Sam watched her with deep pity. To live your whole life knowing only one person as your own, then to suddenly face separation from him—it was bound to hurt.
He stayed quiet for a long moment, then finally lifted his gaze to Mary. This time, there was no smile on his face. Slowly, he shook his head in firm refusal.
“I can’t make that promise,” he said. “To be honest with you, I can’t leave you here. We must go together.”
Mary stared at him, his tone sharp and commanding. She almost wanted to snap back, to remind him that when it came to her mother, no one had the right to decide for her. But then she remembered—this was her father’s brother, a man with authority over her. Swallowing her words, she lowered her gaze and whispered, “I’m sorry, Uncle.”
“You’ve done nothing wrong, sweetheart
