The bod nodded, but added: "I didn't tell ye owt!"

Elijah sighed. "Yeah, I didn't hear a thing. You were an impossible rock. But if they do it again, you tell me. Got it?" He tilted his head. "And have you learned your lesson about fooling around with girls?"

The boy nodded sheepishly. "Did she really almost die?"

Elijah frowned and nodded. "She got caught in the moors in another town trying to flee since she felt she had no home now due to the scandal. If it hadn't  been for Anne trying to get help and somehow miraculously finding a farm house in the middle of that frozen wasteland, she wouldn't have lasted the night."

Noah looked down and nodded, feeling ashamed with himself.

Elijah sighed and rubbed the back of his neck as it felt awkward now. "If you wanted to make it up to her, you should take responsibility. But I can't make you do anything. At least now you've realized the trouble you can cause just playing around. I'm far angrier that you broke her heart. She honestly thought you loved her."

"I... liked her..." he said. "I just panicked when she said she was with child. Anyway, I took a beating for it and I'm sorry, okay?... What's gonna happen to her now? Did her father hurt her too?" He looked up at Elijah miserably.

Elijah sighed wondering if the boy even cared and was just feeling guilty. "No, he didn't hurt her. He was happy he didn't lose her that night. But he has been treating her terribly and everyone is shaming her for what you two did. Ben is going to try to marry her off to the first guy who accepts so she doesn't have to keep being treated that way. Though I'm sure even after, her dignity has been completely tainted."

"Noah looked up at him, shocked. "She's gonna get married?!"

Elijah looked at him surprised. "Well yes. She's pregnant. If she had a child out of wedlock, it'll ruin her more than her life already is. Her dad is looking for anyone he can. He thinks he'll be lucky if he can find anyone even half decent to marry her."