It was awkwardly quiet in the room, Verity didn't even turn around. Everett wondered what he had done wrong now. Seconds stretched out into a long moment of silence between them. Everett kept his gaze on the ceiling even when he heard the rustle of Verity turning around. Again the silence reached around them.

Not able to handle the quiet much longer Everett, gaze on ceiling still, asked, "Do you need a hand?" Women always had the most damnable outfits to get in and out of, after all, and Verity's maid wasn't here so perhaps she needed help and simply didn't want to bother him with asking for help? Or perhaps she simply loathed him enough that she didn't want him to touch even the fabric of her dress. Well perhaps loathe was too strong a word, they did have a tentative friendship in their marriage (or maybe that was wishful thinking), but still she certainly wasn't easy around him. Particularly not now.