He advised them to keep their movements private and let others carry messages where possible.

No one suggested that the law would protect them merely because the accusations were false.

Daniel spent three days inside Adeline’s home repairing broken household objects.

He fixed a loose stair tread, a cracked cupboard shelf, and the latch on the back gate.

The work calmed him until he heard horses outside.

Each time he paused, waiting to learn whether the sound would stop at the door.

Adeline brought him tea and told him that fear was not weakness.

He said he knew that in his mind but sometimes needed his body to catch up.

A fourth night passed without an attempted arrest.

The agents had apparently gone to another address based on an unreliable report.

Daniel knew they might return.

He began preparing a route that could take him farther north if necessary.

This time he built the plan with people who asked what he wanted rather than deciding for him.

Rebecca brought Eleanor to a protected house farther north with Miriam’s help.

The house belonged to Samuel and Judith Hearn, an older couple who had taken in children during illnesses and family emergencies for many years.

They did not claim the baby as their own.

They agreed to care for her while the adults determined a permanent arrangement that would not expose her to the Blackwoods.

Mary stayed for several weeks to help Eleanor adjust.

The baby had begun turning toward familiar voices and reaching for the edge of Judith’s shawl.

Rose visited when it was safe and brought the small wooden wheel Daniel had carved.

Eleanor could not yet use it, but Judith set it on a shelf where it would be waiting as she grew.

The name carved on its underside remained hidden from casual visitors.

Judith wrote to Daniel describing Eleanor’s appetite, her sleep, and the stubborn way she held a blanket in one fist.

The letters contained ordinary details that were precious because they did not involve a courtroom or a threat.

Daniel read them again and again.

He found himself worrying about the quality of the cradle, the draft near the window, and whether the child would catch a winter cold.

These were familiar concerns to parents everywhere, yet they felt astonishing to a man whose past had made him fear the very existence of the child.

Daniel answered with a brief letter about the chair he had built for Adeline.