"Oh, darling, you may regret that after the fifth or sixth hour," Felix laughed , but he didn't seem very serious. He recognized Spencer as a fellow lover of learning and knowledge, and that tended to bring with it a tolerance for long-winded discourse.

Felix held out one long-fingered pale hand, palm-up, with an inquisitive expression. "Shall I enter my details into your phone? I'd be delighted to take you out to dinner sometime soon, when Shannon's off being important and we can have a real talk."