Elias listened closely to all she said, marvelling at it and digesting the news all at once. Elias glanced down at the additional references, trying to discern how legitimate it all looked, but really nothing leapt out as strange to him.

So this was news worth celebrating, besides the death of Mrs. Shaw’s husband. Irene looked nervous, uncomfortable, a little downcast: not quite sure of herself, then. “But she’s still – you still have family, Irene,” Elias breathed, because he knew who she’d lost, he knew how very alone she was in Hogsmeade. Through marriage or not, this was something. He put his hands to her shoulders, gently, with one kneading press to stop her shrugging this off as if this was nothing. This was a great deal to her.

And Mrs. Shaw knew about art, so there was another connection they had, no matter their blood – and she wanted to meet, so this really couldn’t have been better for Irene. “And money,” he added, with a wry smile to say that he knew that wouldn’t register as at all important to her. Irene was not the sort of person who asked for anything, or thought she deserved it. The thing was, she did. Good news could not have come to a better person. “Of course it’s worth looking into,” Elias assured her, trying to coax her to look properly at him again. “You have to go. And if there’s anything you need, anything I can do to help –” then tell me. He meant that sincerely.

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