[No shriek, but it does induce a further gasp of sharply inhaled laughter. The suggestion is so dreadfully scandalous that it cedes into the territory of ridiculous rather than offensive and Wysteria, struggling to overcome it, forces herself to choke down a drink of tea to combat the urge to dissolve entirely into mortified giggles.

Fortified by tea and a nip of one of the citrus squares from the plate between them, she masters herself enough to say,]

But all of that is because Mister Ellis and myself share a true and most sincere friendship! It's true there was a time I thought his feelings pointed in some other direction, but we have spoken on the subject since and have found ourselves in complete agreement on the subject. Can other attachments not induce a person to glow as well?

[To borrow Alexandrie's own absurd assessment.]

In any case, we must put the rumor to rest here and now for Valentine has decided to hate him and I can only imagine how the wretched man might use such gossip as an excuse to be even more relentlessly critical than he is already.