She smiled slightly, but let it fade once she internally shouted at herself, no girl should take down another girls appearance even if there were no other girls. It made sense in her mind, that was all she needed to matter. "Oh stop, that can't be true, I'm sure most ladies would look good in such a beautiful gown." She allowed her eyebrows to raise, as if she was waiting for him to somehow make the situation worse, not that it was incredibly bad. Oh god she really did over-think.

She smiled, allowing herself to take his arm with her hand, gently placing enough weight to be let him know she was there. The Pier? She hadn't gone to the Pier for years, she'd often wondered what it was like nowadays. "The pier? God I haven't been to the pier since I was younger." She wasn't willing to discuss how old she'd gotten, only that she was almost half way to fifty and still not paying enough attention "in that way." To any men. "What's been going on? Well not a lot, the same old stuff, as far as i'm concerned. The same drunks, the same market stalls, the same shops, the same weather. Oh and definitely the same rich folk looking down their awfully long snouts at those they believe are beneath them." Yes in a sense she was trying to make a joke, but she didn't truly think of the wording, but yet again it was all too late.

"Not as good," said Robert. Couldn't she just take a compliment? He wondered. He began to lead her through the street in the direction of the pier while he half-listened. The last sentence caught him by surprise, but he decided not to engage. "Boring as ever, then. I'm afraid the pier will bring little excitement. How I do wish your parents would take you traveling more. Oxford is beautiful this time of year. I'm sure you'd love it. And the social season in starting in London. Whitby will seem parochial and backward to you, once you've been."