"I'm so sorry." He shrugs the jacket off and offers it to her to hide the nonexistent stain.

He waves helplessly at the bored waiter he and Alfred picked out early. "Can you help me? I've made a terrible fool of myself and spilt wine on the lady's dress. Would you be terribly kind and show us the way to the kitchen so we can borrow some soda water to get the stain out before it sets?"