Ropati looked distinctly uncomfortable at the shouting man. Husband? Father? The line was thin in some towns.

"Do you ..." Ropati started, regretting as soon as he spoke for the words tread out of his mouth before he could fully consider them, "need ... help, Missus Ward?"

And what if she did? The people would always need to drown their sorrows in something, but he had the sneaking suspicion that Missus Ward's concerns were fantastic swimmers indeed.