There was an awkward silence and Rose blushed. They were only trying to be nice to their guest. To have such hospitality rejected felt uncomfortable. But luckily her father quickly recovered. "If you insist, Miss," he said. "Very well, give some to Alice. She's been sickly lately."
"Oh, please, I'm already fine, father." Alice said, blushing, but she was already eyeing Pearl's plate like a vulture.

She gave a warm smile to everyone and gave the extra food to the girl who was eying the plate so hungrily, and she said softly, "There you are... Thank you even still." She made a decision right then and there that she would be sending some of her baking to the family, and some would go to the school where there was a need for it.

Alice gave her a shy smile.
"How come you don't live with yer parents or a husband? Are ye divorced?"
"Bram!" The whole family shouted.

Before she could take a bite of food, Bram, as they were calling him, asked a question that nearly had her choking on her own spittle. Pearl moved a hand to her collar bone and placed it there for a moment, and decided that answering the question might get her into some trouble. She gave a feeble reply, "Um..." But the boy probably didn't mean any harm. She looked anywhere but him in that moment, not sure what to say.

"Bram, you're old enough to know it's rude to ask such personal questions to a stranger!" Ben scolded. The boy quietly apologized. Ben turned to Pearl: "I'm sorry, Miss. You needn't answer that."
Rose looked at her friend uncomfortably, feeling guilty now for having brought her here.