Hobart said, "So your wife already had a child before the marriage. She kept the truth hidden because she was afraid you might harm the child..."
Hobart roughly explained where the child had come from. Mr. Barton gave a bitter smile. "I wronged Penny. We never had children because... because of me. It was my fault."
He had actually suspected as much long ago, but only today had he confirmed that he really was the cause.
Hobart said, "Mr. Barton, I have already discussed the divorce with your wife. She said that as long as you do not harm her child, she is willing to discuss filing for divorce herself."
Ultimately, Penny had not truly betrayed the marriage, since the child had been born before they married.
Yet it was indeed her concealment that had caused the marriage to become unhappy.
Barton smiled. "Hobart Lawyer, I am not some crude country bumpkin. How could I take my anger out on a child?"
He said, "The terms I offered before remain unchanged. Let this matter end here."
Meanwhile, Penny sat tensely in the carriage. She feared that Benny would be hurt, and she feared seeing the rage in Mr. Barton's eyes.
She was beginning to regret it. She should not have trusted that young lawyer so easily.
Penny's father was even more nervous. He held an axe helplessly, feeling that bringing it along had truly been a foolish decision.
But when he saw the lost and helpless look in his daughter's eyes, strength returned to the hand gripping the axe handle.
After what felt like a very, very long wait, they finally saw Mr. Barton striding down the main road from the farmstead with Benny in his arms.
At that moment, both father and daughter felt relieved. What was coming