Startled by his voice, Violet jumped a bit and turned to face him, dropping the hand that had been clutching her necklace so tightly. Swallowing the lump that had arisen in her throat, she put on the smile she always wore for when her sister came to visit, the smile that tried to tell everyone who saw it that yes, she was actually quite all right. Violet was convinced that it could fool anyone, but she had only ever used it on Stella, who could see right through her.
"I'm fine, really. I was just... lost in thought, I guess." Well, it was close enough to the truth, wasn't it? She wondered why this man had taken an interest. Back in New York, most people wouldn't have even noticed what kind of expression was on her face. Noting the glint of the wedding ring on his left hand, she assumed it wasn't a sexual interest, which made her feel relieved. She didn't feel like having to fend off flirtation on top of everything else.