Granite Stone

Although Ambrose is buried in Italy, Philip still thinks of the stone as marking Ambrose’s resting place since he believes that Ambrose’s spirit has returned to his homeland. There is a granite stone on the estate that Ambrose once joked could be his tombstone. The stone is on a hill that overlooks the estate and is the spot that Ambrose liked best.

Laburnum

The laburnum represents Philip’s suspicion of Rachel. Philip speculates that Rachel used laburnum to poison Ambrose and that she has also tried to poison him with it. Philip notices a laburnum tree at the villa in Italy where Ambrose died and they are also grown on the estate in England.

Ambrose's Letters

Philip’s denial of the contents of Ambrose's letters represent his naïveté toward women and Rachel in particular. Philip receives letters from Ambrose that suggest there...