Clarence, with his long legs, immediately departed after he had finished speaking. It took Phoebe a considerable amount of time to regain consciousness when she was shocked. Was he trying to make her sound like Annie?

Phoebe's face was pale as she bit her lower lip hard. He hesitated to wed Stella three years ago. What separated Annie, who used intermarriage to persuade Horace to marry her, from Stella, who brought their child to get Clarence to marry her? What made him think she was like them?

….

Stella had at last located a decent one-bedroom apartment, but the owner had informed her that she would have to wait until...