This baby did not fuss. He had big, brown eyes, and already a headful of dark hair, and was quieter than a mouse. More than once Sophia would come find him in his bassinet in panic, and put her hand on his back to make sure he still breathed. One of Gus’s close friends, a healer, assured them that he was in perfect health.

The infant watched her now, with those oddly perceptive eyes of his, as she whisked away a hot tear from her cheek. “My darling boy,” she sighed, and leaned down to take him into her arms. The letter sat like a viper on her desk, and she eyed it warily. “Look here, your father has sent you a gift.”

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I understand your circumstances, and I can even bring myself to sympathize with them, but I cannot accept your threats. I disappeared before my circumstances became obvious, as we agreed. And now I’ve returned with every intention to take Mister Lissington’s hand. He has been a great comfort during these difficult times, and he promises stability for me and my children. Now I have as much vested interest as you in preserving the reputation of my growing family. In the end, it seems to me that you have all you want.

Even if I agreed to meet – to what end?

Sophia

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