Fortunately, Evander did not imagine his brother was running around with a whole horde of female ‘friends’, from the Ministry or not, at once (- loath as he was to imagine anything on the topic to begin with -) and besides, he was certain he would have caught wind if that was where the gossip lay.
Not that Evander gave gossip any credit, though people had not been particularly bashful about illuminating their version of J. Alfred Darrow’s supposed South American adventures, even in earshot of a relative. (Nor did he ever seek out the gossipmongering himself; if he had, ahem, ever opened an issue of Witch Weekly it was merely to, er, discern how women’s minds worked. It had been too frightening an endeavour to repeat.)
But he was conscious of the chatter that still haunted John, and hardly enthused by the apathy of his brother’s answer, either. Of course people - ordinary people, Ministry men, society women - would be a little disconcerted by ‘the coming back from the dead thing’, as Johnny so eloquently put it. Really, what he had to do, lest that continue to haunt them both, was shake it off before it was too late.
And then perhaps his brother would begin to look for a wife, and not be contented with casual ‘friends’.
“Ah,” Evander answered, setting down his knife and fork contemplatively. “Well, I suppose you cannot blame them. After all, you must seem quite - changed. And it’s not as though you have really been back, properly, have you?” He added, picking up in emphatic tone as he went on. “Half the time since your return you’ve been, well, gone, haven’t you; don’t you think you might do better staying, for once?” Then he might have the time to find some friends. (And a different career.)
Not that Evander gave gossip any credit, though people had not been particularly bashful about illuminating their version of J. Alfred Darrow’s supposed South American adventures, even in earshot of a relative. (Nor did he ever seek out the gossipmongering himself; if he had, ahem, ever opened an issue of Witch Weekly it was merely to, er, discern how women’s minds worked. It had been too frightening an endeavour to repeat.)
But he was conscious of the chatter that still haunted John, and hardly enthused by the apathy of his brother’s answer, either. Of course people - ordinary people, Ministry men, society women - would be a little disconcerted by ‘the coming back from the dead thing’, as Johnny so eloquently put it. Really, what he had to do, lest that continue to haunt them both, was shake it off before it was too late.
And then perhaps his brother would begin to look for a wife, and not be contented with casual ‘friends’.
“Ah,” Evander answered, setting down his knife and fork contemplatively. “Well, I suppose you cannot blame them. After all, you must seem quite - changed. And it’s not as though you have really been back, properly, have you?” He added, picking up in emphatic tone as he went on. “Half the time since your return you’ve been, well, gone, haven’t you; don’t you think you might do better staying, for once?” Then he might have the time to find some friends. (And a different career.)
