[cork] wonders of the unknown | halvard

Genevieve needed to keep busy. With the impending publishing of her book on the magical creatures she had cataloged in South America, a lengthy three-hundred and seventy-five-page volume that included a discreet amount of information on only a fraction of the creatures she had encountered, she was more than prepared to get started on the second phase of her research. Nevertheless, it had been her publisher who insisted she wait to see the book’s reception first before attempting to take on another project. It was not as if the heiress believed the wait was necessary, in all honesty, Genevieve had not once doubted her talent nor the success that would surely follow. It was inevitable that someone of her caliber would do something great, much greater than to simply reproduce. Nevertheless, the young witch also began to recognize the limitations of her body and at the insistence of her maid, eventually came to the conclusion that maybe taking time for herself was much more important than sitting at a desk with quill in hand attempting to plan out the contents of several volumes of literature she was yet to write.

In the end, there was no one to question her motives for putting her work aside, no unrelenting cousins or inquisitive aunt to hover over her shoulder and wonder out loud if the work would ever be completed at all. It was one of the many pleasures of Cork, she decided, being able to sit in peace and quiet in the safety of her palatial home as she looked towards the boats that moved with ease along the bay for inspiration that she did not know she needed. Or should she feel particularly in the mood, she could simply wander around the garden that had been specifically redesigned to follow in the footsteps of her mother’s childhood home, the labyrinth so far away from the Lovecraft family estate but it’s twists and turns ones that she had committed to memory in her youth. However it had not been long before she became restless, her condition and the secrecy that came along with it keeping her from the things she enjoyed the most: attention. She was not particularly unhappy but it had been a change so sudden that Genevieve found herself often in her own head thinking about change and how much she disliked it. There was nothing safe about Genevieve retreating to silence and her own thoughts, it was at these times in her life when the worst ideas made their debut.

Genevieve could even go as far as to say that she was beginning to feel a little homesick. Ireland was the sort of place one might go on a short vacation for a little rest and relaxation but the longer she resided in her new home, the more disenchanted she became with the country and the people living within it. Dublin was interesting but it certainly was no London and so she found herself often apparating back home even if the simple act turned her stomach and made her seek out the loo almost immediately. She hated how weakened her body had become. But it was meeting friends for tea or participating in the newest session of gossip that breathed a little life into the young woman. And so she took to entertaining again, redecorating the dreary home in Cork and keeping herself busy in her husband’s consistent absences, ones she assumed to be related to work. After their last conversation, he had not seemed too intrigued to make conversation and so Genevieve had found it easier to give him his space.

To escape the sounds and smells that penetrated the old estate, the young witch had taken to eating her meals outside, a shaded area had been chosen with spectacular views of the garden and the bay, the soft breeze filling her lungs with the clean air necessary to keep her stomach from going topsy-turvy. Taking a sip from the honey and lemon tea that the kitchen aids had concocted on her behalf, she could only hope to begin feeling like herself before her next guest arrived. She had to admit that she was mildly impressed that he had not turned her down but then again such an act would have been deemed impolite, the heiress wanted to think that all chivalry was not dead, at least not with her kind.

“Madam,” Effie called out gently, the very title causing the young woman to cringe just slightly. She suddenly felt quite old being referred to as such, she’d have to have a serious word with her maid about it later. “Mr. Selwyn has arrived…” she said just before Genevieve could react, causing the young woman to turn in her chair and smile, quickly getting out of her seat as she greeted her guest: @Halvard Selwyn .

“Mr. Selwyn, what an absolute pleasure to finally have a proper meeting with you, please have a seat,” she gestured towards the seat beside her though there were plenty of seats to choose from, Genevieve liked the thought of having a full-length table even if it stayed mostly empty. “Unfortunately my husband is unable to join us today, he’s some urgent business in the Netherlands that he must attend to but I hope my company will suffice,” she added. Genevieve had never actually invited her husband nor had she ever intended to but it seemed to be the polite things to do. Genevieve had mentioned to her husband on more than one occasion that she had found Halvard rather handsome, she had seen him here and there in the past but never had had the opportunity to talk to him alone, something she had wanted to do since the Death Eater’s meeting a few months prior. “Could I interest you in some tea or better yet, some brunch? I’ve brought along my chef from home, he can make just about anything,” she added, taking another sip from her tea as she gestured for the maids to bring along some treats before motioning them away. “We meet again in Ireland,” she smiled.

“I must say that I’ve been meaning to talk to you for some time, particularly after you expressed some very…interesting ideas last time,” she started, leaning forward just a little as her voice became a little lower. “May I ask for some more details on your thoughts? I may not work for the Ministry but I do have some connections that may agree with your ideas and that you may find useful to you.”