Christabel looked a little taken aback – well more than a little and it probably showed. Unthinking, and because it felt right she drained the champagne flute. She turned her body, so she faced away from the largest number of people, but still faced him, as though in so doing she could stop the rest of the assembly hearing him with sheer force of will. Christabel glanced over her shoulders, praying no one was listening and seruptisiouly trying to ensure none of her siblings were in ear shot. She wasn’t entirely sure how being caught with a drunk gentleman discussing marriage would go over with her chaperoning older brother.

’Mister Daphnel keep your voice down’ she said eyes wide, a small tone of panic in her voice, ’people will hear you and think…’ she gave him an expression as though what they would think should be obvious to him, a widening of her eyes rather dramatically. She was trying to discern just how merry he was, was there a point in trying to reason with him, or was she better set by finding the butler and having his carriage called before he splinched himself trying to apparate home. The path of least resistance felt the better one, as no immediate outside assistance was in sight. ’If you have a question piquing your curiosity, I will answer it IF’ and she stressed this vehemently, ’you can manage to keep your voice down and pretend we are discussing a topic that won’t get us both into trouble!’

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