Man, I picked up 'Crimson Roses' on a whim after seeing the cover at a used bookstore, and honestly, I'm still untangling who matters most. The central figure is definitely Eleanor Vance, the heiress returning to her family's crumbling estate. But the gardener, Thomas, isn't just some side character; his secret past with the family drives a lot of the early tension.
Then there's the aunt, Lydia, who seems like a standard stern guardian but her letters reveal the real history behind the 'roses.' I almost found her more compelling than Eleanor at points. The lawyer, Mr. Graves, appears minor but his scenes are key—he's the one who actually explains the inheritance clause that sets the whole plot in motion. For me, the key dynamic is between Eleanor and the house itself, which is practically a character.