Ruth took the baby back into her arms, assuming her mother would let her after her father took the bags to her room. She sat down heavily, weary to the bone enough that her legs shook with fatigue. It'd been a rough birth and she was sore, her da was off in his own world at the moment and she could do nothing but let him have his space. "I'm sorry," she whispered to Jacob, and then to her mother she sobbed out another apology, "I'm sorry, ma. I'm so sorry." She buried her face in one hand.

Lottie hung up her shawl and turned to face her daughter as the younger woman dissolved into blubbing.

Lottie closed her eyes at the sound of the tears. Usually a kind and charitable soul, yet with the recent build up of frustration over her son, her husband, and now her daughter and child, something inside the older woman just snapped. She turned to face her, pursed her lips tightly, with her hands on her hips let the poor girl have it.

"As you should be Ruth Blacke, as you should be. I told you then that Angus Mac-Whathisface was no bloody good. As good as a barrel o' fish guts. I know the type.. smooth talk, easy smile, large... - purse. But did you listen to me? No. You shouted at me to bloody well shove off to 'ell with me and mine, cause you knew better and ran away."

Lottie offloaded a potted history of the last year onto the wayward child. Like she didn't know.

"Well, Ruth Blacke, you didn't know nowt."

Lottie paused fractionally, as if she had forgotten to mention something from the list of sins and poor decisions her offspring had committed. Then she remembered.

"A whole bloody year! Not a word. And now you come back with a babe.."

She had no right to come back out of the blue like this!

"Da'? Is everything alright?" came Kate's voice, hardly more than a whisper. It seemed that Kate had heard the commotion, had perhaps even caught a glimpse of Ruth, and had sat in the corner of her and Ruth's room so quietly, that Bill had not even noticed she was there.

He quickly got up. "Aye lass, yer sister is home, but ye better wait a bit comin' down," he said. So much for his time of reflection. He made his way down the stairs quietly and stopped when he heard Lottie unleash her frustration and Ruth sob. He considered staying here on the stairs for a bit, but Lottie would probably blame him for being unsupportive again, a claim she had made several times and which was totally unfounded, since he worked hard to support the family.

And so he took a deep breath and then slipped into the kitchen quietly. He looked at his daughter. It hurt him to see her like this. It hurt him to see his family like this. And yet he shared Lottie's sentiment.

"What would ye have me do, ma? 'Dear Mama and Papa, my husband left me in shame with a bairn in be belly'?! I was so ashamed, ma, ye don't even ken how ashamed I feel." Jacob began to cry and Ruth forced herself to calm down for his sake. "What am I goin' ta do now? Who is goin' ta hire me if I look fer work so I can feed me bairn? Do ye think I like burstin' in on ye wit' news like this? God almighty, I made a horrible mistake even lookin' at that man!" She was all over the place with her emotions.

Lottie was at war with herself. Mother Lottie and her rose tinted vision of the past wanted to embrace her young daughter and hug the sadness out of her, but the older embittered and life-hardened Lottie stood steadfast basking in the inner smugness that her instincts and experiences with men had been right.

Lottie saw more than a bit of herself in the youthful tears; that youthful independent streak and desire to make her own way. She also noted the raw questions her daughter asked. Ruth was right, Lottie conceded but she bloody well wouldn't admit that to Ruth aloud. Mother Lottie was sad. Lottie noticed her dear husband had slipped into the room, so paused to see if he had something to add.

Kate had seen them come in, but they had all looked so grim that she had not dared to rush down the stairs and hug her prodigal sister as she had wanted to. Instead, she had slipped into her room, where she was almost immediately disturbed by her father coming in, noticing her, and disappearing. She hadn't liked the look on his face before he realized he was not alone.

As soon as the door closed behind her father, Kate grabbed an empty glass, slipped off her bed and knelt down. She placed the glass upside down on the floor and put her ear against it. Only mumbling. It was hardly the first time she had used this method, but it had been more effective before John had left home and there had been more shouting.

She got up and opened her door almost noiselessly, a well-trained skill. The coast was clear. She slipped out of her room and sneaked down the stairs, stockings and a knowledge of which steps to avoid preventing any sound. Holding the banister, she lowered herself quietly on one of the lower steps to sit down. Then she listened.

Bill stared at his daughter, his fists clenched and a deep frown on his forehead. He too was torn between relief that his daughter was home and safe, and anger for everything she had put them through and the trouble she had worked herself in. He couldn't bear the sight of her crying though. Whoever that good-for-nothing swine was that had seduced her and put her in this position, Bill was going to find him and castrate him, that was one thing he knew for certain at least.

He pressed his lips together, watching her sit there so vulnerably. Well, what could he do? He sat down beside her and took her in his arms, pulling her and the babe against him. "Aye ye foolish lass, ye should 'ave written that."

Ruth leaned into her father after hesitating but a moment. "I'm so sorry, Da. Ma... I made right a fool of meself. It wasn't fair of me ta run off like that... a twit is what I am. But he said the right things and he made it all sound so romantic. I thought he loved me, I truly did... He was nothing but a no-good swine." She pulled away only to swipe angrily at her tears. "Cookin' and cleaning while he was out sowin' his oats like some randy buck. I carried his bairn until burstin' and he left me all alone ta do it. It ain't fair of me to bring this child into this world like this."

Lottie was still angry, but less so at her own, more at the young scoundrel who had used her daughter and thrown her aside so callously.

"If 'e sets foot in this 'ouse, I'll use his balls as fish bait."

Bill hugged her. "Aye ye should 'ave listened to yer mother." He was still angry with her, and he wasn't sure how this would sit between them in the weeks to come. But he remembered how cold things had been at home when he had returned at last after his mistake. He hadn't bothered to stick around for long and he had never looked back. He couldn't bear the thought of losing Ruth again because she felt there was no place for her at home.

He looked up at his wife. "Aye, but we'll find the bastard and have 'im pay for t' bairn." And use his balls as fish bait.