Ebenezer let her go on, too weary to put any halt to her questions while also finding her concern charming. It had been a long afternoon and a longer evening, one with results that he should have expected but feared all the same. He summoned up a calm smile for his new bride as he did his best to explain.

"I took them to the body," he began carefully, "so they might see for themselves what was wrought. Even showed them where some strands of your hair were tied about the root as further evidence. Most of them were much inclined to believe our story at face value. Enoch had... few friends willing to speak up for him in his death, and so his sins in life have caught up with him to skew any possible claim to his innocence. Judge Mayhew, however... still demand an inquest and trial. A judge shall be brought up from one of the other towns to preside, although who is not known yet. The magistrate insists that this is all just formality, that I should have nothing to worry about and in time this will all be behind us. My father... seems less than sure of that. He's moving himself to his cousins' house, the Chandlers, until this has all blown over. In the meantime, while not in chains I am to consider myself under house arrest. It is upon my honor that I remain here unless otherwise summoned by the court until the matter is settled, save for church attendance, for if I attempt to flee then my guilt in this is as sure as a confession to murder."

"There was little mention of you in any of this," he reassured Mirabella, "and you are not bound by the same restrictions as I. Keep you to your silence and we should weather this storm well enough."

Raising his hand gently, he cupped her cheek in his palm to gaze at her with both attraction and... guilt? "I am sorry, you know. That I forced you into this. Only it's for the best for us both, you see. Once we're out of our current dilemma, at any rate. I wish I could have given you at least a proper wedding night, not one where we must fearfully await the dawn to see what the new day might bring us. Beautiful Mirebella.... Married as we are now, what is there for us to do?"