Her smile dazzled through the mask – though she looked a tad warm – but for a moment Konstantin had worried that his presence was not desirable. This was, after all, more her world and while he had taken the invitation for the compliment it was he had not truly decided to attend until a small inquiry with the hostess had told him that the staff of the zoo would be in attendance too. The chance to surprise Amelia had seemed too good an opportunity to miss and he had not seen her much since New Year’s Eve, though the time they had spent together had been entirely delightful.

“Ah, well I say we surprise guests should stick together,” he grinned, following her gaze towards the table she had been examining. He tried to recall if there was a specific method of tracking where a diricawl had vanished to but his mind was blank. Beasts had never really been his speciality but even so he doubted there was one. On the other hand he doubted one small bird moseying around the ball ought to concern them unduly. Looking at some of the great and good of society here this evening, and how they had voluntarily dressed themselves, he doubted they would even notice a few extra feathers in the room.

“I shall keep my eyes open for him,” he smiled easily, weightless in ways he couldn’t entirely describe. He had expected forming an affection to somebody to be much more of an ordeal yet here he was again, with Miss Evans, feeling as though all was quite alright in the world. “Though I would rather be looking at you and-” He glanced down, cocking an eyebrow as he pretended to notice for the first time what she was wearing. In truth he had seen the cut when he approached Amelia earlier but he had opted to approve of the garment as part of a costume. “And your exceptional trousers!”