He was afraid that Mrs. Foster would harm Ben and Isabella. He had been having nightmares all night and had made a decision in a daze this morning.

The only way to prevent Mrs. Foster from hurting Ben and Isabella was for him to continue to isolate himself, even more severely, and not let anyone get close.

That's right, he was pretending. When Uncle Alfred came to see him, he almost saw through his act. Luckily, Isabella taught him acting skills, and Ben ...