Ruby tugged gently on her mother’s fingers.
“Mom?”
Claire looked down.
“He has a file with our name.”
Claire’s expression changed.
Nathaniel noticed.
“So you didn’t know?”
“Know what?”
Nathaniel glanced toward Margaret.
Margaret handed him a thin folder that Daniel Cho had just brought downstairs.
Nathaniel did not open it.
Instead, he held it out to Claire.
“The company archives had this.”
Claire stared at the faded file.
Across its front was written:
BENNETT, ELEANOR / CLAIRE
Claire made no move to take it.
Ruby had never heard the name Eleanor Bennett.
“Who’s Eleanor?”
Her mother shut her eyes briefly.
“My mother.”
“My grandmother?”
“Yes.”
“You said Grandma Eleanor died before I was born.”
“She did.”
Nathaniel lowered the file.
He spoke carefully.
“I think we should talk somewhere private.”
Claire looked at Ruby.
Ruby could tell she wanted to leave.
But leaving would not make the folder disappear.
