When Anna and Steven arrived home from the airport, Edward sent Anna to her room without looking at her and requested his son’s presence in his study. Anna ran off to her room in tears, and Steven followed his father. Edward took out his anger on his son, even though he knew it was unfair. Steven shouldered his father’s blame with a stoicism he’d learned from the old man. He’d endure his father’s wrath if it meant protecting Anna. Steven waited, knowing to never say a word until he was asked a direct question.

“Should I send her away to boarding school?” his father asked.

“I don’t know,” Steven said. “Maybe you should ask Anna what she wants.”

“She’s a girl,” his father said. “She doesn’t know what’s best. She can’t possibly understand the scope of this…”

“It wasn’t her fault, Dad. It just happened,” Steven said, knowing his father was too angry to listen to reason.

“Things don’t just happen. Things happen because of other things. I failed her as a father and you failed her as a brother. Why weren’t you looking after her, or were you too busy partying with your friends and spending my money? You think I don’t know what’s going on?”

Steven swallowed hard and took note of his father not including his mother in the blame game even though he was certain she was probably topping the list.

“Maybe boarding school isn’t such a bad idea. Anna could attend Deerfield with me next year.”

“Provided they would even accept her after what happened.”

“Dad, this isn’t the nineteenth century. I know you keep saying she’s ruined, but she’s not. She’s the victim here. Someone did this to her, and sure, maybe her reputation is no longer spotless, but there are so many kids in this city who have done so many worse things than—”

“I don’t care about anyone else’s kids!” Edward yelled, slamming his fist on the desk. “I only care about mine.”

A knock at the door and Anna poked her head inside, her eyes cast to the floor and her voice trembling. “Can I talk with you, please? Can we talk?”

“I can’t look at you right now, let alone talk.…” Edward answered, averting his gaze away from his daughter, who slunk back into the hallway. Steven’s chest ached for his sister.