After my confrontation with my father and his henchman, I rushed to see Teddy. He was coloring at the kitchen table and barely looked up when I walked in. Gloria gave me a silent wave.

“I’m sorry I went away,” I told him. “I won’t do that again.”

He gave me a surly look. “Grandpa says you will.”

My blood curdled in my veins. My worst nightmare was already underway. My son was being poisoned by my father’s lies.

“I won’t,” I said, crouching down. “I love you. I’ll always be here for you, Teddy.”

“Uh-huh,” he said, going back to coloring.

“He’s in a mood today,” Gloria said quietly. “He keeps asking when his mama is coming to get him.”

“Thank you for taking care of Teddy while I was gone,” I said. “I’m well aware that you are long overdue to have time off.”

Gloria waved her hand dismissively. “It’s not a problem. It’s an awful time for the family. And I love Teddy; you know that.”

“I am eternally grateful. Just so you know, I’ll be moving Teddy out of this house as soon as I can find a place.”

“You’re going to stay in New York?”

“I don’t want to uproot Teddy and take him away from everyone he knows. Just my father. I am hoping that you’ll be willing to move with us, though. I don’t know what Teddy or I would do without you.”

“And give up living across the street from the man who refers to me as ‘the Help’?” She beamed. “In a heartbeat. If you’re staying here, we’ll figure something out.”

“Thank you, Gloria.”

I headed upstairs to my own room. I didn’t have a plan. All I knew was that I couldn’t stay in that house any longer.

That was when I heard a noise from Caroline’s room.

I opened the door and found Ursula seated at Caroline’s vanity table, a tray of jewelry in front of her. She looked like an eager magpie. “Everything depends on it,” she said.

“Ursula?”

“You’re back, dear boy.” Ursula brightened when she saw me, as if a switch had been flipped. “How was your trip?”

“Awful and illuminating, in equal measure. What are you doing?”

“Sorting some things.”

“Why?”

“I put some things out of order,” she said cryptically, “and now I need to set them right.”

“I saw your brother when I was in Berlin,” I said.

“Klaus has been dead to me for years.”

“He’s not quite as I remembered. He has changed. He wanted me to tell you he’s sorry for being a bastard. He said it’s his only regret.”