Bryony was quick to clear up any possible misunderstanding. "Oh, I didn't mean that. I was supposed to meet someone but..." She hadn't really intended to say anything about what had happened - but the words were out now and it was too late to call them back. Her cheeks flushed pink. She was more humiliated than upset - she hated the dates her mother set up for her, the men were never to her taste, and they obviously felt the same because Bryony rarely merited a second meeting. Somehow, despite that, it was worse that this particular suitor had chosen not to turn up at all. Or, in Bryony's worst case scenario, had taken one look at her and left.
Her aunt wasn't expecting her back until later in the evening, and if she went back now Bryony would have to explain why. She couldn't go to the studio in her nice robes, which left her at something of a loose end. "Okay," she said, surprisingly herself. "We could try the first round, at least."