"Do I?" he asked, turning the second length of steel speculatively, before extending it toward Oswin as well. He already knew by experience that if she chose not to go, he wouldn't be able to move her. He'd tried that before. But there was the chance that she might just allow herself to be pulled toward him, and on that hope, he tugged experimentally.
"It is a costume ball," he said. "One might be disappointed if one could guess who was behind the costuming. Surely you wouldn't want to spoil it all."