Narcissa

[alt_regulus]

I thought perhaps I should write something just to let you know I am not wasting away into 'catatonia'. I'm fine. The arm is fully functional again, too, rendering the whole episode completely useless. I apologise for having put you to such unnecessary trouble last week.

Comments

[alt_crouch_jr]

I'm sending you a subscription to Word Has It. It will keep you entertained when you've got back to corridor sitting at Buckingham--and it will spare you these embarrassing gaps in your knowledge.

[alt_regulus]

Good of you, but I'm sure you needn't bother.

I can always come round to yours if I need to catch up with the scandalmongers. I didn't like to mention it, but since you've brought it up, you seem to have developed quite a serious thing for the tattler rags. Are you sure it's a healthy interest? I hear it can be habit forming.

[alt_crouch_jr]

It's purely professional research, I assure you.

[alt_narcissa]

Word Has It? Surely you're joking? You don't actually set any store by the dreadful things Ramora Rathbone invents to sell her rag?

I had no idea your hidden depths were so shallow, Barty dear.

[alt_crouch_jr]

You'd be surprised how often there's a useful shard amongst the rubbish. We read yours, too, of course, but I assumed Regulus already takes it but just hasn't paid due attention to the columns.

[alt_narcissa]

Witch Weekly's society column at least has the advantage of being composed entirely of accurate information, rather than outright libel. I am truly sorry if your duties up to now have included panning through that collection of fool's gold for any nugget of the truth.

But the one you really ought to take, if you're serious about following that sort of thing, is Night Owl. It's uncanny how Mercurius Mulcter obtains his information.

Regulus' acquaintance Bobolis does a fair job in Londinarium, as well.

[alt_regulus]

Oh, you mistake him, cousin. He takes ALL of them, from In the Soup and Whirl to Witch Weekly and Enterpriser's Watchlist.

Londinarium has turned out rather well, I'll grant you.

[alt_narcissa]

Oh, now, that's taking professional obsession much too far. I understand the theory - what is in one is liable to be exaggerated or even wholly false, but what is in three or four may be closer to the mark - but ALL of them seems unnecessary.

Well, I suppose it's lucky he has an entire wing of Marlborough he can fill with them. One wonders his elf does not stagger under the pile of periodicals littering the mat each morning!

(Meanwhile, I've just had an owl from Mulcter telling me he's already received six owls with new subscription requests and at least two dozen requests in his journal. I'm sure it's only a matter of time before Ramora tries to extract her payment in revenge for my comment last night.)