Margaret felt the room become colder.
“Daniel.”
“No.”
“Did you tell her about the tuition, the repairs, the insurance?”
“I told her you helped.”
“That is not the same thing.”
“I know.”
“Did she think your company had recovered?”
His silence was answer enough.
Margaret leaned back.
“How long did you let her believe that?”
Daniel looked ashamed.
“About two years.”
The clock ticked behind him.
“Why?”
“Because every time I tried to tell her, she said we couldn’t afford another problem.”
“That doesn’t explain it.”
“I was afraid she would leave.”
Margaret absorbed the words.
“So you let me carry the truth alone.”
“I was going to fix it.”
“You kept saying that.”
“I believed I would.”
“And when you stopped believing it?”
Daniel’s eyes lifted.
“I didn’t know how to tell you.”
Margaret’s voice softened, but only slightly.
“You could have started with the truth.”
Daniel nodded.
“I know.”
She took the legal pad from the side table and placed it between them.
“I added up what I could verify. It’s more than the mortgage.”
He looked at the list.
“I know.”
Margaret studied him.
“How?”
“I saw the statements.”
“Mine?”
“No. The household statements. Emily kept asking why we were still behind when you were paying the mortgage.”
Margaret’s fingers went still.
