Ford registered the door opening with a paralyzing sort of panic. He didn't move except to tense slightly (which was a good thing, actually, because it was all that kept him on balance when the young woman turned to him; with his fingers still twined in her corset strings he might otherwise have been in danger of falling into her as she moved). Someone had come in the room; someone had found him alone in a dimly lit room with an undressed woman. He recognized the partly undressed woman, he realized now that she was turned towards him — but he also recognized the woman who had come in, and at the moment that seemed like the far more significant of the figures, because the person who had surprised them was the Minister's wife.
Ford had already met the Minister in less-than-ideal circumstances and imagined the man didn't like him much. He had heard nothing at all positive about the Minister's wife. He did not expect this to go well for him.
What was he supposed to do now? His first thought was simply to try and flee, but it would have been quite damning to disappear through the floo and leave the young woman behind, and he would lose control of the narrative — whatever very minimal control was left to him, at this point. He could try and offer an explanation, in theory, except that there really was no explanation for this, was there?
I just found her like this, he could have said, except that would of course beg the question of how he had happened to stumble into a locked coat room to surprise a mostly undressed woman, and he had no answer there. None that he was going to give to the Minister's wife, anyway.
Very belatedly, Ford pulled his hands out of the young woman's corset laces.
"Her dress broke," he blurted, which he determined immediately was absolutely the stupidest thing he could have said in this situation.
Ford had already met the Minister in less-than-ideal circumstances and imagined the man didn't like him much. He had heard nothing at all positive about the Minister's wife. He did not expect this to go well for him.
What was he supposed to do now? His first thought was simply to try and flee, but it would have been quite damning to disappear through the floo and leave the young woman behind, and he would lose control of the narrative — whatever very minimal control was left to him, at this point. He could try and offer an explanation, in theory, except that there really was no explanation for this, was there?
I just found her like this, he could have said, except that would of course beg the question of how he had happened to stumble into a locked coat room to surprise a mostly undressed woman, and he had no answer there. None that he was going to give to the Minister's wife, anyway.
Very belatedly, Ford pulled his hands out of the young woman's corset laces.
"Her dress broke," he blurted, which he determined immediately was absolutely the stupidest thing he could have said in this situation.
Set by Lady!