My dear Dimov,
I must confess, my nights as of late have been sleepless. The child’s wails these past several evenings have kept me awake , haunting these halls like a ghost. Margaret does her best, but other clouds yet trouble my dreams.
My beloved Elisabeth, I am sure, feels it too, for she tosses and turns in our bed and awakes with her forehead slick with sweat. O’er the past several congregations, I have become suspicious of the ambitions of the others. Their dark murmurs worry me, and though I know that a shadow ought not fear a blacker night, I cannot but fear for the extent of their plotting.
If anything happens, you are to be steward of our parents’ house, and caretaker of my children. Keep Rose and Thorn safe, and dear Walter close to your breast. Should the worst come to pass, you shall be all they have left.
Your loving brother,
Gustav
