Private message to Barty

[alt_antonin]

I'll be home tonight, but not until late -- the Good Friday services tonight are very close to the supper hour, so I'll be leaving here and going directly to the church. (A week early, this year, but it can't be helped. I do so wish there were still an active Russian Orthodox community.)

Septima's agreed to oversee the children getting on the train tomorrow, so I'll come home from the church, and then there will be two whole weeks of not having to deal with the little darlings at all. (I will not say "two whole weeks of peace and quiet"; I know better than that.)

Comments

[alt_crouch_jr]

You may be home before I am. Leicester again today. Expect it to run long.

With luck we'll manage a few intervals of peace and quiet. Must warn you, however, that He's eager to have you join me in the field. (A swap of your darlings for His.)

Am looking forward to time with you outside that madhouse in the north--with luck we'll have at least tomorrow morning to ourselves.

[alt_antonin]

Well. At least it will be a different set of intractable and exhausting problems.

I'd like to attend the vigil tomorrow night and services on Sunday morning, if it's possible of course, and you're welcome to join me if you want (and equally welcome to roll your eyes affectionately at me and put your feet up in the library). Aside from that, I am at your disposal. If you can find an excuse for me to kill something, explode something, or set something on fire, even better.

How are plans going for your soiree? (A silly question; I'm sure Miss Greengrass has everything admirably in hand.)

[alt_crouch_jr]

(Her handling of most things is admirable.)

(Had to say it.)

As for the party, she tells me the theme is to be something to do with Midsummer nights' dreams. Promises it will be 'classic, inspiring, and a little bit tawdry'. A direct quote.

Am mostly looking forward to how it will delight her to stage it all.

[alt_antonin]

Ha. I am avoiding thinking about what else you may have asked her to handle.

That having been said, I look forward to seeing the results. She does have a knack for staging. I shall be certain to make a dignified retreat partway through the evening so the tawdriness can commence in full flower. (Speaking of flower, or rather, of ornamentation: once she has her robes for the evening, invite her by Cottesmore and I shall lay out mother's jewelry and allow her to pick what she'd like to borrow. There's the Koechli tiara, for instance -- the sapphire and ruby one -- or, if she'd like something a little less ostentatious, the Kellingford diamond tiara, the one with the matching necklace and earrings. It would be nice to see them worn again; no one's touched them since Ummi died.)