Not before time

[Cristina de Felipe]

'How's Anne?' he asked and not before time.

In the book I'm reading two characters meet after some time and one of them asks this. I don't understand the meaning of "not before time" as its literal meaning makes no sense here. Thank you.

[susiedqq]

H-m-m-m.

It MAY be that he asked about Annie before it was appropriate.

For example, if you met up with a person you hadn't seen for a long time, you would expect him to ask how you are, not about your pretty sister!

[Cristina de Felipe]

Thanks Susie. The thing is they're family so it doesn't seem to be anything inappropriate about this.

So the meaning would be something like he asked about her too early?

[Anglika]

It implies that he was rather slow to ask her how she is.