Taking advantage of a lull between the bishop and the senator, Mrs. Thurlow cleared the air by asking if they were up for another riddle, ignoring the one-riddle-a-night rule. They all applauded the idea, so she took a sip of wine and recited the riddle as if it were a magic spell.

"I am a bond that knows no bounds,

Through thick and thin, my presence resounds.

I bring laughter, joy, and trust so deep,

In times of need, I'm the one you'll keep.

What am I?"

After a few seconds, the actress raised her hand.

"Is it money?" she asked.

Mrs. Thurlow shook her head and smiled with amusement.

"Is it power? The air? Potatoes?" the actress guessed again.

"Come on, Camille, give the others a chance to guess... " Mrs. Thurlow urged her.

"I know what it is!" exclaimed the senator.

"No way! Really??" scoffed the actress, followed by a resounding raspberry.

"It’s democracy! Is that it, Lady Thurlow?" asked the senator, agitated.

The actress' behavior and mocking tone toward the senator caused the host to frown, but the others couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Psst... Senator," the actress said in a drunken voice, waving her hand in front of the senator's face, "Democracy... just so you know... is the opium of the deluded. I vote for anarchy..."

"What? What are you talking about?" asked the senator, annoyed, "Are you listening to yourself? Since when do anarchists vote for anything?"

"Since when does democracy resounds... through... thick.. and.. thin... huh??" she retorted, waving her arms in a mockingly dramatic gesture.

"Lady, don't try to pull my leg ... Give it a rest. You're too merry/intoxicated to fool anyone."

The actress stuck her tongue out at the senator, and inmediately Mrs. Thurlow regretted prolonging the evening with a a second riddle.

(To be continued)