“I do understand.  It’s my responsibility too and I take it very seriously.  They could only possibly be affected for the good in it.”

“You stand by this person, even though absent?”

“In every way.”

Lenore sat in her husband’s chair, the tips of her fingers pressed together, and studied Charlotte.  “How is your father going to feel about this?”

“My father?”

“Yes, Samuel Duchesne.”

Charlotte’s mouth flew open.  “How do you know about that?”

“I told you I came from back east and was aware of the Family.  What I didn’t tell you was that I knew your father many years ago, before you were born.  Charlotte, my love, I also knew Tobias.”

Charlotte did some rapid calculations and decided she was about to be mortified.  “What are you telling me?” she said.

“That when Tobias came looking for you the first time and you weren’t here, we sat down and had a long talk.”

“About?”

“Everything.  And now I want so much to hear about the woman you sold your hair to.  That was fascinating.”

Charlotte congratulated herself on being correct.  Mortification was at hand.  She felt her face grow hot.  “Then you can’t possibly have any faith left in me at all.”

“Quite the contrary.  You were very passionate about the children and I was impressed at the lengths you’d go to keep them.”

“I still feel the same way.  And I wouldn’t ever bring anyone into their life who wouldn’t place their welfare exactly where I place it, before my own.  Though I assure you, there’s no possibility of that happening.”

Charlotte closed her eyes.  It was even more of a humiliation that Lenore apparently knew all the details of her past.  Then another thought occurred to her.

“Did you know my mother?”

“I never met her, though I knew who she was, everyone did.  She was considered very brave for being willing to marry him with all that entailed.”  Lenore sighed.  “I’m only telling you this because the Colonel’s so far away and naturally it shall be between you and myself, as so many things are it seems, but I had wanted to be the brave one.”

“You?” Charlotte said.  “My father?”  She was stunned.

“Your father,” Lenore said and smiled.  “Imagine that.  But he loved her very much and everyone else was lost to him.  However, this isn’t bringing us any closer to that larger question.  What is he going to do when he receives this information, which of course sooner or later he will?”

“Likely accept it.  What else can he do?”

“You’ll have to let me know because I’ll be concerned.  And in the meantime, you do have enough help, don’t you?”

“More than enough.”

Lenore smiled again.  “And obviously with your vast experience you’re perfectly capable of getting a child born.”

“Absolutely.  And if I weren’t that wouldn’t stop me anyway.”