"Perhaps not leave work for her, but not be so quick to call her shameful. How would you feel if you were alone with two babies all of a sudden and the only respite you have is going to the market and talking to a tinker?" She got up and walked over to the scones, putting a heap onto a plate and then setting it on the table. She wasn't raising her voice as she spoke, she was perfectly calm, though her words were angry enough. "Think about what it is like to be as alone as she is right now." She gave a shrug. "I understand why you would be angry to a point, but you should not be angry at someone for wanting something as simple as a hug or someone to just be there when there is nobody else."

Pony sighed and shook his head as he looked down. 'You are misunderstanding me a little.. That does bother me, but I am far more upset at how she ignores my attempts at her to be reasonable. She could not have known this man more than a couple of days and she says she is in love with him. She did the exact same thing with her dead husband. She has never made friends with a man or bothered to get to know them before deciding that they are the one she wants in her life. She was lucky the first one died before he could hurt her, but this one won't be the same. You would never claim to love a man without getting to spend some time with him first, right? You wouldn't turn on anyone who told you that you were moving too fast." He covered his face and sighed. "I am tired of trying to protect her and she treats me like a monster who locks her away in a tower. If she wants to meet a dozen men, fine! But don't fall for them so easily!"

"You don't know that he would have hurt her. Why do you think that? And what exactly is reasonable to you? Do you know that the rumors started about them a month or so ago, not days? They have seen much of each other over a month, I can understand that is fast but it isn't a matter of just a few days. From what the neighbor says, she's only watched the twins a few times in the whole month, and that the clocksmith visits usually with his son in tow or not far behind at all." She then gestured toward the plate of scones but didn't say anything else. At least she wasn't mad enough to deny him a little bit of food.

Pony rose his brow at her. "I've never known a kind man in my life. If they don't hurt someone, they have a personal reason not to." He listened and found himself filled with disappointment. She was speaking about a lot and he started to wonder if she was making things up to protect Karen or at least to calm his anger at her. Either way, he didn't know what to think. "If it was a month, that's even worse. They've been acting out in such a way that the neighbors have been seeing them clearly and speaking about them. And taking his son to see her when they are up to ... that! I do think it is shameful. If I loved someone, I'd want to be sure before I acted upon it. And I would be devastated if I were no more and she was seeking 'comfort' in a man's arms without even missing me for a year. It would make my love and life feel cheap. Clearly I'm the only one." He sighed and looked away as he sipped his tea, clearly losing his appetite.

Had she just made it worse while trying to make it better? Any attraction in the romantic sense that she'd had toward Pony before was starting to shake and she could feel her blood heating up in frustration with the man. "How do you know what they were doing? What if this whole time, they have been proper?" She pushed her tea away. She still wasn't yelling. "And what about what you and I did? That wasn't at all proper even if you stopped, you still touched me." And you aren't going to touch me again if you keep it up, she thought.

The anger in Pony flicked out like a candle flame. He knew better than this. He had tried to sweeten her up to be a good client but had enjoyed her too much, he tried to make it personal. Even worse, he brought his personal issues to her. He looked down as it was clear she wasn't on his side at all.

He felt like he had grossly misjudged the woman before him and disappointment landed in the spot affection had started to bloom. "Yes, I know my sister and how she is. So I am certain he gives all of his new friends clocks." Was the sarcasm clear. "And I am a fool in thinking there should be loyalty between people who care about each other."

He pushed the tea away and began to rise. "I feel I have ruined your tea and scones with the conversation. I am sorry to have turned your day so badly " His eyes glanced up at her briefly, "I realize now I was inappropriate. I thought I was bringing joy and a little thrill to a single woman who had no obligations, it seems I was mistaken." A frown fell upon his face and he headed towards the door.

"You didn't come here to talk about your problems, you came here to be a victim," she said, finally losing her temper. "What she does isn't to cause you pain, she is probably scared and alone and... and... Oh, you are just a big ass if you think that this is what she needs. Let her live her life and make her mistakes, man." She decided that she would not be writing about rumors in this town, for they were hurtful to people. She stood and followed him but not all the way, she crossed her arms over her bosom and said low and soft, "It's alright for you to do things, but heaven forbid someone else does them." God, she had misjudged him as well. He was getting on her last nerve. She would probably forgive him, but boyfriend material, he was not.

"As far as what we did, it doesn't matter anymore." Had he even done so in honesty? Had he wanted to? Or was it just a ruse like Rose was saying? Tears threatened to spill as she realized that this man was selfish and not for her, but it hurt.

"You know what? Just... go Pony. I don't want to see you right now." With that, she grabbed his coat off the peg and held it toward him.

Pony frowned more. "I came to speak honestly and thought you had a level head! A heart can be delicate, no matter if it is a man or a woman's. I am just realizing I may be the only person in town who has any true sense of loyalty! To know that a woman's heart is only tied to a man's for as long as it suits them.." He was nearly shaking he was both angry and upset.

"I hope you both do not outlive your husband if you get one. Let you watch them from the after life immediately move on to a new woman without a single glance back in your direction!" He turned to walk down the road putting a hand to his face.

"Apparently, you have never been in love to KNOW! JUST GO!" she yelled in frustration. Then she slammed her door behind him and pressed herself against it, pressing a fist to her lips and giving in to the tears that were begging to be loose. Her affection for him died the rest of the way, a quick and painful death. "God, why? Why did I ever let him close?" And then she locked her door and went to cry.

Pony shook his head as his voice wilted. "Clearly none of you have been either if you can just treat the other like they don't matter and you don't miss them when they are gone." He turned his head to the door and snapped, "thanks for proving me right. I'm glad I didn't fall in love with you! 'Love' wouldn't have mattered when a man in your own class came along anyway!" He knew he had a mouth when he was angry but it didn't mean he could control it even being aware.