It hardly ever mattered what Lady Violet got on about, only that one should do everything possible to avoid being a target. It's a skill at which Cora was becoming more and more adept.
Robert, however, looks a bit like a chastened schoolboy when his mother set her sights on him.
It is therefore a relief to him when Cora reaches for his hand beneath the table, threading their fingers together tightly. Her sideways smile accompanies an understanding squeeze, comrades under fire.
She feels bad, of course, but will admit to an overwhelming relief to have Violet's attentions set elsewhere.