[ Claire goes quiet at that last thought, glancing down at her teacup and contemplating her words carefully. It feels like a hole in her gut to hear about, even if she heard it first from Hilda herself. Already, Claire feels so protective of her and perhaps she has no right to it, but the young woman is dear to her and made an impression on her heart.

Letting out a soft breath, her eyes finally meet Claude's once more. ]

She has an idea, though? She told me she thinks she's...gone. I don't think she knows any details at all, but she suspects something.

[ This topic feels so close to home that she has to put down her teacup. ]

I thought my husband was dead for twenty years. I was so sure that war claimed him because I knew the history. His entire clan was wiped out, as if they never existed, and I couldn't find his name in records or documents.

[ Even knowing that he was obviously alive, it was such an emotional upheaval in her life, a wound that wouldn't heal, that it reflects in her voice. Clearing her throat, she takes a sip of the tea which she's enjoying. ]

Twenty years, only to find out later that he'd changed his name and gone into hiding. It's as you say—too much could happen. I think it's for the best Hilda doesn't know any specifics.