[He laughs lightly at her first question, knowing it's more rhetorical than anything. She knows him well enough to have already figured that out for herself.

And when her hand turns in his, his gaze studies her face a bit more intently before he gives a gentle squeeze of his fingers back. There's an energy there that he's always been aware of--a kind of deep and subtle electric current that flows between them, ever since he'd first taken her hand at Mr. Ferdinand Lyle's evening social. He was glad to find that it had not lessened, but he wondered if she felt it, too.]

One day, you'll have to stop accusing me of having qualities I don't possess. First usefulness and now prudence. [It's clearly a joke, but his tone carries an undeniable undercurrent of affection.]

I'm only making the most of the situation, that's all.