Victor had gone through the motions of the party the night before after she'd gone home, but he had been wholly distracted with thoughts of... not her exactly, but about what ought to happen next. Things had taken a leap forward, and while it wasn't an unwelcome jump, it did mean things were moving faster than he'd planned. He had to mentally catch up to the change in circumstances in order to feel himself fully in control of things moving forward. He had elected not to say anything to his family just yet, concerned that the timing — coming off of a rather unconventional and probably ill-advised party — might give his mother cause for undue concern. And the concern would be undue, he was sure. He might have slipped past the bounds of propriety the day before, but they hadn't gotten into any real trouble — and she was a good choice. It wasn't as though he'd kissed someone in the heat of the moment without having ever considered the implications; he'd already been thinking of this. The kiss had simply accelerated things.

He'd left the house after breakfast and picked up a sprig of blue hydrangea that reminded him of her dress the day before, then consulted a floo directory to find the nearest public floo to the Denpsey house. Ireland wasn't as well connected as many of the places in the English countryside, and he had some way to walk after he left the inn, but eventually he found himself at the Dempsey estate.

"Miss Dempsey," he said with a broad grin as he was shown into the sitting room. "I hope you're feeling much refreshed?" Not that she needed it, but he thought it best to begin by subtly letting her know he'd followed her directive as to her excuse for leaving the party.

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