Aldous would have been inclined to dismiss Mrs. Abercrombie’s letter as the overreaction of a grieving widow had she not attached one in his brother’s own hand. Rather than respond to the woman immediately or seek out his brother’s explanation, Aldous had sat on the matter to ponder his situation. It was a delicate matter and he knew he had to tread carefully; fortunately, he was a diplomat from an affluent family. Regardless of his feelings on the matter, regardless of how he never would have imagined finding himself here, Aldous knew he could handle the situation in hand.

The papers sat tucked away in his suit pocket as he arrived at Excalibur, and the wizard used his familiarity with the building to find his way to his brother’s room—an easy feat in a building where no one expected dishonesty, and he looked the part of a gentleman. His knock on the door was deliberate and definitive, and he pushed his way past Reuben when the door opened to admit him.

“The way I see it,” he began calmly, though without any preamble or otherwise acknowledging his brother’s existence, “is that there are three ways that I can respond to Mrs. Abercrombie’s letter. I would like you to help me decide what answer I give her.”

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