July 18, 1893 - Darrow Home, Swallowbury, Irvingly

Evander Darrow

There was precious little in the world that a woman could get involved in without risking tarnishing her reputation, married or unmarried. Politics, however, in the form of social calls was perfectly acceptable. Or at least Caroline had been raised that discreet politics were something that was admirable in ladies. Even in the past one hundred years there had been much made of women campaigning on behalf of their husbands, for instance the Countess Georgiana of Devonshire whom Caroline had read about when she first arrived on the British Isles. Yet, it had been in the back of her mind that when the time came, perhaps she might do the same. When she had read that morning's paper Caroline felt as if, perhaps, just maybe, this might be a path that would right what felt off in her marriage.

"Your husband is in the drawing room." The family butler informed her as she arrived home from a social call to the Adlards. "Thank you." Caroline untied her hat and handed it to his waiting hand before heading into the drawing room. She had anticipated Evander being late this evening given the news, but she was pleasantly surprised to have been found wrong in this manner.

"Good evening, darling." She greeted him with a smile, gliding over to place a kiss on his cheek.

  

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Thank you Lady <3

Ross was ending his term as Minister. Evander thought this news quite miserable, on the whole – he had liked Ross as a man and a politician, and knew the sort of frenzied place the Ministry would become in the leadup to another election. Rivals jockeying for a new position; rumours and whispers and slurs about those running; jackals, basically, vying for their piece of the carcass.

Evander had been almost pleased to pack up at the end of the day and step out of the Floo to relative silence. He had had some time to collect himself when Caroline floated in some time later, and Evander dutifully set aside the sheet music he had been half-studying to turn his attentions toward her. She, like everyone else, would have heard the news, and he probably ought to indulge her for a few minutes on it. “How was your day?”

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"It was nice." Caroline replied with a smile as she slid her gloves off. She'd had an idea in her mind all day but she knew she had to broach it carefully with Evander. "I had a pleasant visit with Mrs. Adlard this afternoon." She continued idly as she walked over to her writing desk and placed her gloves down on a book.

She would have preferred to have this conversation at dinner but with Charity in residence again dinners had once again become more uncomfortable for Caroline to speak with her husband. "She and I were discussing the news." Caroline did not turn to her husband, keeping the conversation as passing as she could - at leas in apperance. as she sorted through the invitations and letters she had placed there this afternoon. "Although I'm sure that's all anyone wished to speak of at work today." She turned back to him with a guileless look and offering him a small sympathetic smile.

  

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Thank you Lady <3

“How nice,” Evander commented mildly, on her mention of Mrs. Adlard. “I spoke to her husband today, too.” What he hadn’t quite been expecting was for their wives to have been discussing the same piece of news – but he couldn’t criticise Caroline for being interested in everything, and sensible enough to keep up with public affairs.

“But yes, it’s a real pity. He was a good Minister,” Evander declared with a sigh. “And a good man.” He did not much trust the general voting population, though, so thought this rather a fluke, and hated to think who would be voted in next.

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"It certainly is a shame then." Caroline argreed with a nod, putting down her papers to give her husband more attention. Not that she'd not been giving him her full attention until this point.

"Did Mr. Adlard have any ideas who might be running?" Caroline asked walking over to the side cart to pour Evander a whiskey. "Mrs. Adlard thought it would be difficult to find a man as reputable as Mr. Ross to run." Annabeth had said no such thing, but Caroline had an agenda and didn't neccessarily mind attributing a few statements to Annabeth that might further her cause.

  

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Thank you Lady <3

“Well, that’s true enough,” Evander admitted, grateful for the whiskey she was pouring him. (He took it for granted that she wasn’t about to have one herself.)

“They’ll be from an old family, I’m sure. One of the old guard. A pureblood this time, I imagine.” He sighed. People and their ambition. “I tell you, the Ministry is stuffed full of glory-seekers.”

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Caroline brought the whiskey over as he spoke, handing it to him before she took a seat in the chair next to him, her skirts folding gracefully around her. She nodded as he spoke, ensuring that her face looked understanding enough. When he finished she leaned forward, placing a gentle hand on his arm and meeting his gaze with an earnest look, "The ministry needs someone humble to lead it. Someone who's not after glory, who can lead them to do the right thing. Someone hardworking. Who is as good a man as Ross if not better."

  

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Thank you Lady <3

He had expected Caroline to commiserate with him. But this was – really almost excessive. A little too much, maybe? Evander’s eyebrows knitted together as she spoke.

“Yes,” he began, making it halfway through an uncertain nod in agreement before he decided that he was being led somewhere. Someone humble... A good man.

“But,” Evander said slowly, as the hypothesis dawned, “you – surely you don’t mean me?” Was this her idea of a joke?

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