August had too much self-esteem to try to talk her out of saying no, and he supposed he had to appreciate her commitment to letting him down gently, but she was still letting him down. He was well-aware that there were several well-considered reasons a debutante would have for doing so, but — August had thought she was different. And the words she was saying seemed to be an attempt at emphasizing that it wasn't because of that, but was because of — something, he could not say.

He looked back up at her.

"It's alright, Miss Adebayo," he said, trying for a thin smile that may have been more of a grimace. "I must have had a misunderstanding of our circumstances."