Chuck looked up from his flurry of texts and regarded her for a moment, his sharp eyes seeing past her facade of composure. She was clearly upset (who wouldn't be?), but, as usual, she was hiding it well. He didn't want to tell her that he wasn't entirely sure that the Palace would be safe, no matter what his father said, and he certainly didn't want to let on how close he was to falling apart himself.
He just wanted a drink.
Fortunately, the car horn sounded, and Chuck practically leaped across half the room in his haste to get the hell out of there and into the car, although he made damn sure that Blair was behind when they left the building - the last thing they needed was an ambush.
When they were safely in the car, Chuck texted his father to let him know. Then, despite all his better judgment, he slipped an arm around Blair's shoulders, trying hard to steady both of them.