Lapping it up off the floor? Sybella knew he was jesting, but she still didn’t hide her disgust. Eyes wide with her nose crinkled, she made a noise of revulsion. She rose her gloved hand to her mouth as if hiding a gag; instead, she couldn’t help but laugh. No indeed, she wouldn’t expect anything at this doomed party to be worth anything close to prostrating oneself on the floor.

Sybella was surprised the punch didn’t have anything stronger in it. At his offering, she shook her head. “No grazie, though that is very kind of you. I’m not interested in anything less than —” The rest of his offer registered and she cut off mid-sentence to whip her gaze to find Wilhelmina in the crowd. If Wilhelmina the Weeping Wonder hadn’t gotten to the liquor cabinet yet, she was about to. Sybella caught sight of her acquaintance’s frilly dress disappearing around the corner. “I swear I will make her lick up that punch herself if she so much as touches my cognac.” She’d brought that as a gift from her own family’s cellars — it wasn’t the most expensive bottle of course, but it was still meant to be savored, appreciated, not tossed back by some buffoon in the throes of misery!

And with that she immediately abandoned the man next to her and ran after Wilhelmina.