open post

[colored_gowns]

Less being made of Christmas in her time than in many others, Mrs Strange is quite content for most of the day to go about as she usually does. But time with one's friends and family is tradition still and, lacking the latter, she goes in search of the former, to offer Christmas wishes, if nothing else.

Comments

[jarndyceheir]

Of course Richard not only is looking for Arabella, but has a gift for her - his typist is quite thoughtless to have left her out of Richard's post! He finds her and beams. "A very merry Christmas, Mrs Strange!"

[colored_gowns]

She laughs, of course. "And a happy Christmas to you, Mr Carstone!"

[jarndyceheir]

"How are you? I rather expected you to be off with your husband! If I may be forgiven for saying so."

[colored_gowns]

"Of course you may. I am quite well. And yourself?" The second she doesn't bother answering, as it seems quite plain that she is not.

[ironicalsmile]

Not wholly lacking in the latter, in fact; somehow, in the midst of his studies, it has dawned on Mr Jonathan Strange that the garden outside the library window is blanketed with snow, and that someone has decorated that self-same window with twinkling, coloured lights. Strange may be rather oblivious, but sometimes things do click, and it has occurred to him that, if the months have somehow passed into the Christmas season (and was it not only October, the last time he looked up from his books? How the time does slip by!), then perhaps it would be best if he took at least a brief rest from his scholarly pursuits. Accordingly, Strange has set aside his books and magical accoutrements, attempted to scrub the inkstains from his fingers (and completely neglected the complementary stain on the tip of his long nose), stretched oddly creaky legs (how long has he been sitting there, he has to wonder), and now, inkless hands in his coat pockets, whistling a disconcertingly gloomy tune, is to be seen striding down the Mansion hallways in the

[colored_gowns]

"Why," she says, quite surprised (for, as she is venturing out herself, she may well meet him in the hall), "Happy Christmas, my dear."

[ironicalsmile]

'Happy Christmas, indeed!' he says brightly, just as though he had not been absent for weeks and weeks. 'Is it, quite? Or not quite yet? I am afraid I seem to have...lost track of the days, somewhat.'

[colored_gowns]

'Easily done, in such a place,' she replies. 'It is, quite. Today, precisely.'

[ironicalsmile]

Typist: --and then we apologize for run-on-sentencing. Upon re-reading own comment - ouch.