Victor was somewhat relieved that Mr. Flint said his priorities would be the same, in his shoes. He was off the hook for at least a few minutes, then, and wouldn't be asked to give any opinions of the young ladies assembled for the dinner party. The tradeoff, of course, was that now he had to talk about Bea. Talking about her wasn't a problem, but describing her in a way that wouldn't make her sound utterly dull was always a challenge. Overselling was also a hazard; he couldn't set expectations too high and then watch them crumble when faced with reality.

"Miss Beatrice," he began, in case Mr. Flint wasn't familiar with his sister's name. "— is a dutiful young woman with a love of literature and needlework. She is modest almost to a fault," he continued, which was the most charitable possible way of putting his sisters... quirks. "Which unfortunately means the marriage market is not a welcoming environment for her. I admittedly have no personal experience, but it does seem that the debutantes who fare best are those who are unafraid to be bold."

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