"Oh. Ah..." There was, of course, no easy way to bring up a dead husband in conversation. "No, I'm afraid. Mr. Rowle passed some years ago." She looked away, towards the habit. The move was mostly so she didn't have to school her expression into something appropriate. Evangeline, of course, had never bothered to make it a secret that she had hated her husband. But still, and good riddance to him was the not the sort of thing one just said.

She cleared her throat. "And you? Is Mrs. Collins with you?" He wasn't obviously with anyone, of course, but perhaps she had lingered behind, or gone on ahead. Surely changing the subject was the least awkward option here.

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