The first morning Daniel woke before dawn and reached for a tool belt that was no longer beside his bed.

He sat upright, convinced for a moment that a guard would punish him for sleeping too long.

Then he heard the sound of a kettle downstairs and remembered where he was.

Adeline had left the window open because the weather was mild.

Daniel could hear people on the street discussing ordinary purchases and the arrival of fresh fish at the market.

None of them seemed to fear that a passing stranger might claim ownership of their next hour.

He found work repairing chairs for a furniture maker named Elias Porter.

Porter paid him for the first day’s labor without demanding a story about his past.

Daniel counted the coins twice and then stood looking at his hand.

He had earned wages for work he chose to perform.

The amount was small, but the feeling was not.

He bought a loaf of bread and a clean notebook.

Inside the cover he wrote his name, followed by the words that he intended to remember everything.

Thomas found work caring for horses at a delivery stable.

Rose began sewing with Adeline and soon earned enough to contribute to the household expenses.

They met at supper and spoke about the things they had learned in town.

Sometimes their conversations were joyful.

Sometimes a distant shout or the sound of a carriage stopping abruptly sent Daniel back into memories he did not want.

Adeline understood that safety could take longer to feel than it took to reach.

She never asked why he checked the locks before bed.

The physician who had signed Eleanor’s death certificate was named Dr. Harold Vane.

Nathaniel found him living in a rented house near Richmond after rumors spread that the Blackwoods were preparing a lawsuit against their own relatives.

Vane initially refused to discuss the birth.

He claimed patient confidentiality and said a gentleman should not interrogate another gentleman about a lady’s household.

Nathaniel pointed out that a false death certificate was not a private medical matter.

The doctor threatened to have him removed.

Isaiah Mercer approached Vane through a lawyer who had represented the doctor’s creditors.

The lawyer knew Vane had accepted money to settle debts shortly after Eleanor was born.

He also knew that Vane had recently purchased a horse and a carriage he could not otherwise afford.

Isaiah did not accuse him without evidence.