Good: he had complied without protest. Evander was always ready to be disappointed, or to be rejected, or to be queried and mocked whenever he made an attempt at a gesture, so that was a relief. He set the book aside and stood, crossing to the door to shift it closer to shut – ostensibly so that the children would not be disturbed upstairs, if they were abed, and perhaps really so that Caroline would think twice about joining them, if she happened to come through. Ordinarily he wouldn’t have minded, but in this case he did not trust his wife not to leap to her sister-in-law’s defence and make light of it all, when Evander actually hoped he and his brother might talk seriously.
He paused at a side cabinet, and conjured two glasses. “Brandy?” Evander queried, but he had already begun to pour one for each of them. As far as he knew, no sailor existed who had ever turned down a drink of any kind; Alfred was unlikely to be an exception there. He passed one to Alfred, and returned to his own chair.
He ought to let them both get partway through the brandy before they spoke, probably – a few moments of peace – but he felt he had better take advantage of the moment before it slipped away. “You look tired,” he remarked. (What he had meant to say was how are things?)
He paused at a side cabinet, and conjured two glasses. “Brandy?” Evander queried, but he had already begun to pour one for each of them. As far as he knew, no sailor existed who had ever turned down a drink of any kind; Alfred was unlikely to be an exception there. He passed one to Alfred, and returned to his own chair.
He ought to let them both get partway through the brandy before they spoke, probably – a few moments of peace – but he felt he had better take advantage of the moment before it slipped away. “You look tired,” he remarked. (What he had meant to say was how are things?)
