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When Alexei brightens, Marie responds by beaming at him, her expression possibly further encouraging him -- and wincing just a little when he happily announces the contents. She hasn't the foggiest what war he's talking about or who the author is, and she knows she's in for it when that short description proves to be just the beginning.

But this isn't entirely a bad sign ..

As wretchedly obsessed as scholars can be in regards to their books, Marie has had experience with their sort, and knows something from that experience. If only she can keep her head above water and survive this, not only will she have made a fast friend .. but scholars, generally being the shy retiring types, are often absolute madmen in bed! So she steels herself, trying to pay attention as best she can using another old trick -- repeating bits of what he's said later on in the conversation, as a way of making him think she knows something about the subject. She may actually know some bits and pieces on her own: this isn't the first time she's played this game. She knows about the incident with the bridge -- and the cannon -- and the cannonball coated with cooking fat, that had slipped out of the barrel and broken the legs of the Commander's horse --

(But most of the time, she thinks about things that would probably horrify Sumerki, and send Alexei bolting in terror, things that would get both her and Alexei in monstrous amounts of trouble.)

When after some time it sounds like Alexei is getting close to winding down .. or, at least, running out of breath with which to talk .. Marie breaks in as politely as she can. "Oh, it's all so very interesting! There's simply too much to talk about in a single afternoon, you must come to tea sometime and tell me more!"

Let Sumerki be suspicious! Marie is an old hand at this, and she knows exactly what to say next. If there's one thing that scholars like to hear ..

"Oh, how divine! I shall be mad with impatience. Do you know, I have heard others talk on this very subject, but none of them have been so knowledgable as you; you sound as if you truly know what you are speaking of! It's such a rare thing, to find one with such confidence -- these days it seems as if knowledge is only a passing fancy, and none have true passion for it." She says this so smoothly and so sincerely that it might be real after all and not a well-rehearsed line. She has heard so very many young artists and scholars bemoan this very fact that she cannot count them all, and she has learned that these two things are their favorite things in all the world. One, to be told that they are smarter than anyone else. Two, to complain about the lack of respect for scholars and the lacking drive in young scholars today.

She does wonder sometimes what scholars of other generations or other lands complain about, but she thinks that it is probably just the same -- to a scholar, no one else is ever dedicated enough!

"Will you come this week? I am going to have the most fabulous drink brought in, a drink from another land -- it's all the rage, you really must try it!"

"I cannot tell you how much it would please me. Any time you can give me would be an honor." For a moment she is very nearly breathless: oh! Has he just flushed? Is it possible that he is so reclusive a scholar as to be entirely unused to feminine praise? It's difficult to restrain herself from squealing with glee, and she makes a mental note to track down someone who knows something -- absolutely anything! -- about his favored subject. Surely one of her silly friends knows something of history; surely she can learn enough to delight and distract him in between now and then ..

There is a tiny velvet purse on her belt, in a color which matches her dress; from this purse she takes a neatly printed card with her name and the location of her home stenciled upon it. Should he oblige her by reaching out for it, for a moment she will clasp his hand with both of her satin-gloved ones, giving him a shy little smile of her own. "It is so very wonderful to make a friend, and such a clever one at that! Thank you, truly."