The silence in the ward broke softly as Linsy, caught unprepared by Michael’s sudden announcement, bowed her head slightly and murmured, “Hello, Mr. Gabriel.”

Her voice was gentle, respectful, carrying the slight tremor of someone thrust into a role she had not rehearsed.

Old Jamie Gabriel’s eyes widened with faint surprise. He had known Michael Helwart for years,known him as a man who carried his family’s name like armor, who had lived with the same steel-edged discipline his ...