"Frequently. We're a classic pairing. Like eggnog and regret."
"Speak for your own eggnog. Mine is spiked and unrepentant."
The conductor returned once more to check that civilization had held. "Albany in forty," he announced, consulting a watch that looked older than some of the passengers. "Snack car's doing hot chocolate that tastes like ambition and powdered milk. Enjoy the romance of rail travel, such as it is in this century."
When he left, Claire raised an eyebrow. The arched brow was a weapon and a welcome. "Did he say romance?"
"He said powdered milk. I choose to remember powdered milk."
"Coward."