Emrys had shifted his attention away from Miss Scrimgeour already, but looked back at her abruptly at this remark. What would people think of her? There were plenty of women who didn't wear gloves. It was the fashion for debutantes, but it wasn't as though she was a seventeen year old in her first season. She ought to have been accustomed to slightly more of the world by now, he thought.

"Why? Are you afraid someone will judge you for having misshapen fingernails?" he asked dryly. He had not actually looked at her fingernails to see whether or not they were misshapen.