"Oh certainly," the smile is guileless, as out of turn as her husband with the same lack of venom, taking the conversation in an easy direction. Like knocking over houses of cards, it falls into an easy step by step crumble.
"Young Lady Wyatt is looking quite handsome tonight, isn't she, Silcox?" That chimes to the tune, of the same sort of pattern, "Yes, madam, she does."
It's the same practiced turn of hand that doesn't miss the excuse to entangle her fingers with Thomas as she does direct the conversation away from themselves. It does not matter that Silcox doesn't care for that company, or that she knows that Lady Wyatt has only an interest in books and not so much in husbands, but that it isn't so strictly themselves and so the purpose is served.
Look somewhere else, there is plenty of looking to be done if that is what you worry about. She shouldn't be teaching military men about misdirection, for heaven's sake. "Perhaps you will both like to be introduced, Lieutenant, Silcox?" Her husband, after all, was a happily married man and had the only introduction that served him, despite no one in society understanding the forms that could take. There is a hundred fictions to be composed, and enough to throw society off a scent, as full of themselves as they liked to be.
Of course they aren't the only people of note in attendance - nearly every man of the Navy's officers has some degree of respectable parentage -, but surely they're among the most talked about, the best placed (to do themselves and him some degree of harm). Yes, there are indeed plenty of other places to look but none require such immediate attention.
He can't very well bloody ignore them, now can he?
So Silcox talks and Thomas brandishes his wit and James adopts the most cool expression he's capable of as he ignores Miranda threading her fingers easily with her husband's. It isn't so difficult to do - not thinking as he is of some point ahead of this moment where Miranda and her husband can successfully be bundled away back into whatever carriage they came in and sent home, and how best to arrive there without injury. They'll have to stay long enough to warrant coming in the first place, he thinks. Miranda will likely care to dance, god willing with her husband.
--A thought immediately dashed by Silcox saying, "As a matter of fact, the lovely Lady Wyatt and I are already acquainted. But I'm sure Lieutenant McGraw would be most happy for your introduction." The man clearly intends to keep Thomas in conversation.
James releases his hands from behind his back. He offers her his arm. "Of course. I'd be grateful for it." Maybe they can find something so riveting to talk about that the conversation will last the evening.
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"Young Lady Wyatt is looking quite handsome tonight, isn't she, Silcox?" That chimes to the tune, of the same sort of pattern, "Yes, madam, she does."
It's the same practiced turn of hand that doesn't miss the excuse to entangle her fingers with Thomas as she does direct the conversation away from themselves. It does not matter that Silcox doesn't care for that company, or that she knows that Lady Wyatt has only an interest in books and not so much in husbands, but that it isn't so strictly themselves and so the purpose is served.
Look somewhere else, there is plenty of looking to be done if that is what you worry about. She shouldn't be teaching military men about misdirection, for heaven's sake. "Perhaps you will both like to be introduced, Lieutenant, Silcox?" Her husband, after all, was a happily married man and had the only introduction that served him, despite no one in society understanding the forms that could take. There is a hundred fictions to be composed, and enough to throw society off a scent, as full of themselves as they liked to be.
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He can't very well bloody ignore them, now can he?
So Silcox talks and Thomas brandishes his wit and James adopts the most cool expression he's capable of as he ignores Miranda threading her fingers easily with her husband's. It isn't so difficult to do - not thinking as he is of some point ahead of this moment where Miranda and her husband can successfully be bundled away back into whatever carriage they came in and sent home, and how best to arrive there without injury. They'll have to stay long enough to warrant coming in the first place, he thinks. Miranda will likely care to dance, god willing with her husband.
--A thought immediately dashed by Silcox saying, "As a matter of fact, the lovely Lady Wyatt and I are already acquainted. But I'm sure Lieutenant McGraw would be most happy for your introduction." The man clearly intends to keep Thomas in conversation.
James releases his hands from behind his back. He offers her his arm. "Of course. I'd be grateful for it." Maybe they can find something so riveting to talk about that the conversation will last the evening.