Elijah stared at Alice, she looked broken. He had to do something. His head shook furiously as he wanted her to wait a moment. He looked to the door to make sure Tobias wasn't listening. It was so much, he cursed Noah under his breath and sighed. His arm went around her shoulder to lead her to the kitchen so that if Tobias came in he wouldn't be able to hear.

"What if.. you hold on. Have the baby.. and leave it with Tobias? And come back here.. maybe not immediately.. Maybe.. maybe.. I can try to pull strings. You can stay in York for a couple of weeks, let things cool down and people stop looking for you. Your dad will be so happy to see you. I can even bring Anne to visit you?" This was so wrong in so many ways.

Alice did not resist as Elijah led her to the kitchen. When he spoke, she felt a glimmer of hope and her eyes found his face at last. But then all came crashing down again. She would still be Tobias' wife, and he would force her to return. If he wouldn't, father would. She did not want to birth this parasite in the first place. She cast her eyes down. This was the only chance she had. Perhaps, if father would not accept her back into the house, she could run and go somewhere else. She nodded slowly.

Elijah sighed and held her hands in his. "It is the best thing I can think of. It can give you hope, and a chance for some life of your own. Maybe in that time we can come up with a better plan." He looked at her and sighed heavily. "I will do what I can to protect you, alright? So just be strong for now?"

Alice looked up at Elijah with big eyes and nodded slowly. She trembled a little. "Will you please write to me, so I remember you think of me and want to help me?" she asked.

Elijah bit his lip as he felt tears in his own eyes. What he was doing was beyond ethical, but it wasn't as constable. It was just Elijah, wanting to help his friend. "No matter what happens, I will write you at least twice a week. You know even if something happened and I couldn't write, I'd never forget you." He hugged her gently. "You are my sister too."

Alice hugged back and suddenly clung on again, as she began to cry. "Why didn't ye marry me, Elijah? I know father asked. Were ye so horrified by my actions? Am I that unattractive? I would have done anything for ye. I would have been a good wife. I wouldn't have minded how ye treated me or if ye didn't love me or took other women beside me."

Elijah gasped and cried. Finally he couldn't take it. "It isn't you. I've never been attracted to women." He let her go and covered his face. "I am sorry. I prayed to God every day and it never changed. That's why I've always been alone. But.. I couldn't draw you into that. As bad things are , it would have been worse with me."

Alice watched him rather shocked - but not for the reasons Elijah might think. She was confused about the sudden tears and the fact that this issue was apparently so grave for him. "But..." she took his hand to comfort him. "There's nothing bad about that, is there? Tobias and I are not attracted to each other, but it was a marriage of convenience. It ain't bad not to be attracted to anyone."

Elijah shook his head. "No. I...!.." He wilted visibly before her, leaning against the wall as his voice was a whisper as he was still filled with shame with himself. The fact that things between him and Anthony had proven it was a terrible choice he'd made. It had even ruined Gabriel. He hated himself for this. "I'm.. like Simon. Even though I had completely kept it to myself all these years." ... until now.

Alice was even more confused now. She frowned, forgetting her own sorrows for a moment. "Simon? What do you mean? Did... you kill someone?" But that made no sense in the context.