Nettie nodded as she slowly rose to her feet. She barely had spent a glance at the strange man who was cruel to the girl. After offering her a hand to help her stand. "How about we go to the market and get some supplies for fixing this book? It'll get our minds off sad things."

She hoped she could help the girl. If her brother wasn't around and she really wanted to see Malachi, she must feel so alone and abandoned. Nettie could relate. "And even if I am unsure of how he's doing, i have to remember that my uncle is older than I am. I know I would be ok in London, because I'm careful. And I trust him to be the same.' That was a lie. She knew he'd been up to something. She feared what could happen. But she had no choice, but she also couldn't tell anything like that to the girl. It would make her worry. Nettie had decided that all she could do was hope her uncle's self destructive behavior wasn't as bad as it looked. As much as he'd hurt her recently, she didn't want him dead.