Steve's shoulders sagged. He was used to Nor'easter storms, but while they could be fierce, they usually blew through in a few days, at most. Weeks was not something he'd been expecting from this, and he worried about his timetable, as well as his obligations back home.

Thinking it through, he realized with a storm, there would also be no post. He couldn't even write to Bucky to tell him he'd been delayed.

Taking another sip of tea, Steve bit his lip, glancing back again at the shuttered windows. "I do appreciate that madam-- Marie," he corrected himself. "I'm not questioning your hospitality, for you've already proved it is beyond reproach. I'm meant to be getting to Texas. The man I'm meeting is busy and prone to moving frequently. I was assured he would be there for at least another month - but a delay like this..." He glanced down into his teacup, spotting a few loose leaves that had settled to the bottom. He wondered what a tea leaf reader would see in the strange configurations. Good, or bad omens ahead?