Elijah rose his hand to calm Anne. "I believe it, and I'm glad you did. Alice would have died if not for you
 But that doesn't stop the fact this was dangerous and you both couldn't think we'd just let it go. We were all so worried. A baby was not something that make you in danger to risk this... "

He sighed looking to Alice. "Ben seems like he mostly just wants you to marry the father. I have no idea who it is and neither does he. I am hoping you did like this boy and it wasn't something .." His voice died down. He couldn't imagine she'd be silence if it was forced  nor could he imagine she do it for money either but clearly they hid a lot from him and he was feeling more and more that he didn't know them as well as he thought.

He leaned forward in his chair and folded his arms over his legs. "I don't want you feeling forced into marriage if you don't like this fellow. But I do think you need some sort of story for how it happened, since I don't want you having a hard time in town over a reputation." He rubbed his face  "I mean unless we try some other options, but that is more a discussion with your father and after you've had a lot of time to think about it." He was sure it would be easy enough to have her stay in a convent or some nice family with a story about being widowed or such until the baby was born. This was all dependent on what she wanted of course.

"Please, just come home. Both of you?"