Stephen had rather wanted to talk with Henry Winter at length, if for no other reason than to cement his hopeful deduction that Henry's recent wedding had well and truly laid to rest the remnants of old animosity concerning the woman who was now Mrs. Winter. Unfortunately, there had simply been no time for conversation. Stephen had brought little
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On a different note altogether, Stephen found it promising that Henry should, in his diffident way, be so forthcoming in conversation as this -- and concerning such a subject, concerning this subject in particular. The wedding invitation in itself could have meant any number of things, from the most blatant to more subtle gradations of communication. It could have been the baldest territoriality, the logical extension of Henry's remark to Stephen once: Camilla was spoken for, he'd said, cold and taut, and what was a marriage but the underscoring of that claim? Thus the invitation meant little to Stephen by way of settling old scores, particularly since it had been extended by Henry rather than Camilla. It could have been a ( ... )
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"It really is," he said. "Those who appear harmless can often do more damage than those who don't." It was one of the huge differences between Camilla and Susan, really--Camilla was able to inspire all sorts of strange confidences from people; inspire them to tell far more than they would probably like. She was beguiling, whereas Susan had all the subtlety of a brick. Also like a brick, she was much better at smashing than anything else.
He shook his head, looking at Xipe Totec again. "Roses," he said. "I grew roses, before. I think I'd like a garden again." A pause, and he laughed quietly. "Susan said she'd help me, if I'd let her. I think that would not end well, personally."
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The gleam of a scythe in his mind's eye gave him a momentary chill, dampening his amusement.
"Would you like a hand with that lump of heathen nonsense, or shall I leave you to it?"
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"May your roses thrive," he said solemnly.
If the rosebushes grew enough, when the time came, their growth might occlude that hideous statue.
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