Now he sat opposite Finch, watching the lawyer examine Edmund's letters and the proposed agreement.
For nearly half an hour, Finch said very little.
Finally, he removed his spectacles.
"Has she signed any of this?"
Gabriel shook his head.
"No."
"Accepted any money?"
"No."
"Agreed to any arrangement concerning the child?"
"Not that she told me."
Finch nodded.
"That's important."
Gabriel leaned forward.
"Can this man take the baby?"
The lawyer studied him.
"Mr. Morrow, I won't pretend to know the outcome of a dispute that hasn't been brought before a court."
Gabriel's jaw tightened.
Finch continued.
"But an attorney's letter threatening legal action is not the same as an order from a judge."
Gabriel exhaled.
The lawyer looked toward the documents.
"She should preserve all correspondence. She shouldn't sign additional papers without legal advice. And if anyone approaches her with demands, she should understand exactly who they represent and what authority they claim."
Gabriel nodded.
"What about our marriage?"
Finch looked up.
"Are you asking whether it remains valid?"
Gabriel hesitated.
For a moment, the question felt cruel.
Then he answered honestly.
"She didn't tell me she was expecting."
The lawyer studied him.
"I understand."
Gabriel stared at the floor.
Finch continued.
"Marriage questions can involve particular facts and legal requirements. I'm not going to give you a definitive answer without reviewing the circumstances carefully."
Gabriel nodded.
The lawyer leaned back.
"But I can tell you this."
He looked directly at him.
"You need to decide whether you're asking how to escape the marriage or how to protect the people in it."
The words struck Gabriel.
For several seconds, he couldn't answer.
He had come seeking information about Edmund.
But the lawyer had noticed the conflict Gabriel carried into the room.
Gabriel looked toward the documents.
Then whispered, "I don't know."
Finch nodded.
"Then don't pretend you do."
For a moment, the room was quiet.
The lawyer continued.
"Your wife made a serious mistake by withholding information before marriage. You're entitled to feel hurt."
Gabriel nodded.
"But the child's circumstances and her former relationship are separate from whether she deserves safety."
Gabriel looked up.
Finch studied him.
"Don't confuse those questions."
The words stayed with him.
He paid the consultation fee.
Collected the documents.
And left.
Outside, the town was busy.
Wagons moved through the street.
A blacksmith hammered beside his forge.
Children hurried toward the schoolhouse.
And a man stood near the general store arguing about the price of flour.
Ordinary life continued.
Gabriel looked toward the road leading home.
He thought about Clara sitting at the kitchen table, carefully balancing his accounts.
The way she smiled when the figures matched.
The way her hand rested over her stomach when she was worried.
He still didn't know whether he could trust her with his heart.
But he knew something else.
He didn't want Edmund Vale or his lawyers deciding her future through fear.
Gabriel mounted his horse.
Then turned toward home.
He found Clara in the kitchen when he returned.