Rose shook her head. "I might be wrong." Not to mention the fact that as far as she was aware, only father and Maggie knew about Simon's... secret.

He nodded, "I still would like to know. You seem so shaken by whatever it is."

Rose shook her head. "I really can't tell you, Elijah. It's about Simon's private life. And even now, I feel... I can't just betray him..." God, how it unsettled her to talk about him. She never did. How dearly she still missed him. How she wished he was here to help them deal with Alice's issue and all that they were facing.

Elijah arched his brow, did she know? "Simon did confide secrets to me. Though honestly one was I think mostly due to an accident. You know he was my friend, I don't think you could tell me something to shock me."

Rose turned her head sharply. Her eyes narrowed slightly as if she was trying to read him. "Did... he ever tell you how he got t' money?" she asked hesitantly.

Elijah looked nervous but tried to remain calm. "No, he never did. I may guess it wasn't something he was proud of, but he never robbed anyone."

Rose nodded. "I can't tell ye..."

Elijah sighed and frowned. "Well I can't make you tell me. I hope it's nothing to make you think less of him. He had a lot of troubles."

Rose looked up. "Oh don't even say that, Elijah! I loved Simon. He..." She bit her lip and shrugged. "Did some desperate things."

But he had also loved. And that was on her mind. Surely, it wasn't possible. Maybe Simon had angered Mr. Meijer in another way he had just never cared to mention.

Elijah frowned. "He might have, but he was Simon. " He suddenly had a flashback of a late night when Simon was on his sofa and gave him his first kiss and tried to offer more.

He shook his head quickly. "He might have been a confused young man who was desperate to go live the life he wanted."