“We are not a burden!” Veronica yelled back, her voice cracking as tears poured down her cheeks. “We are not a responsibility he was strapped with, Theo, he never thoguht of us as that.” He couldn’t have. She refused to believe it. Theo was just saying that because he was mad. She stood up. Looking around Nathaniel’s study, she felt her heart wrench in her chest again. There was the cup of tea she’d brought into the room just the other day: partially full, with the remaining dregs of tea leaves at the bottom of what was now cold liquid.

For as long as she’d known Theo he’d been determined in his tasks; it was how he worked through problems, by following them through. And by the look in his eyes, Vera feared he wouldn’t rest until he solved this problem. She walked forward, setting her hands back on his shoulders. “It’s entirely possible he’s long gone by now, and we need…we can’t let the other children know right away. We need to make a plan.” She reached up to wipe her cheeks with her sleeve.