Victor blushes again. "Thank you, but I'm sure m-most of the people I k-know back home would disagree," he says, lowering his eyes a little.

Then he winces a bit. "I d-didn't think you'd l-like them," he confesses. "B-because of the Queen of Hearts. I didn't want to c-cause you any distress." God knows the poor girl's had enough of that in her life.