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“And certainly belongs here more than some strange orphan, then, right?”

“Yes, but I was thinking more about Sylvia, actually. She could never be a real mother, and people who find out about the child will assume the child is like her, with her disadvantages. He or she would have a difficult time in public school. I can’t imagine other people permitting their children to play with Sylvia’s.”

“Let’s not worry about that yet,” he said. “Let’s wait to confirm that this is true beyond a doubt, Audrina. I have a way of confirming it one way or another without risking any embarrassment.”

“What way?”

“I know someone who will definitely keep any secret involving us, whether the secret was born in Whitefern or not.”

“Who?”

“Her name is Helen Matthews. She’s a retired maternity nurse. We have her retirement portfolio. It’s not a very big one, but it’s something. I know she could use the money, and she’s very reliable. She would keep a confidence if I asked her to.”

“How do you know that?”

“Let’s just say I know a secret pertaining to her.”

“What secret?”

“If I told you, it wouldn’t be a secret, and she’d have no reason to believe I’d be reliable, trustworthy, thus she would have no reason to keep our confidence. But believe me, she does, and she will.”

“How did she come to be one of my father’s clients?”

“She wasn’t. She became one of mine. I approached her one day and persuaded her to transfer her funds into our brokerage. That’s all beside the point,” he said, waving his hand at me as if he was chasing off a fly. “The point is, she was a practicing maternity nurse for more than thirty years and on many occasions delivered babies all by herself. I wouldn’t exactly call her a midwife, either. She’s more educated. She almost became a doctor.”

“She lives in our village?”

“Not far, on the outskirts. She did once, but when her husband died and her son moved off to marry and live in New York City, she got herself a smaller home.”

“But she’s not a doctor, Arden. Sylvia would need real medical attention.”

“Stop saying that,” he snapped back at me. “I assure you that she can do whatever Dr. Prescott can do. And she has the wherewithal to do it all at my request. Can’t you trust me on this? Don’t you have any faith in me at all as the head of this household? Am I forever going to walk six paces behind in your father’s shadow, a shadow you insist on casting over everything involving this house and us? How do you think this makes me feel?”

“It’s not that. Honest it isn’t, Arden. I feel so . . . overwhelmed and so stupid,” I said.

He smirked, shook his head, and took a deep breath. “Audrina, Audrina, Audrina, what would you have done if you realized it earlier? Would you have taken her for an abortion?”

I looked up at him. The thought had crossed my mind.

“Of course, I thought of it, too, but regardless of the situation, the child is still your father’s grandchild, is it not?”

“But . . .”

“But nothing. It’s too late to sit around and ponder. Let’s get a confirmation of your suspicions, and then we’ll make a decision, a decision best for us all, not just Sylvia,” he added. “Okay?”

“Matthews. That name is familiar.”

“Her son attended Whitefern High School, but he was a grade ahead of me. Well? I’d like to get things arranged today, Audrina. I do have a business to run.”

“Well, if you think she’s capable . . .”

“I don’t think it. I know it. Didn’t you listen to anything I said?”

“All right. Then do what you think best, Arden. I feel too overwhelmed to think straight.”

“Exactly.” He stood and started for his office. “Where is she now?”

“She’s up in her room getting herself ready for dinner at the restaurant tonight.”