Bringing Alicia to his mother's dinner party had been a rather last-minute, impulsive move on his part. He seldom brought dates, but with his mother on another kick to get him married off, he decided to go on the offensive and bring a date of his own. Her bloodlines were good enough, and she was young enough to breed well - provided nothing untoward happened. All of that would make his mother happy. For his part, he wasn't ready to settle down again - the once had been enough for him though he knew he'd have to father an heir at some point. That was the benefit of a fit young thing on his arm - no matter how old he got, she'd still be able to get up the duff.
Dinner had gone well, and she'd certainly attracted the attention of at least three-quarters of the guests. As they finished dessert, he glanced over at her and smirked.
"Have you heard about Carlton's bunions yet?" he asked directly into her ear in a whisper, his hand on her knee for support.