"In truth, I've never found the occasion to find horses particularly amusing."

...women.

"Well, this horse would amuse you, I'm certain of it."

"Mm."

He has other opinions about horses...

...briefly, and then he's on his fourth glass of wine and back to how he hates his neighbor's horse and its legs specifically. 

Lucette can give whatever affirmations are the least commital as prompted.

Really you'd expect her to be trying much harder to charm him given how her father's a commoner. Unless, of course, someone else is her actual father, which would really make more sense given how she's empowered. Really, she should be desperate to wed him. Maybe she's just slow. 

He can explain why the horse is terrible in small words this time.

Lucette is pretty sure she can do better than him, once she's had enough time to make an impression on society distinct from her parentage.

Whatever. He's going to go and see how Count Braxton's and his friends are getting on with setting up the fireworks outside. She better stay inside, for her own safety.

(Actually, he is going to go and find the wine cellar. Which possibly would do Lucette some good but he can't just offer her enough to get an empowered properly loosened up until they're married.)

... and what are Annie and the elder Wellsworth up to now?

... awkward silence? Well, okay then. 

Honestly Annie's assigned guy doesn't seem that bad for his reference class but his reference class consists of sexist classist strangers who aren't Lucette.

Lucette isn't crying and his lasted the better part of a half an hour before losing interest and leaving to find more alchohol. Edgar counts that as a win.

Lucette mechanically takes spoonfuls of her soup, because having emotions or opinions right this second seems... hard.

Right, they have soup to eat. Yum.

.. this is actually a really awkward amount of silence.

"What.... sort of literature do you enjoy reading, Lady Oakhill?"

"I-I like scientific histories."

Is that even a genre. Probably. 

"-since uh."

"I'll find one from the library?" And Lucette is getting up to leave because she's terrible at this and didn't practice smalltalk while emotional and she hates everything and she barely restrains herself to a normal walking speed as she exits the room.

It's possible to get out of Annie's sensory range in the estate but Lucette won't do it by going to the library or any other likely destination. Annie pays attention to her but does not immediately flee after her.

Lucette goes to a random row of books and breathes heavily. Outside the window Lord Braxton and his friends prepare fireworks for later in the evening.

"-lousy directions, this isn't the bathroo - oh, even you've grown bored of the party." slurs Lord Edward, considerably more drunk than before. He has a bottle of whiskey in hand.

Oh god.

"I-I-yes?"

"I didn't believe my father, but we do make a good match, right?"

"Mm." Go away go away go away....

"- still shy? Drink - that'll fix you easy."  He pushes the half finished bottle of whiskey into her hand.

"...mm."

He can bring it to her lips and help her pour it down her throat, useless as she's being.

Well, in that case she doesn't really have a choice.