He'd half feared she might be planning another escape.

She heaved a mental sigh of relief at that; she'd half feared he might turn out to be as big a booby as the courtier of the night before.

They looked tight and disciplined, their minds on the job, and with no trace of the old rancour I'd half feared would surface the first time any of our troopers found themselves in combat together.

No one was crouching there waiting to jump up and slit his throat, as he'd half feared there might be.

Yes, they were mourning the deaths; simply and sincerely, without any of the kind of hysterics he'd half feared.