Roscoe held up a hand with a mild smile. Then having taken a necessary small pause, he went ahead before Leon was able to speak again. “You expressed appreciation on the occasion of our last business talk for my coming to you first to consult you on the purchase of a few slaves. You refused me but indicated good will for my cause. I therefore went to see our neighbor, Mr. Bruce Davis, who, happily—dare I say even gratefully?—agreed to sell me a few helping hands. It was, of course, an advantage that I have come to know ‘his’ people almost as well over the years as I know ‘yours,’ and so I could name the ones I desired to buy. He did not hesitate over any man I named. It was fortunate that this happened so expeditiously for just after that I concluded—somewhat to my surprise, although I will not pretend displeasure—an arrangement whereby I added some acreage to my original property nearby.”

“In fact,” Leon insisted on interrupting now, “you have managed to get a sizable wedge of land between Beulah Land and Oaks!”

Roscoe spread his hands open, palms up. “I pray you look at it the other way. You and Mr. Davis surround me!” He smiled brilliantly. “We must learn to live together, it seems, which should not be difficult, since we all have known each other so very long.”

“I asked you to come here,” Leon said, “with the single, simple purpose of knowing how you consider yourself to relate to Beulah Land. You have been Overseer here for many years.”

“A happy arrangement for us both, I hope I can say. I grieve that it must now be terminated.”

“You’ve decided to leave us?” Leon’s surprise sounded a little foolish after the other man’s self-assurance.

“New circumstances indicate that it will be better for your plantation, and for my own small plot, if we sever our long and mutually beneficial business connection.”

“I see,” Leon said, who did not yet see. He looked to Sarah, but the look she returned gave him no hint on how to proceed. “I see,” he repeated. “Your intention then is to ‘tend your own garden,’ as it were.”

“That is felicitously expressed,” Roscoe said. “Yes. I shall ‘tend my own garden.’ But I shall be nearby, and I hope that if ever I may be of service to you in the way of advice, that sort of thing—”

“Thank you,” Leon said curtly. “I hope we shall be able to tend our own garden.”

“I take relief in the fact then that I shall not be missed, and that you have no cause to regret my going.”

Leon looked again at Sarah. She was no help. “Well,” Leon said, and then gave an awkward laugh, “that is all we have to say to one another, I suppose.”