19th January, 1890
Dear Miss Delaney,
I hope you will excuse my writing to you directly, when we are but newly acquainted; I hope you will also forgive me the presumption of offering my well-wishes to your brother in his recent marriage, when regretfully we have not yet met. Nonetheless, I read the announcement in the Daily Prophet and wanted to wish Mr. Delaney and his bride every happiness.
I confess I was not certain of whether you are presently in London or perhaps overseas, but whilst making enquiries for their dinner party next week, I heard it mentioned by Mr. and Mrs. F—, apparently mutual friends of ours, that as it happened they had also extended an invitation to you. I hope I am not mistaken in this? —and if indeed if I am not, might I ask whether you will be attending? I would be greatly obliged to see you again and to see you there, having found our previous encounters very pleasant.
Even, I will admit, the occasion with the boggart.
Regardless of your answer, I would be glad to hear from you. I hope you are well.
Yours sincerely,
Evander Darrow
Evander Darrow
Thank Merlin for the Prophet article at all, that he had been able to affix “Caroline” to any particular identity. Of course, it all fit; how many Carolines were from Boston and residing in London, after all? But knowledge of who she was, with a little research, had been accompanied by the not entirely pleasant surprise of her brother’s identity - not just as a shipping merchant, but as a Mr. Delaney whose ship had once been deemed lost in the Atlantic, a tale which resembled his own brother’s a little too closely for comfort. In other circumstances, any notion of a family involved in shipping would be quite excuse enough to terminate all thought of furthering any friendships there, however... He had some kind of duty to Charity now, didn’t he? And perhaps Miss Delaney’s background had set them out to be kindred spirits, somehow. It had to be worth writing to her, seeing her again. Just... on the off chance.
