At dinner, Robert shared Mrs. Henderson’s rumor, but Julia brushed it off. “She’s just a gossiper,” she said firmly. Robert wanted to argue but stopped himself. Julia was right—Mrs. Henderson often exaggerated, and accusing Natalie of something so serious based on mere hearsay felt both unfair and irrational.
However doubts and fear gripped his heart and that night, Robert lay in bed, restless and unable to shake the events of the day. Just as he began to drift off, a metallic creak pierced the silence. His heart jolted. It sounded like a gate opening, a noise he hadn’t heard before. His pulse quickened.