My voice sounded quiet in the still room.

“Arthur Vance agrees to hold back all formal police allegations concerning the three thousand dollars missing from the seminary scholarship account, on condition that Margaret Hays marries Kade Miller without delay.”

I stopped reading, my hand drifting to my brass wedding band as I leaned back in my chair.

“There wasn’t any missing scholarship money,” I said.

“I worked thirty hours a week in the dean’s office to pay for my room and board.”

“Keep going,” Wade said.