Alyssana had no interest in whether Lady Sylvia cared for her or not. The suggestion of the woman looking after Finnegan instead of Alys was met with a frown, but also a shrug. "It's all the same to me, but don't you think it would be better to let Walter decide?" Walter suggested that neither lady be involved, and that was fine with her. She was, after all, at the perfumery to see Walter himself, and not his elder brother. If Walter wanted help she'd be there, and if he wanted to handle Finnegan on his own that was fine as well. Finnegan started speaking, and Alyssana was quite frankly shocked by what came out of his mouth. He'd never spoken so to a woman so far as she could remember, harsh and honest and not a hint of flirting. The bit about her was no doubt due to his recent dousing, but the rest -- it was rather satisfying to see him taking Lady Sylvia down a peg. And then he kept going, to her acute embarrassment. Oh, the gossips would have a field day if this got out -- and she had no doubt it would. Fortunately for everyone, Lady Sylvia had had enough, and cut in with mockery and a threat that meant little to Alyssana. "If you do not care to be a part of this 'circus', then perhaps you had better leave," Alyssana said at last, after a silence left long enough to grow uncomfortable. She had no issue with it herself, but it was useful to know how much of a delay made the other person wonder if their remarks had hit home or not. There was no need for a retort beyond that. Whatever the outcome, she'd deal with it when it happened, and better to let Sylvia feel she'd scored than extend the matter further by bickering. Alyssana lacked the vested interest in her social standing to truly suffer from minor scandals, and if she wasn't invited to parties in one circle, the school circle more than made up for the lack. "Well then," Alyssana said, once the door swung shut behind their uninvited guest. "Finnegan...I am sorry. I should have tried to get you clear. But it [i]will[/i] wear off." She sighed. Was he safe to be left to his own devices? No, best stay where they could keep an eye on him. "Walter...you said something about a murder?"