Chapter 14
Chapter 14
Ella and Evan investigate Thomas’s claim of a hidden daughter. They travel to the countryside, find the child Mary and her mother, and learn Thomas’s lie. A final prison visit exposes Thomas’s manipulation, and the couple returns home with renewed peace.
The morning sun cast long shadows across the estate as Ella and Evan prepared for their journey. The letter to the parish records office had been sent, but Evan insisted on traveling directly to the village Thomas had mentioned. “We cannot wait for correspondence,” he had said. “If there is a child, she deserves our protection now.”
They rode in a hired carriage through winding country roads, past fields of wheat and clusters of cottages. The air smelled of hay and wildflowers, a stark contrast to the oppressive weight of the prison they had left behind. Ella rested her head against Evan’s shoulder, her thoughts tangled in worry and hope.
“What if he was telling the truth?” she murmured.
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