Ben was quiet for a moment, a frown on his face and his fists clenched on his knees. "I won't deny that I'm disappointed with her for her... impropriety and tossing away her future like that. But to think that she would be so afrai-" His voice wavered. "- so afraid of me that she would risk her life like that..." He closed his eyes. "I have failed these children once again, Elijah."

While he had certainly failed his children  in the past, this was bit one of those times. "She didn't tell either of us. I think she panicked. She knew she messed up. When people are young, they think with their hearts more than their minds. I'm sure you did something or was tempted to in your younger days."

Ben scoffed. "Not under my mother's watchful eye. She would have killed me." He shook his head. "I know children do foolish things. I just wish she hadn't done som't so... life altering."

Elijah patted his shoulder. "She probably didn't know. I can't imagine she'd risk getting pregnant with him without having at least been engaged. She loves you and would never want to let you down. I'm sure finding out her condition was a shock and she'd been trying to figure out what to do since."

"She was always the smart one..." Ben said gravely. "She knew enough not to do som't foolish like that." He shook his head. "That money she took from... I had been saving up. I thought..." He grimaced. "With that new teacher in town, maybe I could negotiate. Maybe there would be a way in which she could go back to school and prepare for entrance exams... I thought, she's smart. Maybe he could help her get a scholarship..." He shook his head. "I suppose it was a foolish idea to begin with, but here she is, blasting it apart." He looked at his daughters, who were deep asleep, Anne's head resting on Alice's shoulder and Alice's head on Anne's head.

Elijah shook his head. "It isn't too late. We can figure something out." He certainly knew they couldn't just find someone to help watch the child. He'd found that out rather sourly when he had that baby on his doorstep. But just babysitting was something else intirely. "I will do all I can to help you both."

Ben shook his head. "There's no point now. Even if she got in and became a teacher, who would let someone like that teach their children? Her only option now is marriage." Ben put his hand over his eyes. "It's Noah Longbottom that's the father. I don't know my daughter anymore."

Elijah shook his head and patted his shoulder. "I'm sure it doesn't have to affect the job. If she became a teacher somewhere else, they would probably not know. And don't be too hard on her. She is young and very innocent. She was probably charmed, and wasn't aware of his bad side."

Ben sighed deeply. "She'd still have that child. It's marriage for her. That's how it's always been solved."

Elijah shook his head. "If she went to another town we could pretend she was a widow right after marriage, or that she was taking care of a baby from a distant family member. We can find something. Even if it was a lie. Isn't it better for her sake than the truth?"