That made him somewhat nervous, but Ben tried to keep his breathing steady. "I wouldn't have my daughter marry that lad even if he had proposed it." He had in the end, and Ben had said no. "He's goin' after his parents and I wasn't sorry when people said he'd been attacked. But I don't know when it happened exactly, so I can't tell ye where I was. At home, probably, or at the harbour. At sea? Depends..." He wasn't supposed to lie. But Noah wasn't supposed to talk. He had gotten what he deserved, and Ben had thought he was mature enough to accept it at least. Apparently not.