Anne turned crimson for nobody ever called her pretty. "Thank you... you've grown good looking too," she mumbled, and then seemed embarrassed with her own words and looked down at her work

Rose laughed heartily. "Now look what you've done to me poor sister, Joe. You ain't been in the house for a minute!"

Anne looked mortified.

"Sorry Rose." Joe chuckled, turning to young Anne "Apologies, Miss Ward." he said in the tone he reserved for use with the First Class passengers at the station. Then he nodded and winked.

Anne was still blushing. "Ye've done nowt wrong. It's alright," she muttered.

Rose put the kettle on and then sat down next to Joe, picked up a basket with limpets and set to skaning. "I hope ye didn't get into trouble for chattin' so long last Sunday," she said.

"No.  I didn't get bother for talkin' to yer, at least." Joe thought back to the shouted threat of that puss-in-boots Robert Carrington.  That was a storm cloud that might still be out there.

"Not to me?" she said teasingly. "Oi, who did ye get in trouble talkin' to?"

"A well-to-do-lady, A Miss, ah Carrington, was feelin' low, so I stopped a while and cheer'd her up.  Then 'er brother came upon us and took offense at us mixin' .  A tiny spot o' bother."

Rose looked up. "Carrington? Is that Pearl Carrington?" Rose knew that her friend had sisters, but Pearl was the only one she knew of who seemed to enjoy talking to working class folk like them. What was Pearl doing at the train station? And why did she feel down? Rose had been so busy that she hadn't caught up with the other girl since she had announced her wedding.

"Aye, that's her. Said somethin' about not wantin' to back 'ere. I don't know what she means."

"Oh! She's my..." she looked at Anne, who looked at her with interest. "Acquaintance." Father had told Rose to discontinue the friendship when he had found out. Getting on familiar terms with people above her station would only get her in trouble, like it had done for Simon.

"Aye, she doesn't seem to like her family that much. I was glad ye was there to cheer 'er up." The water boiled and Rose put her basket down and started preparing the tea.

"I just 'appened to be passing.  So, 'ow are you two acquainted?" he asked, his curiosity peeked.

"Oh I was chasin' some nasty lil twit who had insulted me family." She looked at Anne. "That nasty Freddie Clarke, who picks on Will," she told her, for she knew her sister would know. Indeed Anne let out a soft groan of disapproval.

"Anyway," Rose continued as she took one of the real china cups from a cupboard - they saved those for visitors and drank from jam jars when they were alone to spare them - "I bumped into Pearl. We were both alright, luckily, but I had a vial with medicine in me pocket for Mr. Meijer. Ye don't know what he's like. Could have shoutin' fits 'n' all." She shivered. He had known Simon or at least known about him. Perhaps known Christopher Hurley and hated Simon and his family for that reason. Rose had never found out the full story, but whatever it was, it would sometimes make Mr. Meijer frightfully angry with her. She had been delighted when she had gotten engaged and could finally hand in her notice.

Rose finished making tea. She returned to the table, set the cup down in front of Joe, and sat down. Picking up her work, she continued: "So when I found out I broke it, I was right scared and I had cut meself on it too. Pearl kindly treated me cut and helped me replace t' medicine. She's a good person. And not at all puttin' on airs like most of 'em rich folk. Me father doesn't like us bein' friends. Says it's not proper and I might get in trouble for not knowin' me place 'n' all. But she ain't at all like that." Though Rose quickly turned to her younger sister again. "Don't tell 'im we're still friends."

"I ain't sayin' nowt," the younger girl commented.