Her response made him realize how inappropriate the question had been, both in general but particularly in the middle of a party. The size of the ballroom meant they weren't exactly brushing elbows with other partygoers as was often the case for parties in Bartonburg or London, but they could be overheard all the same.

"No, nothing happened. Sorry," he said, cheeks flushing slightly. He looked away and tucked a hand into his pocket, wondering how to recover the conversation now that he'd so abruptly turned it in a direction neither of them particularly wanted to go. He hadn't been thinking before he said it, but all the same found himself wondering what were you thinking?

As for the question of whether he was happy... "Sometimes," he said, still not looking directly at her. He wasn't overly unhappy, the way he'd been at the beginning of their marriage, but this was still nothing near the life he'd envisioned for himself. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. I was just thinking."