[ Lestat spares a single desperate moment of longing for times long gone, when all celebrations were held in castles and everyone dressed extravagantly in order to talk the night away and dance and rub shoulders with those of similar or higher standing... The loss of those times had been enough to send him into the dirt for almost a century, though, so he briskly pulls himself out of those kinds of thoughts before he gets too deep. ]

Ah, a frugal one are you, mademoiselle? [ He asks, finally releasing her hand with a sly little smile. ] The cost was always ridiculous, the more you spent, the more people envied your party, the more people came to oogle, the more would come back the next time. It was the way the game was played.

[ He looks around then, at this party and all it's decorations and attendees. ]

Strange, really, to have not paid a penny for any of this.