It wasn't a question for which he expected an answer.
If he expected an answer, it was a long time in coming.
One can only expect an answer in the sense of the question.
In this case the man should expect an answer from the woman through the same person.
She knew him well enough to know that he didn't expect an answer.
And the most important, he told himself, though I don't expect an answer.
Well, he did not expect an answer to that question, I am sure.
Under the same Rules, we can expect an answer within three weeks.
"You know better than to expect an answer to a question like that."
He didn't seem to expect an answer and she couldn't think of one anyway.