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[ She's no stranger to gossip herself, least of all at home; they've both acquired the ability to ignore it, whether by necessity or sheer disregard for the opinions of others. She knows she is regarded as a woman of mysterious habits, strange quirks, and she has grown accustomed to being viewed that way given what she knows of the world beyond their own, a world that few would be capable of truly understanding.

Out of all those in the room that evening, perhaps the two of them had always been meant to revolve into one another's orbit, if only for a short time.

The contract is one aspect among many that she will have to consider, even if her first instinct is to bristle at the concept. It's likely he senses that, himself. ]

Well, we should do our part and not try to unnecessarily shock and appall if we can avoid it. [ Her eyes narrow, almost playfully; she won't be able to reside more comfortably here until she can wear something other than that gown hanging in the wardrobe. ] He sounds quite respectable.

He is. We're opposites in many ways, to be completely honest.

[And typically he wouldn't give a second's thought to shocking or appalling anyone. Horatio was also more normal than either of them despite having his quirks and some eccentricities; Dorian couldn't pinpoint exactly what had drawn them together if he tried. But perhaps that was what was unusual about it.

Well, she'd be able to observe and judge for herself once they'd met. Dorian would be interested in hearing her opinion, as well.]

But I suppose that adds some balance to the relationship. I try not to interject into his life too much when I can help it, so he retains as much independence as is possible given the demands placed upon us.

Well, there can be fun in that, can't there?

[ It's remarkable, how much conversing with him has eased her already; his company doesn't completely rid her of the weight of her burdens, as much as she's assumed over the years, but it temporarily mitigates. Some of that tension in her has left without her even knowing it, replaced by an altogether different sensation.

She glances down to their hands, his still lightly clasped over top of her own, and turns her wrist to link them more decisively. ]

Once again, you've clearly thought of everything. [ Her tone doesn't carry any spite; more than anything, she's pleased to see him flourishing against the restrictions of their situation. Even if he does hold more of an advantage, he's still been forced to comply in some manner. Beyond the people in this room, everything she's read so far on her device leaves the impression of a group that's simply trying to make the best of it. ]

[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.

[ She's always felt it there, that current — subtly in his words, more intensely as a result of any physical contact between them, no matter how small. She doesn't know what it means that the same is true here, even now, with time and trial having removed them so often from one another's presence only for this place to have catapulted him back into her life again, at the moment when she least expected it.

She is equal parts grateful and filled with trepidation, and the latter ultimately wins out as she draws in a sharp breath, gently pulls her hand free. ]

Qualities you don't like to believe you're in possession of. [ But she knows better. ]

That's really all any of us can try and do here, now, isn't it?

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