New Prospects (England World, Archie Curtis/Daniel da Silva)

[plaid_slytherin]

Title: New Prospects
Fandom: England World
Pairing/Characters: Archie Curtis/Daniel da Silva
Rating: G
Content Notes: none
Prompt: September Nine - 1 writes a letter to 2


9 September 1911
Rome

Dear Archie,

I trust this letter finds you well. I am certain Pat is taking good care of you, and Fen is spoiling her work by bringing you all manner of inappropriate treats. Give them my thanks and my love. I regret that I cannot spend your recovery with you—yes, you have read that right—I wish I was in the country.

Because this conference is interminable. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought it was a convention of windbags. I can’t imagine what the use of me here is. Managing V is your job, not mine. I am forced to assume he wishes you were here almost as much as I do. Add that to my list of sins, right behind getting you injured. He hasn’t said as much, but I know he thinks it.

But I will not be maudlin. Your uncle is summoning me to be his note-taker at the evening session. That part is not so bad, and, I expect does suit me rather more than it would suit you.

Yours,
D

**

10 September 1911 (barely)
Rome

Dear Archie,

This and my earlier brief missive will almost certainly arrive together; I can little help it. I would regard it as a breech of trust not to write to your immediately. I assume this item of news will have reached you via the telegram V insisted I send you when I went to telegram Merton. His insistence that I particularly telegram you specifically—his exact words were “And send a telegram to Archie, da Silva; he’ll want to hear from you before he hears it from Merton.” The implications of that statement are best left unexamined.

So, yes, there was a gunman in the dining room, and I was armed only with my pen and shorthand notes. (My ambition is to remain invaluable to V by taking notes no one but I may decipher.) I suppose with my harmless secretarial aspect, I was the very picture of an ideal hostage. You have seen me as a hostage before; I will not belabor the description. My last thoughts were of you, and then I asked myself what you would do in my place. I was shortly no longer a hostage. No harm came to me, unless you count inky hands when I stabbed him with my pen. V has promised me a new one. Yes, he is aware of how expensive it was.

Still yours,
D

**

10 September 1911 (a more reasonable hour)
Rome

Dear Archie,

You will receive a whole packet of letters, so be it. Best to read them in order. This is the third, but I cannot say it will be the final one at the rate things have been happening.

V had a proposition for me at breakfast.

The phrase he used was deputy chief. At first I thought he meant you, but he seems to have meant me. It is, in fact, the reason I have been brought to Rome. It’s probably for the best that I didn’t realize I was being tested all week.

Apparently, you knew. We will discuss this when I get home.

I confess I was not at my best, following the excitement of the night before and a night of little sleep. The violence of my “What?” might have offended him, but he did not rescind the offer.

Needless to say, he thinks we should take it. And he was very certain that it would be a joint decision. God help me, I’m thinking of saying yes.

Always yours,
D

Comments

[bronze_ribbons]

The progression from Yours to Still yours to Always yours is adorable. xxoo