It turned out Warren had insisted that a valuable ring inherited by Evelyn was part of his father’s estate, even though she had photographs of herself wearing it decades before she met David.

His demand was less about the ring’s value than about testing whether she would give in.

The hearing was still weeks away.

Spencer worried the pressure would worsen.

Evelyn, however, refused to hide.

That Saturday she accompanied us to the community harvest fair.

We ate kettle corn, watched children race through hay bales and bought a pumpkin that Poppy insisted was shaped like a teapot.

A woman approached us near the craft tent.