"Very well, brother," Ines smiled brightly.
She deliberately and gracefully changed the subject completely to ease his obvious panic. She waved her delicate hand in the air, as if physically pushing the scandalous topic away.
"If the formal courtship went so perfectly well," Ines continued smoothly, keeping her tone light and playful, "and you did absolutely nothing highly improper behind closed doors..."
She let her voice trail off for just a brief, teasing second. She offered him a final, highly knowing look. Then, she shifted her posture on the sofa.
Ines leaned forward again. The playful, teasing light completely vanished from her eyes. Her expression instantly turned highly serious, deeply focused, and incredibly excited. She crossed her hands neatly over her lap.
"Does this mean," Ines asked slowly, making sure every single word carried the proper weight, "that we will finally have a proper announcement at the grand Hamilton Season's Ball next week?"
