Sundry Items
Oct. 3rd, 2010 12:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alt_luciusFirst of the month accounts settled.
Under-estimated the amount of time required to untangle Lucretia's financial affairs; have only just learned of the final dispensation of her monetary estate this week. Apparently there were several accounts to be held in trust for one year following her death - why I cannot fathom, but such were the terms. As the anniversary is in three weeks (hard as that is to believe), Ari has been kind enough to tackle the Ministry's inheritance tax forms and prepare to wrest the monies from the goblins' long fingers.
By mutual agreement, the Hogwarts' Board of Governors met in London last week, and an hour later, owing to the overlap with the Prophet advisory board. Coupled with wishing Minerva happy returns on her upcoming birthday, adding a few more minutes of cheer at the end of the meeting. But made for an extremely long day and afterward, had only the energy for a quiet supper at Elysian. Odd thing, though: Fleet insisted that I accompany her to meet her husband at their club instead. There commenced a puzzling comparison of clerks. Quickly became clear that Fleet had tasked Maribel to create an impromptu opportunity to solicit my advice on the subject. Fleet's clerk seems inferior in every way; told him at last that if he is so unsatisfied he should simply discharge his assistant and engage a competent one. Allowed as how Crispin did have a wearing in period, though certainly not a long one, in which he grew accustomed to my expectations, but had he not learned to exceed them, I should not have retained him in my service.
Have been speaking with Narcissa on cutting back some of the engagements we had agreed to early on in the season. Particularly with her new commitment to the Daughers of the Protectorate, it seems ridiculous to maintain the schedule we had previously thought reasonable. Suspect she would rather over-extend herself than re-visit which events to cancel. Suggested that the effort would be worth it when the holiday season closes in and she finds herself running out of time to plan our usual celebrations, or disappoints herself by selling short.
Among her commitments I am glad to see coming along is the collaboration with Revati Patil. She is far too modest to say it, but I do believe their partnership has gone a long way to ease both their grief over the tragedy of last spring's occurrence. Though it is not without its own sources of stress. Narcissa has been, to my mind unnecessarily, worried that the camera will not forgive the intervening years while she has been involved in other pursuits. The amount of preparation she is undergoing for this week's modelling has been, as I say, superfluous, but nonetheless I cannot pretend to be displeased with the results. Even if the primary purpose was a psychological benefit, there has been a physical one as well. I hope she is as proud of her efforts as I.
Draco, we have not had your owl from you this week. Assume this signifies that you are well and merely pre-occupied with scholarship. Still we do look forward to your letters and trust that you will write more when your studies allow.
Under-estimated the amount of time required to untangle Lucretia's financial affairs; have only just learned of the final dispensation of her monetary estate this week. Apparently there were several accounts to be held in trust for one year following her death - why I cannot fathom, but such were the terms. As the anniversary is in three weeks (hard as that is to believe), Ari has been kind enough to tackle the Ministry's inheritance tax forms and prepare to wrest the monies from the goblins' long fingers.
By mutual agreement, the Hogwarts' Board of Governors met in London last week, and an hour later, owing to the overlap with the Prophet advisory board. Coupled with wishing Minerva happy returns on her upcoming birthday, adding a few more minutes of cheer at the end of the meeting. But made for an extremely long day and afterward, had only the energy for a quiet supper at Elysian. Odd thing, though: Fleet insisted that I accompany her to meet her husband at their club instead. There commenced a puzzling comparison of clerks. Quickly became clear that Fleet had tasked Maribel to create an impromptu opportunity to solicit my advice on the subject. Fleet's clerk seems inferior in every way; told him at last that if he is so unsatisfied he should simply discharge his assistant and engage a competent one. Allowed as how Crispin did have a wearing in period, though certainly not a long one, in which he grew accustomed to my expectations, but had he not learned to exceed them, I should not have retained him in my service.
Have been speaking with Narcissa on cutting back some of the engagements we had agreed to early on in the season. Particularly with her new commitment to the Daughers of the Protectorate, it seems ridiculous to maintain the schedule we had previously thought reasonable. Suspect she would rather over-extend herself than re-visit which events to cancel. Suggested that the effort would be worth it when the holiday season closes in and she finds herself running out of time to plan our usual celebrations, or disappoints herself by selling short.
Among her commitments I am glad to see coming along is the collaboration with Revati Patil. She is far too modest to say it, but I do believe their partnership has gone a long way to ease both their grief over the tragedy of last spring's occurrence. Though it is not without its own sources of stress. Narcissa has been, to my mind unnecessarily, worried that the camera will not forgive the intervening years while she has been involved in other pursuits. The amount of preparation she is undergoing for this week's modelling has been, as I say, superfluous, but nonetheless I cannot pretend to be displeased with the results. Even if the primary purpose was a psychological benefit, there has been a physical one as well. I hope she is as proud of her efforts as I.
Draco, we have not had your owl from you this week. Assume this signifies that you are well and merely pre-occupied with scholarship. Still we do look forward to your letters and trust that you will write more when your studies allow.
no subject
Date: 2010-10-03 11:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-04 02:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-04 01:28 am (UTC)I know you and Aunt Narcissa are awfully busy, but it'd be nice if you could come.
And she'd be brilliant at modelling! I can't wait to see her photos.
no subject
Date: 2010-10-04 02:36 am (UTC)I'm surprised you haven't seen the albums. Narcissa was a model before we married. And very sought after as well. But when Draco was born she decided not to return - until now, that is.
no subject
Date: 2010-10-04 02:49 am (UTC)And yes, it's the 21st. It's a Tuesday evening. Mother will be pleased to hear you're coming. Prospero too, I'd warrant.
no subject
Date: 2010-10-04 02:56 am (UTC)Yes, I thought it crafty of them to plan an evening affair - much simpler and it saves everyone the loss of a whole day at that time of year. Though from Campbell's perspective I'm sure he had more of an eye toward the financial advantage than that of the timetable.
no subject
Date: 2010-10-04 03:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-04 02:51 am (UTC)Are you and Ari still poring over documents? I'm just about to return from Diana's. We've had quite the hen party.
no subject
Date: 2010-10-04 03:00 am (UTC)Ari and I set the books aside two hours ago; I have been home for some time. Shall I wait a while longer before my last nightcap?
no subject
Date: 2010-10-04 03:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-04 04:08 am (UTC)