“You didn’t know your uncle would sink this low.”

“I did know,” Daniel said quietly, looking down at me.

“I knew what he was capable of when Evelyn was still alive.”

“He tried to control her, too.”

Ruth took a deep breath, her eyes darting toward the heavy wooden door of the room.

“If we are going to fight this,” Ruth said, “we have to tell the truth.”

“The whole truth.”

Daniel looked up, his brow furrowing. “What do you mean, Ruth?”

“I mean the truth about how Claire came to us,” Ruth said.

“The truth about what Evelyn did to protect these children before she died.”

I felt my heart skip a beat.

“Ruth,” I warned, “we promised Evelyn we would never speak of that.”

“Evelyn is gone, Claire,” Ruth said, her voice filled with a quiet, fierce determination.

“But those boys are still here, and they need their mother.”

“And their father needs to know exactly what my late mistress did to save them.”

Daniel walked closer to Ruth, his eyes wide with confusion.

“What are you talking about?” Daniel asked.