Dull. Dull was good. Dull made Evelyn feel like less of a failure for not attending, and meant—generally speaking—that there would be less for Travers to report, and less for Evey herself to remember at the next function, the one afterwards.

"And who was present?" the witch asked, after giving a wry smile at Travers' description of the others' attentions. Society, so hypocritical, each thinking the world revolved around them and their decisions, their troubles, while paying so little mind to those around them.

Unless they erred. Then society would slaughter them like a pack of wolves.

"No," she corrected. "First, Elwin. I shouldn't very well greet him in the morning without any inkling of how his evening transpired!"