May 28th, 1891 - Lucius' Office

Cash didn't want to be doing this, but Lucius had said the eve of the Coming Out Ball, and he was not in the habit of being late to appointments with his father. He felt vaguely nauseous about this, but that was not a reason for him to avoid it.

"Father," Cash said. He was standing in the doorway with his hand on the siding of the door, and he was not picking at his cufflinks or playing with his pocketwatch, although he wanted to do both. He could do this. He could do this while standing up straight and keeping his hands still and not fidgeting.

---

Lucius Lestrange Aldous Crouch

The following 1 user Likes Cassius Lestrange's post:1 user Likes Cassius Lestrange's post
   Lucius Lestrange

---

MJ made this!

Nature had given Lucius four three sons, but circumstance had seen that number swell to five. While each had their pros and cons, none had ever proved such a headache as Cassius.

Cassius and his quidditch.

Cassius and his lack of seriousness.

Cassius and his questionable friends.

Cassius and his abhorrent proclivities.

Still, Cassius had lived a quarter of a century now; while Lucius would have been comfortable seeing his other 'sons' go a full three decades without taking a wife, Cassius was different, needed the moral and social protections that his own Mrs. Lestrange could provide for him. And so, a brief missive had offered his son an ultimatum of sorts, and now the time had come for Cassius to make his preferences known—or cast aside the right to an opinion altogether.

"Cassius," he offered by way of greeting. "Do come in—there is brandy on the sideboard."

Lucius had already prepared a glass for himself, though had taken only a small sip of the beverage.

The following 1 user Likes Lucius Lestrange's post:1 user Likes Lucius Lestrange's post
   Cassius Lestrange

---

— phenomenal set by bex! —

Oh, thank fuck for brandy. It didn't show on his face but Cash was relieved, not because he planned on drinking much through this conversation — he didn't — but this would give him something to hold onto while he talked to Lucius, and that could be crucial. When they had their regular lunches at the club he was always holding something — a glass or utensils or cards — but he was consistently very still, like something was holding him in place.

He poured himself a glass and set it down on the desk before he sat across from Lucius, and he left his left hand curled around the glass.

"I've been thinking about your letter," Cash said; he was never sure whether or not he was better off being direct with Lucius, but in this case hopefully it would be the better idea. Certainly it would save them both some time.

---

  

---

MJ made this!

He knew, of course, to what his son referred, and had never been one to beat about the bush when such banality might be avoided. Thus, Lucius raised his eyebrows in question, a silent direction for Cassius to continue.

  

---

— phenomenal set by bex! —

Cash wanted to sigh, or to shift in his seat, but contained both. "Cousin Gretchen," he said. His tone was relatively confident, because he'd thought about this, but that didn't mean he liked it anymore. "Or Adrienne Selwyn. Or — she wasn't on the list," Cash admitted, wanting to take a sip of the brandy and resisting until he finished, "But Eleanora Abercrombie is agreeable."

---

  

---

MJ made this!

"If she were suitable, she would have been on the list," Lucius pointed out. He knew little of Miss Abercrombie, bar that she was a cousin to his niece's husband and was rather older than he deemed suitable for his own wife's youngest son. At twenty-five years of age, and with his personality to boot, Cassius needed a bride young enough to take his authority seriously.

"I would be lying if I did not say I thought Gretchen the superior of those options," he divulged dispassionately, "particularly given she is English. However, you have my support should you wish to pursue Miss Selwyn as well. Regardless," Lucius added, "I will need to see evidence that you are taking the matter seriously."

  

---

— phenomenal set by bex! —

None of this was necessarily surprising information, and so Cash did not visibly react to it. He did take a small sip of the brandy before he asked his father, "What sort of evidence would you consider suitable?"

---

  

---

MJ made this!

"Correspondence," he answered simply. "Unless, of course, you would rather I make the final decision and the requisite arrangements?" Lucius added, eyebrows raised.

  

---

— phenomenal set by bex! —

This was actually better than Cash had anticipated. He shook his head. "No," he said, "I can certainly engage in correspondence." Writing letters to teenagers, sure, why not, wasn't like he had anything better to do with his time.

---

The following 2 users Like Cassius Lestrange's post:2 users Like Cassius Lestrange's post
   Madeline Bell, Reuben Crouch

---

MJ made this!

Lucius gave a vaguely satisfied nod before taking another sip of his brandy. For all his flaws, and he had many, at least Cassius knew better than to argue.

"You should also endeavor to ingratiate yourself with their families," he noted next, "so that you might be seen as an ideal candidate when the time comes."

  

---

— phenomenal set by bex! —

Cash had almost no desire to ingratiate himself with Kristoffer or Uncle Priam, but maybe the Selwyns would be more tolerable. He nodded at his father. "I'll be sure to do that," he said lightly.

---

The following 1 user Likes Cassius Lestrange's post:1 user Likes Cassius Lestrange's post
   Reuben Crouch

---

MJ made this!

He frowned. Cassius had agreed, but there was something lacking in his son's response, something that set the peripheries of Lucius' attentions on edge. A knot to be untied at a later date.

"You my leave your glass on the sideboard when you have finished."

  

---

— phenomenal set by bex! —

His father was frowning. Cash's chest hurt with a sudden anxiety. "Of course, Father," he replied.

He finished the brandy over the next few minutes and then retreated.

---

  

---

MJ made this!