Lightwood-Carstairs Family (Alastair, Thomas, Essa, & Taron)
September 1929
Cambridge, England >>> London, England
Essa and Taron,
Greetings from Cambridge, an old, wet corner of this old, wet country that manages to be even older and wetter than London during this time of year. Even your father, who is normally so willing to help with matters of the general well-being of the London Enclave, the Clave at large, etc., etc., is quite grumpy about this mission; we really did draw the short end of the stick.
I know you both wanted to stay home by yourselves while we were away, but I hope the pouting (Essa) and complaining about the foolishness of the British (Taron - valid but inconsiderate) have ceased. I have informed Aunt Cordelia to write to me AT ONCE if there is any funny business while she watches houses you for the next few days. Feel free to be a nuisance to Uncle James - or, better yet, if when Fairchild graces Curzon Street - but do be good to your aunt. Owen is off in Berlin at the moment and Elizabeth is in New York, so I know she is glad to have some kids teenagers about. And be grateful you get to stay in London - typically we would send you to Devon with Mâmân Bozorg, but she is, of course, in Idris with Uncle Zachary and the new baby.
But I digress: I want flawless reports of your behavior while Thomas and I are away. Flawless. I want you to be so well behaved that Matthew Fairchild comes to our doorstep weeping when we are back in town and asks how we raised such well-mannered, perfect children. You know how the Fairchilds are - Graham, of course, is an exception, and should not be blamed for the accident of his birth.
Speaking of the young Mr. Fairchild: Essa, I now write directly to you. You may attend one chaperoned outing and one Fairchild family dinner while we are away - that is all. I remember last time, when you two stayed with Zachary, how you lied and told your uncle that Graham was allowed to stay over each night until 11:00 PM; this is untrue, and your soft-hearted, hopeless romantic of an uncle fell for it. Cordelia is older and wiser; you will not best her so easily. And I know you two like to hang out at the Institute with the Blackthorn kids, but do not think I do not have ways of monitoring these times. Jesse is always on the hunt for closed doors, and I may pay Hazel Blackthorn a small monthly sum (an ice lolly) to keep me up to date on pertinent developments (gossip about your relationship.)
Taron, for you also require specific warnings to be reiterated: there will be no playing detectives with Adele Blackthorn until Thomas and I are back in the city. No sneaking out at midnight to visit gambling halls or graveyards or Downworlder haunts in the names of “investigating” (investigating what, I still could not say); Aunt Lucie and Uncle Jesse had to rescue you two last time, so now it is Thomas and I’s turn to get up at some ungodly hour and bring you back home. Please do wait until we are back in London, to make the travel time shorter.
Your Papa and I love you both very much. We are already counting the minutes until we can be back in London with you.
Yours,
Baba
London, England >>> Cambridge, England
Baba and Papa,
I am entirely offended at your lack of trust in my perfect, polite manners. I have never once caused an issue for Aunt Cordelia (whom I consider to be my very best friend), and Graham is too proper to break any of your ridiculous courting rules (much as I try to convince him otherwise.)
Really, I am so well-behaved that I fear my fun, rebellious teenage years are slipping by, with nothing much to show for them save a pet donkey (Peter is well, no thanks to you for failing to enquire about his well-being), one unfortunate hair coloring mishap (which was, I will defend myself again, Madeleine’s fault), and my secret tattoo on my lower back (this is a joke. Look, I am so well behaved that I had to concoct a lie just to have three items to list.)
On an entirely unrelated note to the fast slippage of my youth: what day will you be returning to London? This is, I must reiterate, not relevant, and is a simple enquiry made out of pure curiosity.
I will watch out for Taron while you are away. I love and miss you both very much.
Safar khosh,
Essa
Cambridge, England >>> London, England
Essa,
I know you think your Baba and I are old and foolish, but I assure you that we, too, were once teenagers, and we are hardly going to fall for your ploy.
We were supposed to be home next Wednesday, but - good news! - we will be back on Sunday afternoon instead.
Get any teenage rebellion out of your system in the next few days, so long as that teenage rebellion does not involve underground Downworlder drug networks, secret tattoos, or overnight visitations with Graham Fairchild.
I miss you dearly, Essa. I’m looking forward to seeing you on Sunday.
Love you,
Papa
London, England >>> Cambridge, England
Dear Papa,
Got it: no Downworlder drug networks, no tattoos, no Graham overnight.
For clarification: are regular drug networks alright?
Sincerely yours,
Essa
Cambridge, England >>> London, England
Essa,
You are far too similar to your Baba. It is, quite frankly, alarming.
I’m not even going to answer that. I love you.
“Sincerely yours,”
Papa
Curzon Street, London >>> London Institute, London
Mads and Theo and Haze,
My fathers are RUINING MY LIFE by coming home early on SUNDAY AFTERNOON!
The party in New York is on Saturday evening - do you reckon I can still swing it? New York is five hours behind London… but surely we’ll leave by 7:00 AM, and then we’ll be back in London by noon, right?
Graham and I are here at Curzon Street - let us know if we should meet up to discuss.
Yours,
Essa (& Graham)
London Institute, London >>> Curzon Street, London
Essa (& Graham),
Not to fret! Our mum and dad will be back from Paris on Sunday evening, so we also need to be back early enough to a) clean our rooms before Theodore gets in trouble for being a slob again, and b) finish studying for our history exam come Monday. I do love history classes, but do we really need to memorize all these details about the American Revolution and the subsequent establishment of the American conclaves? And why must they call them conclaves, when the rest of us have always called them enclaves? I can’t get my Boston Massacres straight from my Boston Tea Parties from my Battles of Gettysburg (was that even in the Revolutionary War? I need to revise ASAP) so I can graduate in January and go on my travel year!
Anyways, that’s a long way to tell you that yes, we will be back in plenty of time. Uncle Alastair and Uncle Thomas cannot thwart our brilliant plan for mischief this time!
I’m so excited - let’s meet for lunch tomorrow and pick out our dresses!
Yours,
Madeleine
[Sunday Morning]
London, England >>> New York, NY, USA
Essa,
Are you in New York City?!?
1. I’m offended that you went to see Lizzie without me, and
2. Aunt Cordelia and Uncle James are so on to you… you’re dead.
If I were you, I would move out West with Graham and start digging for gold in California. I’ll slip away and join you two right when I have a moment.
If I were also you, I would get my butt home before Aunt Cordelia and Uncle James realize that you are not, in fact, sleeping over at the London Institute. Adele is staying with Aunt Anna and Aunt Ariadne - surely you didn’t think they would let you spend the night there alone, unchaperoned, with Graham Fairchild lurking nearby?
I don’t know, think of a good cover story. I’m covering for you FOR NOW (because I am the best brother in the world), but hurry home as soon as possible.
Yours,
Taron