"I wouldn't necessarily call us friends," Victor says, trying to suss out the woman and whether she's a figure in the novel. The way people turn to her with such attention does bring to mind the protagonist, but Victor has been disappointed before. "I'm more the romantic poetry type," he says. "Wordsworth, Clare," he explains.

But then, if she is just a character, this will mean nothing to her. "And why is it you're after a war?" he asks. "Surely bloodshed should be avoided by such young ladies of the time?"