Emrys opened his mouth to protest, because he thought most debutantes would disagree: not being talked about (or even thought about) was a fate worse than death for a girl who hoped to marry, much less marry well. It occurred to him, however, that in his particular case, her analysis was spot on. He'd been existing on the fringe of society with a reputation only for being mysterious for years, and he preferred to keep it that way. He was thinking of taking a wife now less because he had any inclination towards one and more because he thought it might allow him to go on being largely unnoticed, at least if it did it correctly.

"Well, perhaps you're right," he allowed. "You can certainly have a lot more fun if no one is paying attention."