“W-We came down because,” Lady Gauva swallowed with great difficulty and began to turn a delicate shade of green. “M-my maid, Valerie, sh-she heard that y-you tried to give a rose to M-Mr. Howard,” Lady Lamont jumped in, sounding quite faint when she spoke, but what she said had Fin fighting off the urge to laugh hysterically with everything he had. “I see, and … where is it your maid heard such a thing?” Fin sounded as though he were being choked, and to both his utter horror and delight, the women all suddenly looked at him sympathetically.
