| 1:43p |
30 March 1982
Viv,
Darling, do you realize you've really been out there for three weeks? And do you know how depressing it is to my soul to contemplate that fact? I am happy to know that your probationary month is all but up, though, and I hope you can get the whole business taken care of quickly enough. Maybe you can sell it to someone who'll still let you have your summer by the sea, or let you rent out a room or two for the occasion. A summer by the sea does sound nice now I think about it, so if you manage one of those I will certainly become the house guest that never went away. But still, you being there that long I really don't wonder that you're bored. You brought it upon yourself, my love. Three weeks in such a teeny tiny town! All right, maybe it's not so teeny, but compared with London... Granted, everywhere seems small compared with London, except for Constantinople. Is Constantinople smaller than London? It sounds like it is.
But no matter. As long as the ceiling doesn't collapse (and it had better not, at least on you... I prefer my darlings whole and unharmed), you'll have to find ways to amuse yourself or draft people to do it for you.
Speaking of which, has Sam showed up yet? Will I be forced to comb the hills looking for him? I hope not, this is such a depressing time of year to be outdoors. I hope he's appeared and been politely tortured by the horrors long enough to chasten him and that you're now rambling about the place making John the Nicknameless horribly jealous. Even if it is just Sam, I'm sure he can manage to inspire jealousy in somebody.
It's not as if I don't feel for you, by the way, in your boredom and what-all. I know it's irritating to have nothing to do, but with how busy I've been lately I'd probably not kill, but certainly do a variety of things I don't like very much (and you know how I am about doing things I don't like very much) for a spare afternoon or so to laze around in. I'm as sympathetic as I can be, but I'm still oozing envy all over this parchment. It will probably be olive green by the time I'm done.
You know, if the ceiling did collapse you could probably get John to fix it. Maybe you could stuff Acantha's face through a wall or something, I'm sure it could only improve her hair and hardly anything could worsen her disposition. Two birds with one stone, yes? Isn't it clever of me to fix all your problems for you? I'm sure I don't understand John's attitude, though when I told Syd about it he sighed at you. Really, he is such a man sometimes. And he didn't even explain what you'd done, just acted like it was utterly obvious which of course it wasn't because men never make sense unless you're telling them what to do. And they have the nerve to say we're confusing. But I don't at all understand why he'd refuse help, I mean I can see that he wouldn't want charity or what have you because some people do have their pride (like Kitty, as we all know!) and it can be a very low feeling to have people just hand you the basic essentials of life, but there's such a difference between that and giving them a chance to earn things themselves. And besides, you're a darling and everyone should just accept everything you give them, because it's always invariably right.
And I hope you dented Jasper's head.
I'm sure little Alice would be perfectly delightful coming from such a heavenly couple as me and Syd, but Mum would probably say it'd serve me right if I got a little monster (because I may be an angel with Syd, but I know I'm not even close to by myself). But she'd at least look sweet, because Syd's adorable and I'm quite pretty (It's not vain to say it and I won't believe it if Aunt Philippa says so in a voice like the trump of God, we're just a good-looking family! Even Auntie's very handsome for her age.) and I think our looks would distill pretty nicely into a little girl. Especially if she got his eyelashes, I've never thought it fair how lovely eyelashes are so often wasted on men who don't appreciate them. But you may as well start learning to crochet now, especially if you are so bored, because from what Leslie told me it takes forever to learn to make anything that doesn't look ridiculous. Of course this is Leslie, who is something of a disaster when it comes to these things.
Are you sure the ghost was a he, though? And what do you think of the name Charleston for him? Too reputable? Should we go with Dirty Pete instead? I don't really like the thought of you having a male ghost, Viv, for some reason they seem so much more malicious than the females. Even if they can't do much of anything, being, well. All misty and such, and not having bodies. Maybe I'm not sure it's a ghost and not just some hobo come in off the street. That does happen, and it rarely ever ends well. I don't want you all to be murdered in your beds, that's all. Or at least not you, it can have Jasper and Acantha. I'm still trying to decide on Dardanos, if he does have a nice, silly little fiancee it would be a shame to hurt her and an even bigger shame to break them up. Dardanos of all people needs a little silliness in his home life.
My headache is better, I followed Auntie's expertly Victorian advice and it was gone by the end of the day. Syd seemed to like the break too, I'm afraid I have too many people over for the poor thing to handle sometimes.
I know I've said it before, but I don't think you behaved that dreadfully, whatever the rest say. Maybe it was a teeny bit dreadful, but not nearly as bad as they make it out to be. And especially after the way you'd been treated and the way things were going for the family in general. I'm really just grateful you were alright in the end. Well, actually that's not all I am, I'm also very much in favour of hexing that Ministry fellow with something that lasts for days, but I don't like being arrested and I've never been good at making spells stick for long. It would be very satisfying, though. Would you like me to hex him for you after all? I could do it in a small crowd so there's no telling where it came from. Or I could wear a wig, I have just the hair for stuffing into long wigs now and there's a lovely muggle shop opened two blocks over that sells them.
I don't know if Jacob does crosswords. I think perhaps he could make you laugh? It's so hard to be certain when I haven't seen the two of you together, but he is a very nice boy and it would be lovely to see you happy with someone again. And he's got a great deal of conviction about these blood and magic and squib issues, which is very important these days... so much of that got turned on its head during the war, and if he wasn't ruined that shows he has principles. And he's a very good speaker too, he explained his ideas so clearly I understood his meaning perfectly. Perhaps it could work? At least if you try not to be so picky as I know you can be. You are a darling, and that is probably your only fault but it's there you know.
I can do the red sparkles, and they're very red and sparkly. Though they might not work well if it does rain, but I'm not letting you out if it's pouring anyway so that shouldn't matter. It would probably be good for you to get the flare anyway, in case you're wandering around alone. And the donkey too, if you can hire one for the day.
I don't think I'm all that admirable, to be honest. I'm such a silly thing a lot of the time, and I feel I should like being responsible. I wish you c And you're too hard on yourself, Viv. I'm not nearly as good at staying in motion as you, you have so much more energy and life. You were named well, my love - or maybe your name made you the way you are? There are both schools of thought in naming, and I'm never sure which to believe in, but very well. I've got some things to finish u, so I'll hurry and send this along so you can (hopefully!) enjoy it and send another back and we can continue the lovely cycle and thereby enrich both our lives. I hope Sam comes quickly and relieves you from your boredom as you desire and deserve, and I'll see you myself in a fortnight.
Love,
Cassie |