''Without being embarrassing, you can give a clue which will oil the wheels of conversation so much the better. An uncommon example of this happened to me at a dinner party. There was a preponderance of women, and a rather silent little old lady sat on one side of me. Suddenly a footman laid a note in front of me bearing this laconic message from my host: 'Dear C., the lady next to you is interested in goats.' Mercifully I kept an entirely impassive countenance under the impact of surprise, and I cannot remember how I got round to the subject of goats, but I did. After a bit, I discovered that this really fine old lady gave up her whole time and income to keeping herds of goats in a remote part of Ireland for the benefit of the poorest families and especially for undernourished children. And of course, when she came out of her shell of shyness, she was full of interesting and funny stories too."
https://www.tat-london.co.uk/post/iconic-florist-constance-sprys-tips-for-hosting