Whereas he had once avoided them for their peculiarities, he now sought out their company, spending nearly every evening at Ramsay House. The Hathaways squabbled, laughed, and genuinely seemed to like each other, which made them different from any other family of Christopher's experience. They were interested in everything, new ideas, inventions, and discoveries. No doubt the family's intellectual bent was a result of the influence of their late father, Edward. Christopher sensed that the happy, often chaotic household was doing him good, whereas the clamor of London had not. Somehow the Hathaways, with all their rough edges, were smoothing the broken places of his soul. He liked all of them, especially Cam, who acted as the leader of the family, or the tribe, as he referred to them. Cam was a soothing presence, calm and tolerant, occasionally herding the Hathaways along when necessary. Leo wasn't quite so approachable. Although he was charming and irreverent, the sharp edges of his humor reminded Christopher uncomfortably of his own past, when he had often made quips at other people's expense.
