make sure all is alright."