Why do you think Gretchen is so reluctant to tell Falk who Lachie's real father is? Who do you think it is?

Why do you think Gretchen is so reluctant to tell Falk who Lachie's real father is? Who do you think it is?

Methinks she doth protest too much about Luke.

Methinks that too

I feel that it too hard for Gretchen to admit out loud. I feel that Luke having her as a secret lover just became too much for her. I also think Luke getting married was the last straw. I believe the child is Luke.

Believe that Gretchen and Luke continued their relationship secretly after he married. He may have loved his wife...but he still had feelings for Gretchen. The baby is his.

Agree with the earlier posts. I think Gretchen had a soft spot for Luke and he probably took advantage of that. Or possibly, she might not be sure who the father is.

First off, why does it matter? She loves the child and takes loving care of him. Why does Falk need to know, does he think he owes child support? I feel that if Gretchen wants him to know, it's her right (or Not) to tell him. I too, believe it is Luke's child, but it's Gretchen's business not ours!

Aloha RuthEh,

What about the grandparents though?

If Luke is the father, then Gerry & Barb Hadler should have the right to know. Again, Gretchen's choice. And since the Hadlers now have baby Charlotte, that would make Lachie a half-brother to her. I would say, "come on Gretchen, fess up" IF Luke is the father. (I see a sequel coming!)

It seems that from very early on in Gretchen's relationship with Luke, there were secrets. If Aaron, in his teen years, sensed that Luke was really more interested in Ellie, perhaps Gretchen did too and was somewhat disappointed in herself for continually going back to him and choosing him, even when it was clear he wanted someone else. It is possible that she kept the child's father a secret knowing there had been enough "scandal" in town involving Luke- -first he provided the alibi for Aaron in one death and was now believed to be responsible for killing his own family. This town was always looking for a scapegoat. I think Gretchen kept quiet because she did not want to be turned on and run out of town like Aaron and his father.

When Aaron returns to town for Luke's funeral and he and Gretchen renew their friendship, it seems as if there is the possibility of something developing between the two of them - especially when Aaron decides to stay longer to investigate the murders. Each time they were together, I anticipated something occuring that would cement their relationship. Perhaps Gretchen was reluctant to tell Aaron who the father is because she fears that the truth may cause him to back away, and she is hoping for more of a commitment. One of the less happy endings of this novel is Gretchen's story. I really did not want to close the book and leave her all alone as a single mother in that community - it seemed like a very dead-end situation for such an attractive young woman. So, who is the father? I suppose Harper wants us to believe it is Luke. I don't know who it is, but I don't think it is Luke.

This was one of the unresolved items from the book that I really wished had been resolved. While I thought the answer was pretty clear, there was no definitive answer and was left open to the reader's interpretation.

That being said I agree with the previous posts that the child was Luke's, but I also have trouble believing that Luke would not have claimed a child of his publicly even with the complications of an affair. I think Gretchen never became friendly with Karen because of a combination of jealousy and guilt. I also agree with a previous post that maybe this will be addressed in a sequel, the book is labeled on goodreads as "Falk #1" so I think there is more to come from Aaron Falk.

There were so many secrets in this book that unfolded. I'm glad that Jane Harper decided not to reveal them all.

Probably Luke’s but she is ashamed/ embarrassed to admit it. Afterall, she has to live in a town where she already feels uncomfortable.

I believe that Luke was the father and she cannot commit to admitting he let her down time and time again with other women or that he was not fully in Lachie's life.

Living in a small town where everyone knows your business or believe they do can be challenging enough, but being single with a small child is even harder. She is definitely excited to see Aaron again at the funeral and build a relationship. The last thing she want to do is share something that she believes will push him away - the identity of Lachie's father, it's a no-win situation.

I think Harper wants the reader to believe Luke is Lachie's father, but the novel unfolds in so many unexpected ways that I don't think he is. I think Gretchen and Luke kept their relationship longer than she has admitted, but I don't think Luke is the father. I can see Gretchen feeling lonely and rejected by Luke and turning to someone else for comfort.
I think Luke visited Gretchen and Lachie in the hospital to check on someone he cares deeply for who is entering a new exciting and scary phase of life. I think he cared for her, but I don't think he's the father.

It could be that Gretchen is trying to protect Lachie and maybe she doesn't entirely trust Falk. She could also be embarrassed. If it is Luke, than not only did she a child with a married man in a small town prone to gossip, but with someone who she knows wasn't good for her. It's possible that Luke is Lachie's father, but that could just be what Harper wants us to believe. The picture of Luke holding Lachie in the hospital would seem to lead us in that direction. Falk seems to believe the possibility is there. I am not so sure though.

Excellent point Johnw and I agree. Small town gossip is the worst. Sometimes it is best that a non-existent father is not named.

I thought throughout the book the Luke was Lachie's father, but then by the end, I didn't believe so. I think Gretchen would have told Aaron it Luke was the father.

Perhaps because it left the door open for a sequel.

I don't think Luke was the father. I do think Gretchen was involved with others and did not want Falk to know.
The book was better with unanswered questions, including why Aaron's father was so quick to leave the town. This probably points more to the secrets a small town hides.

I think probably Luke's and she does not want to have that be known as she fears the reaction of others, and may have felt it would be better to keep such a secret in a small town. As a single parent she might not want other's having a say in how she raises her child - even grandparents. She probably did not want Aaron to know as she worried about how he would react to that info. especially if she thought a romance might be on the horizon. If it is Luke's i would hope she would now tell the grandparents and give them that solace and give the granddaughter a sibling.

I think the father of Lachie was probably Luke and Gretchen is keeping it a secret because she is embarrassed.

I was firmly convinced that Lachie was Luke's child. It makes sense based upon their past history and why she is reluctant to tell Falk. Another possibility is if Gretchen was raped by someone and she didn't want to tell Falk because he was an officer. Finally, she may have had a relationship with someone from the town that Aaron dislikes, or who treated him badly, and she wanted to avoid that interfering with their budding romance.

Luke Luke Luke I imagine that Luke knew but his reluctance to claim Lachie held Gretchen in a sad & lonely place

I think that the child is Luke's. I think that the relationship never stopped. I think that it is sad that she cannot admit who te father is and tat one day she will pay a price for her silence.

I think that Gretchen doesn't want to tell Falk who the father is because Luke is the father and she doesn't want Falk to know that she continued seeing Luke while he was married. And since she does live in a small town she doesn't want that to get out and cause people to talk and judge her.