Daily Life (IV)

For lunch, she made two bowls of tomato and egg noodles. The broth was lighter than yesterday's, but it tasted good.

Harry ate quickly. Seeing that, Cassandra picked the remaining slices of tomato from her own bowl and put them into his.

"Eat more. Veratia is coming over this afternoon."

Harry had been drinking soup, but paused when he heard that. "She told you?"

"She sent a message this morning." Cassandra's tone remained calm. "She said she had some documents for you to sign, and that she would stop by to see how you were doing—at least, that was what she said."

"Stop by to see how I'm doing?" Harry burst out laughing. "That really is something she would do."

"That's just the kind of person she is," Cassandra said. "She says she's only stopping by, but she's actually making a special trip. Just like you—saying you're passing through when you're really here to see someone."

Harry had been hit right where it hurt. He laughed, but did not deny it.

A little after two in the afternoon, there was a knock at the door.

Cassandra set down her Quill and went to answer it.

Veratia stood outside in a light gray trench coat, carrying a briefcase and a paper bag.

When she saw Cassandra at the door, she spoke before the other woman could. "I told you I'd come. So? Did you miss me?"

"Who would miss you—" Cassandra leaned against the doorframe and sneered. "Come in."

Veratia immediately spotted Harry and teased, "You seem to be living quite comfortably here."

"I am living quite comfortably." Harry remained seated on the windowsill. "You didn't come all this way just to see how I was doing, did you?"

"Only incidentally." Veratia placed her briefcase on the table. "My main task