When Derkach had settled his account and Papa was holding his rubles, when Sevas had tucked his poultice into his pocket, when both of our guests had left through the garden gate, white petals falling over them like rice thrown at a bride and her bridegroom, when I had looped the ribbon around my own wrist and hidden it under the sleeve of my housecoat, when Rose and Undine began traipsing sleepily down the stairs, Papa turned to me.
The first couple “when”s should be “after”. These things aren’t all happening at the same time.
