Ford's brow furrowed. He had no idea what Noble might have meant, but whatever it was, it was clearly serious. Something one of the girls had left out in the living room, maybe? Something of Mama's? Ford had a hard time imagining what could have left his brother in such a state. Noble hadn't reacted this strongly when Ford had told him all the money was gone, after Papa's death. Had whatever he'd found been more jarring than that?

(Did it have something to do with Verity's panic attacks?)

"What was it?" he said, leaning forward and tensing slightly as if preemptively bracing himself would lessen the impact of whatever Noble was going to say.

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