Impending Visitor

I sent off my program summary to my old professor on Friday. While I wait for feedback on it I am being kept busy entertaining my nephew (and Mary) and many visits with the Musgroves and their various guests.

On the home front? The Crofts met the Musgroves when they were up here and the meeting prompted the Musgroves to realize that their late son, Richard, briefly worked for Mrs. Croft's brother, Wentworth, several years ago. So they have been speaking of Wentworth rather a lot.

I blushed at first when his name was mentioned and would find myself distracted - flubbing a board game or piano piece, but I’ve grown somewhat used to it and now it hardly bothers me. We’re told Wentworth will be visiting Mrs. Croft soon and then plans to come up here to do some hiking. The Musgroves are determined that he visit them when he is here so they can thank them for their kindness to 'poor Richard'.

I must be able to act like a normal person around the mention of his name. Usually I’m quite good at swallowing my true feelings and showing a calm exterior. The fact that Wentworth can unnerve me after all these years is…. alarming. It’s been eight years, how much has changed in eight years? Everything, right?

Mary has little patience for all this talk of ‘poor Richard’. Richard was not what you would call a success - he tended to spend his family’s money faster than they provided it, and switched jobs every year or so – always off on some new scheme for overnight success. He worked for one of Wentworth’s start-ups for a few months, but it happened to be one of those spells when Richard called his parents regularly and stayed out of trouble, and it seems his parents are attributing that improved behaviour to Wentworth’s influence. Since Richard’s death a few years ago, his faults have been softened and his virtues magnified; a treatment we all probably hope for when we pass on.

The Musgroves are adamant about meeting Wentworth, now that they know of his connection with their Richard.

I wonder what it will be like when we meet again?