"Ah, no... I'm ah..." How did she explain her presence? She shrank into her chair, "I am Mrs. Carpenter... The wetnurse." There, she simply told the truth. What else could she say. "If you'll excuse me..?" she asked, not wanting to be part of whatever fresh hell was brewing between the two brothers currently. She eyed the pair nervously, swallowing heavily. The baby seemed to snap her out of it when she squirmed and gave a cry.

"Shhh, there, there," she said softly, crooning to the little one as she stood and tried to extract herself from the situation.

Tobias' lips tightened when his brother addressed him as 'Toby'. Nathan continued straight away to recount his misfortunes and then made everything worse.

"Oh no, that's..." he began. But Mrs. Carpenter already corrected him.

"Alice is laying in. She gave birth two days ago. She's poorly, hence Mrs. Carpenter's presence. I would have written to you to let you know, but everything's been rather hectic." And even if it hadn't been, the truth was that he wouldn't have written to inform his brother until nine months after the wedding. His brother visited so rarely that Tobias had believed he would get away with it.

"Please, Mrs. Carpenter. We wouldn't want to chase you away." Tobias said out of politeness rather than truthfulness. "Do sit down, Nathan. Jenny!"

The young maid appeared from the kitchen, staring at the stranger who looked so much like her employer.

"Aye ser?"

"Bring out an extra plate, will you? And some brandy for my brother."

If Nate felt embarrassed by his mistake, he didn't show it - at least not in front of his brother. Nate divested himself of his damp coat, and as instructed plopped himself in a chair.

"So... how are ye?" Nate asked merely to fill the awkward silence that brewed like strong tea.

Oh god, she wanted no part in whatever was going on but Mr. Appleton, her employer not his brother, that is, would not hear of her leaving. She sank back down into her seat and continued to comfort the baby, averting her eyes from the two brothers.

"Better than your it seems," Tobias said. "Did you talk to the police?"

The maid returned with a tray with a plate and glass and a bottle of brandy. "Thank you, Jenny." Tobias told her. "If you could bring out some bread and cheese as well." There wasn't much food left on the table. "And once you've finished your own meal, please prepare the spare bedroom. You needn't trouble yourself with the larger items stored there. I'll move some later on."

Not that he was going to trouble himself very much.

"Aye. The police were there quick enough. Seems the thief knocked out a porter, a young lad by the name of Carrington, tied him up and stole his clothes." Nate smirked at the memory of the trouserless commotion. "He was madder than a March hare when they found him. Threatened to sue the police, me, the railway."

She looked down at her food and started to pick at it. Of course, it was very delicious, but there was tension in the air between Mister Appleton and his brother that wasn't being spoke of. She wanted to escape the situation but apparently there was none of that. Emma's fussing gave her the perfect out, "I think your daughter is hungry," even though she had just fed the child and everyone probably knew it when the babes cries had quieted earlier.

Tobias couldn't help pursing his lips lightly in disapproval as his brother smirked at the Carrington lad's misfortune. That seemed tasteless, especially from someone who had just been robbed himself. "Well, I hope they find the thief..." he said coolly. "That place has become a nest of crime if ye ask me."

He turned to Mrs. Carpenter and nodded. "Of course. I'll have Jenny take your meal up."

It seemed that poor Jenny was never going to have her own meal.

His brother didn't know what he was talking about. Compared to London, or Leeds even, Whitby was about as dangerous as a village fete. At least the brandy was decent. Father always liked brandy.

"I like what you've done with the place, Toby."

She gratefully sagged when he nodded at her and did her best not to make haste out of the room, walking at a calm pace even as the poor kid had to bring her food up for her. She was no longer hungry, the display downstairs and the tension she felt between the men were no good for the babe at all and she had really thought of her first before herself, though it was most certainly a convenient excuse to get the hell out of Dodge.