8th October, 1891 — Belgravia, London; Harriet Prewett's Residence

Taking to one's bed in order to recover from an ordeal was all very well and good but Harriet was already growing bored of seeing only her own few walls and the combination of the blankets piled high on her lap and the crackling fireplace had left her feeling overheated and uncomfortable. Fortunately her visitor today was her sister so she had not hesitated to slip out from under her blanket cocoon and open the windows to let in some blessed fresh air.

Standing by the window, one hand resting against the cold glass, she glanced over her shoulder as Hermione told her what had happened elsewhere at the Sanditon and how a certain man had behaved rather heroically - she would have expected nothing less - while helping a young woman who-

Wait, what?

"Miss Skovgaard? The healer?"

And apparently her son was no stranger to the woman - how had she not known this?! Had she been so preoccupied with Fitz's marriage she had failed to notice that her oldest son might be considering courting again?

Hermione Longbottom | Sisse Thompsett

  

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Lady is magnificent and so is this set <3

The events of Sanditon were still clear in Hermione's mind, enough so that she daily gave thanks that her family had survived. She might have added unscathed, but that wasn't quite true. But they would all recover. In and in the meantime she had no intent of allowing her sister to wallow in her bed with no news. Of course it was all anyone could talk about these days no matter if one were in a drawing room or at a dinner, but Harriet had yet to leave her recovery room so Hermione felt it her sisterly duty to catch her up on absolutely everything.

"The same." Hermione added with a nod of her head. "Mrs. Bagshot's goddaughter." She added for further clarity.

Then she returned to the story, or at least the worrying point of the story (having lost a daughter to the inappropriate field of healing Hermione rather thought she was not in a place to judge Miss Skovgaard's actions), "I saw them return to the ballroom a short bit later. He was carrying her." She added this last bit a smidge pointly. There was plenty to be implied there, but unlike her younger nephew, she rather thought Fuastus had a better head than that, which meant she was willing to chalk it up to bravery instead of misdeeds.

  

Harriet stared for a long moment at her sister, seeing through her to the past and the night at the Sanditon. Had she missed something? Could Faustus and Miss Skovgaard been with each other earlier in the evening without her noticing? Had anyone else noticed?

Too many questions – Harriet shook her head to clear the thoughts, taking a deep soothing breath of cold air. She shuddered as the chill hit her lungs, coughing into her handkerchief; the cuts and bruises from that night had been healed quickly but the lingering bout of bronchitis was annoyingly present still.

“And I take it this was noted by everyone in attendance?” She asked, a little scathingly. “I doubt a brush with death would prevent a discussion on who one of my sons sees fit to pay attention to.”

She swept back to her chaise, leaning back with a sigh. Could there be another explanation? After all, with Faustus, unlike her other sons, it was not always necessary to assume the worst and he was not nearly enough of a fool to put himself in a precarious position unless there was a good reason.

“She’s a healer is she not? I never paid her much attention before so I know precious little about her,” she mused aloud, pulling one her blankets idly over her legs. Her feet had not been warm since the last night, which was utterly intolerable. “Faustus may have just been helping her with the injured…”

  

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Lady is magnificent and so is this set <3

"Thankfully with the chaos, I don't think so. Likely enough to stir up some talk, but I only just managed to see it." Hermione shrugged, as if to say that if she almost hadn't seen a thing most others likely hadn't.

Harriet was right though, not even a life threatening diaster would stop the wagging tails about Harriet's boys. The woes of boys. Every man wanted one, but Hermione counted herself rather grateful to only have the requisite one.

Hermione knew Mrs. Bagshot, not in the way of friends, but in the way of one who got along well and traveled in the same circles. There was nothing wrong with Mrs. Bagshot other than the fact that she was closer to the age of her and Harriet's children then Hermione's. But still the woman moved in the same circles and was likable enough that Hermione saw little fault in her. Because of this she had some idea of the girl, but not terribly much. She coudln't remember seeing much of her at social events since her debute, or perhaps she was thinking of someone else? Hermione thought back to her conversations with Mrs. Bagshot and any mentions of her neice. "A healer, yes, grew up on the continent." Although that could be wrong, maybe it was one of the Nordic countries? "If I recall there was a rumor when she came out, that her father was some sort of nobility?" It had been so many years ago and Hermione simply couldn't keep all these girls straight. There were too many years to do so. Only the ones with real merit for her nephews or her son called for actual attention.

  

Nobility? Well, that wasn’t ideal but it was far from the most terrible thing in the world. Harriet had no particular interest in the aristocracy that dominated muggle society but neither did she had anything especially against them. She did vaguely recall a woman of their own society who had married into the aristocracy and had allowed the newfound title to go to her head – rather embarrassingly as no one had been impressed with her in the first place – but otherwise they seemed much the same as them.

“I cannot imagine Faustus associating with someone who was not at least partly responsible,” Harriet mused, mostly to herself, and it was quite true. Faustus was no fool. But Mrs Bagshot and a potentially noble father aside, who on earth was Miss Skovgaard?

“And I’m quite sure he will speak to me before he does anything about the matter,” she added with more assurance than she felt. Faustus had not been to see her yet – he was terribly busy – but he was no Fitz and surely, surely would see her before making a match?

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Hermione Longbottom | Sisse Thompsett

  

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Lady is magnificent and so is this set <3

"I should think so." Hermione agreed on both fronts. "It should be terribly dull for him if he chose someone rather.... more frivilious than himself." Hermione shook her head.

"I shall see what I can do to have a tea with Mrs. Bagshot and learn more of Miss Skovgaar's character, that way when Faustus does speak to you," Being the most responsible of Harriet's sons Hermione was sure this would happen, "You shall be as prepared as possible." After all, wasn't that what sisters were for?

  

“Thank you darling,” Harriet said, with a warm, genuine smile for her sister. What on earth would she do without her? Making her own enquiries would be hideously gauche but having her sister do it on her behalf was more than acceptable.

“Do pass along my regards to Mrs Bagshot when you see her won’t you? I would hate to muddy the waters before we absolutely need to,” she added, reminding herself that given the last marriage one of her son’s had made a connection to the Bagshots would not be entirely disastrous.

Assuming Faustus didn’t decide to elope of course.

  

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Lady is magnificent and so is this set <3

Hermione returned her sister's smile, knowing that if the roles were reversed Harriet would do much the same thing. It was certainly a perk of having a sister. In fact over the years the two of them had done much the same as their children got married off. Now if only Harriet's would get married and stay married.

"Of course." Hermione waved the concern away, understanding entirely.

She then added off handedly, "You shall have to tell me how your conversation with Faustus goes." If he were not at all interested in this girl it would definitely change the tenor of her inquiry. Although perhaps not. Perhaps the girl might do well for Beckett if not for Faustus.