Ophelia had the impression that Phyri may have been making fun of her, but that was all right — Nova, at least, looked suitably scandalized by the idea that Ophelia felt vindicated in her disdain for the girl. She didn't even think she'd met the Selwyn girl, since she had only just debuted this season, but that hardly mattered. She didn't object to her personally, only on principle. Besides, there was something just so odd about the entire situation. Why bring this girl in to the family as an acknowledged bastard when (as rumor had it) her father had plenty of other bastards who went un-acknowledged? What set her apart? The answer to that question might lie in some bit of inner family drama that was beyond her reach as an outside observer, but it was stranger still that some other woman was sponsoring her debut. It seemed to Ophelia like something fishy was going on, and she didn't want to be anywhere near that particular fish when it started to stink.

"I shouldn't even have the dregs at a party of mine at all," she complained. "But I can't restrict the guest list too much. It's for charity," she said, as though this statement — it's for charity — encompassed an entirely different societal protocol and etiquette set than an average ball.

"Someday I'll have exclusive parties," she continued wistfully. "But I don't think I'm quite there, yet. There's no sense in having an exclusive event unless everyone who wasn't invited spends all evening wishing they were," she remarked. "Maybe next season. In the meantime, I'll have to endure the pretensions of Miss Selwyn and friends," she said with a roll of her eyes. "Tea?"