Order Only: private message to Susan Bones

Thanks so much for the invitation to dinner. It was fun meeting your mum and dad, and spending more time with your family. And thank your mum again for me, won't you? I was really astounded, but it all seems to fit, doesn't it? I don't know if you can really understand what a relief it is, to have an explanation for why I had trouble in school, why I was so slow at learning to read and telling my left from my right (I still get them mixed up, sometimes).

I was wondering...d'ye think you and your mum might be willing to come to have dinner at my place, sometime after Boxing Day? I think it'd really help if your mum could talk to Gran (she loves me, I know she does, but she's always been, I dunno, impatient. Like, 'you'd do better on your essays if you simply tried, young man!') I think your mum could explain it to her way better than I can.

I enjoyed our talk after dinner last night, too. I know you were a little embarrassed that Ed and Pete kept butting in, but don't worry about it. I thought it was funny, and I know that younger brothers always feel honour-bound to do that sort of thing.