“I thought I was keeping the wedding from being wrecked by a question she hadn’t resolved,” he added.

“That was the wrong thing to take responsibility for.”

I looked at both of them.

“I don’t want either of you deciding what I can hear.”

Sam nodded.

Claire did too.

The next morning, Evelyn met us at the county records office.

She wore reading glasses on a chain and had the parcel reference written on a card.