Herschel froze in his tracks so suddenly I thought he might stumble., I quickly reached out to steady him.

"Herschel...

", He turned to me, a shadow crossing his face.

"Felicia, why would you ask something like that out of the blue?

", I wanted to mention what Ernest had told me but couldn't bring myself to share it with Herschel. I brushed it off,

"Just a random question, that's all.

", The usual warmth had drained from Herschel's face, leaving him solemn and, quite frankly, a bit intimidating.,

"Felicia, your parents' accident was just that—an accident. I was there, I saw it all. There are police reports and everything to prove it,

" Herschel said heavily., I hadn't been to the scene of the accident. Herschel had spared me from it, not wanting me to see something so grim. But that choice had left me with a lifetime of unanswered questions.,

"If you're having doubts, or you don't believe me, you can check the records for yourself,

" Herschel's complexion turned ashen, the joviality gone from his voice., I knew how close he had been to my father, almost like brothers. Bringing up my parents' death must have reminded him of the tragedy, causing him pain., I linked my arm through his.

"No need, I believe you. It was just a question.

", Herschel looked into my eyes, searching for something. For a moment, I thought he might say more, but he didn't., After a heavy sigh, he said,

"Felicia, why don't you go on ahead? I need a moment to myself.

", He had planned to come downstairs with me but suddenly changed his mind. My heart felt heavy.

"Herschel...

",

"I'm fine, really. Go on,

" Herschel gestured for me to leave., I left the study but didn't go straight downstairs. Instead, I leaned against the wall, lost in thought., Something about Herschel's reaction didn't sit right with me, though he spoke with such candor., It took me a while to finally head downstairs, where I found Jacqueline chatting with Ernest. I had worried they might not get along or that Jacqueline might give Ernest a hard time, but hearing her laughter eased my concerns., Ernest must have said something amusing to have even Jacqueline, who was initially wary of him, laughing along., Curious, I descended the stairs just in time to hear Jacqueline reminiscing.

"Felicia was such a handful as a child. She would run up to me and call me 'mom.' I used to say how wonderful it would be if she were my own. Her mom then joked about arranging a marriage with my Rad or young Dustin. Given Dustin was a bit older, we settled on Rad.

", This was the first time I'd heard why I was betrothed to Conrad, not Dustin.,

"When Felicia's mom suggested it, Felicia immediately said she'd marry young Conrad without a hint of shyness,

" Jacqueline laughed, sharing the memory., It wasn't Ernest making her laugh; it was her own stories, likely aimed at provoking Ernest.,

"Licia was like that, always asking the boys to carry her on their backs,

" Ernest chimed in., I paused, surprised. His comment sounded as if he knew me from childhood., But then again, he was probably just retaliating against Jacqueline's teasing., Reaching the bottom of the stairs, both Jacqueline and Ernest turned to look at me. For a moment, none of us spoke., Finally, Jacqueline broke the silence.

"Where's Herschel? Didn't he come down with you?

", Thinking of Herschel's demeanor earlier, I replied,

"He wanted to stay up for a bit longer.

", Jacqueline seemed to read something in my expression.

"Felicia, Herschel loves you as if you were his own.

",

"Yeah, I know,

" I said, feeling a bit downcast., Ernest stood up, took my hand, and looked at me with concern. My hands were cold, and I could see the worry in his eyes intensify.,

"Do you have anything else you need to discuss with Jacqueline? If not, maybe we should head back. Let's not keep Jacqueline and Herschel from their rest,

" Ernest suggested, providing a graceful excuse for us to leave., Search the website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.