Dear Father

[Mathias Beaumont]

June 8, 1884

Dear Father,

Today was an interesting day. I was at Honeyduke's looking for chocolates for Francoise—that's what she's craving right now—and a little brat of a child ran past me, ripping the robe you gave me on my twenty fourth birthday. I went home right away and changed into something simpler, and then I went to Twilifit and Tatting's to get it fixed.

It had only been a few minutes after the seamstress started working on the robe that I heard the bell on the door to the entry of the store ring. I turned around to see who it was like anyone else would, and you wouldn't believe what I saw. It was a young woman who looked no older than nineteen or twenty coming in with her chaperon—and Merlin she was gorgeous.

She was tall and slender, though the dress she was wearing complimented her figure beautifully. She had long, chocolate brown hair that framed her face perfectly, and her pale blue eyes were visible from where I was sitting. I greeted her politely, and to my surprise she seemed to take an interest in speaking to me. She obviously belonged to the upper class by the way she was dressed, but I still was worried about being as attracted to her as I was—I'm still afraid of gold diggers. Her name was Miss Zane.

We had a delightful conversation that seemed to get a little personal, but she opened up to me and we even played a little game where I tried to guess her first name! I figured out that it started with a Z like her brothers' names, but I miserably failed the first time around. What names could really start with the letter Z? I had to leave, but I do plan on trying to find a few of Miss Zane's acquaintances so I can finish our game the next time I see her.

I'm still afraid I'll grow attached to her, but she seemed to show a similar interest in me, too—but for what reason I do not know. I hinted that I would be at the festival in the upcoming days and I hope to see her there, too. She was the first real woman I thought about being a suitable wife, but I must get to know her better to see for sure.

I feel like I could go on and on about this, but it's dinner time and Victoire is calling for me. I miss you father, and I'll give you an update if I see her again!

Love,
Mathias