[Content warning: Antisemitism]

Rose was running errands for Mr. Meijer. That was, until something made her stop in the middle of the street. Most people had forgotten about Simon. Most people didn't bother anymore. After it had just happened, some of the wealthier people who had known this Hurley fellow had given her and her family strange looks. But most of the people from the fishing community had condemned Simon's deed, but had supported the family. Now, almost nobody cared to remember. Life went on. But sometimes one of the children would hear the story, and might use it when it suited them to taunt the Ward children. 

Like Freddie. The fourteen year old had a catch for trouble, and Rose had argued with him several times since her return, especially because he and his good-for-nothing friends bullied William. Today, when they passed each other in the street and glared at each other, Frankie suddenly stopped.
"Hey Rose!" he shouted. "I heard Will got into a fight the other day. Hope your dad doesn't allow you guys to carry knifes around anymore." 
Rose stopped in her tracks and turned to look at Freddie. "I would shut up and walk on if I were you, Frankie." she warned him, her lips curling into a disgusted grimace. 
The teenager, however, seemed amused by the effect of his words. "Touched a nerve?"
Rose walked on.
"Oh come, on. Don't leave me hanging."
Rose turned once more and gave him a look of utter loathing. "Walk... on..." 
"Only a matter of time before Willie does something stupid and they hang him too." And he put his hands around his neck and made a choking sound.
Rose knew she should be the grown up here. But sod that! "You are DEAD, Freddie Anderson!"
The boy laughed and ran away. Rose darted after him, running as fast as her legs could carry him. She was running so fast that when she turned the corner, she couldn't stop in time and bumped right into another person.

"Ooof!" said Pearl as she was plowed into. She shook her head when she realized there was a boy running away from the one who bumped into her. "Are you quite alright?" asked the girl. She was a bit more concerned about the girl than the boy.

Rose struggled to keep her balance. When the girl addressed her, she managed to steady herself, however, and looked at the person she had collided into. A lady. Just her luck. "Oh goodness, miss. I'm so sorry. Aye, don't worry about me, are you alright?" The young lady was well-dressed and pretty - and looked a good deal more delicate than Rose. She was surprised the lady was still standing at all.

"I am quite alright," she said, glad for being a swimmer, for it made her sturdier than she looked. She was such a soft spoken individual that one might not know she was a socialite. "I have certainly survived much worse, you needn't worry much about me at all." Her dark eyes were warm.

The lady looked around her own age, but they were worlds apart. Rose stepped back. Submissiveness had been bred into her people for generations. "So sorry to get in yer way, miss."

"Please do stop apologizing," she said. "My name is Pearl... Pearl Carrington." She reached out and squeezed the other girl's hand.

Rose blushed when the other girl took her hand. She hoped no one would notice, because people might think Rose was too familiar with her superior. "Rose Ward." She said awkwardly. "Pleasure to meet ye, Miss." Was that the appropriate thing to say when you could have killed someone?

She didn't seem to mind. Pearl smiled her bright smile, and said, "Pleasure, I am alright Rose Ward." She nodded and glanced around as if looking for something. There was a little bit of shyness in her mannerisms.

Rose gave her an awkward smile. "I shouldn't keep ye, Miss." Just then, she became aware of something wet near her hip and she looked down. She had been carrying a small vial from the pharmacist in her pocket and it had cracked during their collision and the content was now forming a growing stain on her skirt. "No... no no!" She was terrified of what Mr. Meijer would say if she had wasted money. He had never been really mean or cruel to her, but he kept giving her the sense that he disliked her, and she was afraid to anger him. She reached down into her pocket to see if she could save some of the substance and the next moment pulled back her hand, her fingers bleeding.

"Oh no!" cried Pearl and she immediately took the girl's hand. First, she picked any glass from the wounds, and then she tore a piece of petticoat to wrap firmly around the fingers. "Are you alright? Come on, let's get you cleaned up now. I can replace whatever that medicine was."