Whatever It Takes: Day 4

 Word Count: 24,011

Summary of Events:

Upon returning from a ride, Josiah was surprised to be informed that he had a caller waiting for him up at the house, and he was even more surprised to find that it was Evangelina's father. Mr. Dunbar chatted with Josiah mostly about his family and relatives, revealing that one of Evangelina's older brothers had met a person with the MacEachern surname who hadn't been all that nice, and Mr. Dunbar had wanted to know if Josiah had any connection with that person, but since Josiah had never actually met any of his MacEachern relatives, he didn't know. Before Mr. Dunbar left he gave Josiah a letter from Evangelina in response to the one he'd written — which he'd been able to send when he found the paper he'd been looking for in his trunk — which Josiah eagerly read as she told him about her family, just as he'd done . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

Radcliff is not expected to remain a member of the household for too much longer, for he is courting at present, the daughter of another good friend of Father’s, and we expect that announcement of their engagement shall happen by the end of the year, with the wedding happening sometime next year. I would hope that you would be able to come and be my escort for the occasion, although I am concerned.

Little has been explained to me, but I must confess that I noticed Radcliff seemed to be unfavourably disposed to you when I introduced you to him, and he looked quite disturbed all the way home, not to mention he has been looking at me rather peculiarly every time that I mention you — and I have certainly mentioned you quite a bit since I met you, my friends who missed our introduction are just dying to meet you because of how much they have heard about you from me — but I have been given no explanation regarding why he is behaving in such a fashion, nor why Father seemed particularly interested in looking at your letter before it was given to me.

Do you happen to know Radcliff from somewhere previously that he should be behaving as he is? I certainly do not want him to dislike you, but I am afraid that I may not be able to do anything about the matter already, considering the way that he has been behaving.

Certainly Radcliff has never been the closest companion of mine; in fact, I am not really the closest with any of my siblings, but that is because I was quite delicate in my early years, and thus unable to play with them; notwithstanding, I should not like for him to be in any way hostile toward me, or you either.

Hopefully as we spend more time together and, particularly, as you come here to Glasgow, we will be able to determine what the problem is and make the appropriate corrections so that a good relationship can come to exist between the two of you, as there already exists between all of us as siblings and the spouses of our siblings, and even Radcliff’s belle, even if you and I are not going to be spending too much time in Scotland, I am not inclined to think, following your graduation from medical school, our marriage, and whatever missionary training we should be in need of before we shall depart for the field.

I am sure that Father and Theodora approve of you, as they have spoken well of you and have seemed to not be at all upset or annoyed by my rather consistent mention of you, and also are inclined to listen to all that I have told them of you, although I have probably told more of you to my friends than to them, mostly because my friends are desperate to hear, as they are just as eager to be married as I — saving, of course, the ones who are already married, but who are eager to see me join their ranks.