The next remark she made - a facet of her brother’s story - almost made Evander startle to think that perhaps his family’s situation had somehow been lucky in one sense, for as far as he knew Alfred had never forgotten his memories of home, or his family. Johnny had had the pain of losing his mother and his sister upon his return, but Miss Delaney and her family then would have had their delight at the reunion dampened by the revelation that the man they saw was not all there as they had remembered him.
She had spoken lightly of it, but that only spoke of a steel nerve that she must possess to have borne it. She had power over her emotions, then; could put on a brave face. (That did not surprise him, especially; little that he knew of her, Evander had never supposed Miss Delaney in anything less than control.) “I am sorry for that,” he returned soberly, quietly. “I cannot imagine it was an easy return for any of you.”
He chewed on that revelation for a moment more before she - expertly - guided the conversation to different waters. His eyebrows rose at her request; he had presumed the overview he had offered in his letters would have been quite enough for her, and that she would want to occupy herself no further with the topic of work. The corner of his mouth twitched. “You have an interest in the Ministry, then?” He inquired, trying to work out whether she was using the excuse of ‘happier times’ to think of something other than her family’s trials, or using the change of subject because she had any interest in his affairs. “Perhaps you recall I work in the Improper Use of Magic,” he added, a careful reminder in case she was not so thorough a letter-reader as he was, and smiled at her slightly, suddenly self-conscious of having her attention to himself. “What else would you like to know?”
She had spoken lightly of it, but that only spoke of a steel nerve that she must possess to have borne it. She had power over her emotions, then; could put on a brave face. (That did not surprise him, especially; little that he knew of her, Evander had never supposed Miss Delaney in anything less than control.) “I am sorry for that,” he returned soberly, quietly. “I cannot imagine it was an easy return for any of you.”
He chewed on that revelation for a moment more before she - expertly - guided the conversation to different waters. His eyebrows rose at her request; he had presumed the overview he had offered in his letters would have been quite enough for her, and that she would want to occupy herself no further with the topic of work. The corner of his mouth twitched. “You have an interest in the Ministry, then?” He inquired, trying to work out whether she was using the excuse of ‘happier times’ to think of something other than her family’s trials, or using the change of subject because she had any interest in his affairs. “Perhaps you recall I work in the Improper Use of Magic,” he added, a careful reminder in case she was not so thorough a letter-reader as he was, and smiled at her slightly, suddenly self-conscious of having her attention to himself. “What else would you like to know?”
