He could have gotten lost in introspection again (there was certainly enough to digest in her comment to warrant it), but then she was frowning. This drew his attention sharply back to his initial purpose in striking up a conversation with her; he was meant to be bluffing, putting on a good show for anyone who might be watching and drawing conclusions, and if he'd upset her somehow he wasn't helping his cause. Ford bit his lower lip as she apologized, then nearly tripped over his own words in his haste to reassure her.
"No, please, don't apologize. I meant it as a compliment," he said, although in truth he had not really meant anything by it at all. "It was a thought-provoking way of phrasing it, was all. And surely no one finds that unnerving, in a place like this? One would think scholars would be keen to have their thoughts provoked," he joked. He took another sip of his champagne and wondered whether he was drinking it too quickly (having entirely missed that she had already finished hers).
"Have you ever read any of Keats' poetry?" he asked suddenly. "He was a Muggle, and he died half a century ago, but it's quite good."
"No, please, don't apologize. I meant it as a compliment," he said, although in truth he had not really meant anything by it at all. "It was a thought-provoking way of phrasing it, was all. And surely no one finds that unnerving, in a place like this? One would think scholars would be keen to have their thoughts provoked," he joked. He took another sip of his champagne and wondered whether he was drinking it too quickly (having entirely missed that she had already finished hers).
"Have you ever read any of Keats' poetry?" he asked suddenly. "He was a Muggle, and he died half a century ago, but it's quite good."
Set by Lady!