He almost replied well, would you like to? just to be provocative, but caught himself. They were reasonably insulated from other guests at the moment, but one could never trust a conversation in a ballroom not to be overheard. While most men would probably have read the statement as a joke, some women might have been scandalized, and the last thing he needed was to scandalize anyone. He also didn't need Miss Fawley running back to report his behavior to Miss Cosgrove. He hadn't realized they were friends initially, though it made sense given their similar positions in life. He wondered if Miss Fawley had already said anything about him to Miss Cosgrove or not. If she'd held her tongue so far, he ought to do whatever he could to keep things that way — though he refused to capitulate to her threats on his reputation.

"You're doing a fine job of making yourself appear the victim in all of this," he remarked dryly. "You could be a novelist, if you don't have any luck on the marriage mart, Miss Fawley."

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Lou made this! <3

At his statement, she couldn't but laugh, starting to get exhausted from att the emotion shifts she'd gone through in the past few minutes. "I make myself look like the victim? You have some nerve to imply that anyone here was at fault but you!" That was it, she had no lingering upset at would could have been. All that was left was anger. "How could even possibly, even in the smallest sense, take blame when you were the only who abruptly stopped answering and wouldn't speak to me? For all I know you got bored but the least you could have done was tell me instead of just disappearing after you intentionally led me to believe you were interested."

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   Emrys Selwyn

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Lady makes such lovely things.

It finally occurred to him: she didn't know that he'd approached her parents. Oh, that was rich. And now she was pulling out a laundry list of his supposed sins and broadcasting them a little more loudly than he would have preferred in a ballroom.

"Miss Fawley," he said stiffly, to put an end to her rather impassioned little rant. "Before you disparage my character any further, I believe you ought to have a heart-to-heart with your parents." He gave her an almost pitying look and added in a quieter tone, "And perhaps while you're there, you can ask them how many other suitors they've chased away."

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   Melody Crouch

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Lou made this! <3

She'd been prepared for one of his biting remarks, ready to continue expressing her opinions but Emrys' words left her silent for the first time that night, her jaw hung slightly open as she blinked rapidly. He'd spoken with her parents? And they turned away? He'd been the first and so far only to show genuine interest in her Never once had she considered the possibility that her parents might be turning suitors away without even telling her it occurred. She'd always thought that if someone ask, they would have told her. His words made her feel as if she was caving into herself, a pit of fear stirring nausea in her stomach.

Home. She wanted to go home but she didn't want to go home. Didn't want to yet face her parents. But where else could she go? Henri's? Darlings or Freda? She couldn't ask Clarissa. She would have to explain why. No, she couldn't tell anyone. Di. She could floo to Di's. Hopefully, her sister would have her fireplace open.

She opened her mouth. Open, close, open close. All she could manage was a small noise in the back of her throat. Instead, she dipped her head to excuse herself, mumbling an apology she didn't really think about and something about needing to leave.

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   Emrys Selwyn

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Lady makes such lovely things.