18th June 1894

Dear Anne,

Oh my dear, your letter did make me smile to read. Manon and Carmen are french operas, and wonderful ones at that. But I will accept your offer to take in a gallery, wouldn't it be terribly coquin for us each to take a floo to the Lourve in Paris and enjoy croissants by the Niké of Samothrace.

I know you don't understand mon ami, and it's OK that you don't. But my parents will find me a marriage to a good man with excellent connections to my family and French society. I pray that neither of us find horrible husbands, but as ladies we are resilient and can make good of a lesser situation, I shall just not go through the. rigamr rigmarole of being paraded down the street for all manner of undesirables.

I too look forward to returning to school for our fifth year, my nights are too quiet without you across the room. I am not looking forward to our OWLs, but at least I shall finally know how not to appear delicious for the ghouls.

Sincerely yours,
Mademoiselle Violetta Elise DeCroix