It was a peaceful and quiet place, something she welcomed after the upheaval of the past few days. She hoped Corbin’s family and their lofty associates could clear her name. But even if they managed to solve her legal difficulties, it would hardly free her of the crushing weight she carried. She would never be truly free of Mr. Bentford so long as he knew where she was. She would have to run again, find another tiny hamlet in which to hide. Poor Edmund. What will he do without Corbin and the horses? He’ll be heartbroken. And Alice has grown so attached to Corbin as well. I cannot pull them away from the first kind and caring man either of them has ever known. If she uprooted the children so often, neither of them would ever form any lasting friendships. How would Alice ever hope to marry if she never stayed in a neighborhood long enough to be courted? Edmund might manage to make friends once at Eton. Clara stared down at the blank parchment in front of her, her heart growing heavier by the moment.
