"Oh come now, Mister Ellis," she chides and clucks her tongue in defense against the faintly unbalanced feeling which has secretly begun to gnaw at the edge of her awareness. She doesn't withdraw her hand from his, but she does move to pat his with her free one.

"You look so very serious. It is not at all as dreadful as all that! Why, what has even changed? It is hardly as if I am any less at my own liberty. Even better, should the thing hold I will be free to do whatever I please without fear of making myself ineligible. I realize that is hardly as much of a concern among Riftwatch, but it has long been a secret concern of mine and I would be quite pleased to be rid of it. You should save all your sympathies for poor Monsieur de Foncé who I suspect is not ordinarily the sort eager to enter into any partnership, much less marriage."

She gives his hand a soft squeeze, announcing quite confidently, "And in any case, I have full confidence that it all will be sorted directly. There is no reason to be at all concerned."