Special touches will impress in-laws during upcoming visit

a couple in another room. (This is a place she frequents and she knows many of the other patrons.)

She briefly returned to finish her meal and pay her bill, but took her dessert out with her to the other room. When I left with the friend who had stayed with me, we all said goodnight.

I’m wondering: First, is this as rude as I think it is? And second, is there anything that should have been said?

I’m not planning to go out with her again anytime soon, and it’s a shame; I would have liked to continue to socialize with her.

Gentle Reader: Unfortunately, she does not seem to share the sentiment, particularly if there was no follow-up apology. If one is forthcoming or this person expresses a desire to see you again and you are willing, Miss Manners suggests that you choose a less distracting place.

Dear Miss Manners: When we travel and are houseguests, we try to be guests that they want back. One thing we do is strip our beds, either putting our dirty laundry in their laundry room or folding it neatly at the end of the bed.

Our last two houseguests left and never did this. This left a lot of extra work for us. Am I assuming this should be done? Are there new etiquette rules that we should be aware of as houseguests?

Gentle Reader: “New” etiquette is generally an excuse for rudeness and does not set the standard. Perhaps with the invention of paid shared-housing apps, guests have mistaken financial transactions with being a guest. Proper etiquette is still to do as you have been and make as little work as possible for your hosts.

Dear Miss Manners: Being a moderate aficionado, when you are asked to bring an appropriate wine pairing for the appetizers and main course at a partial potluck, is the wine considered a gift to the hostess to become a part of her cellar? Or, like the dessert brought by other guests, is it to be opened and enjoyed by all?

Gentle Reader: Once you bring an item to be consumed at another person’s house, it stays there, whether or not actual consumption takes place. If you are worried about guests not being able to enjoy the wine in your presence, Miss Manners recommends that on this occasion, you become slightly less an aficionado.