Alice clung on to him and pressed her face into his chest. She could barely speak, or even think of how to tell him what was wrong, for everything was wrong. Noah had lifted her up and dropped her. Her family had dropped her. She had lost her name and had stopped belonging to herself. Tobias frightened her and he despised her. She felt alone. She was the center or slander. There was a baby growing inside of her that felt like some parasite invading her. She was not her own anymore. She sobbed and let out a muffled wail.

Elijah frowned and rest his head on hers as he held her tightly. "It is ok, cry as much as you need. I won't let go. I am sorry I couldn't step up and keep you in town. I do love you as a sister and a friend. I had hoped maybe you could find love eventually with someone. You are such a kind person, you deserve love of your own."

Alice sniffed and sobbed until she was tired and had no tears left. She hugged him still, her eyes tightly shut. "Don't make me go back," she whispered.

Elijah stared at her and sighed. He rest his head on hers and closed his eyes tightly as he thought hard. "I.. if he hurting you? I just need to think what I can't o to help you. Since you are married now. I don't want to make you go back against your will. If he is doing something, I can have a lot more power. But you can't lie to me. " He sighed and hugged her. "I want to help you, Alice. Really."

Alice shook her head slowly. She held her eyes shut tight and pretended she wasn't there.

Elijah kept holding her. "It's alright.. I'm glad he hasn't done that. That doesn't mean there is anything shameful about you not wanting to go back. I can't imagine how awful it must be to play wife to a man you don't know in such a strange place. I really wish they had let you stay here and get used to him first, but your father thinks you need to be pushed away and be forced to get used to things. " He sighed as he tried to think. He would ask to let her stay with him, maybe as a maid as it would be very easy work and she could stay in town, but no one would agree to it.

[CW: death wish]

She sniffed. "I wish I'd have died on the moors, or when I tried to get rid of the bairn."

Elijah gasped. "Don't say that. You are so young, things can get better. Maybe not as great as if things hadn't happened the way they were. But we can't look back and have to look forward. We can try to come up with an idea. Some way you can live your own life that isn't tied to them."

Alice sniffed, still hiding her face in his chest. "If I run away from 'im, father will never forgive me."

Suddenly the door opened, and Tobias popped his head around the corner. But when he saw Elijah hugging Alice tight, and Alice pressing herself against him, he stepped in. "What's the meaning of this?"