Ben gave Elijah a look of anger. It hit where it hurt.

And then Mr. Meijer spoke. Ben tried to spin round and launch himself at the man, handcuffed and all. He didn't care. He'd headbutt him if he had to. He didn't care if he'd lose after that. He didn't even know if he was angry with Mr. Meijer himself at this point. But he was in a rage.

He pulled hard against Elijah's grip, trying to get back to man, but he failed.

Tobias wasn't certain what the comment referred to, but he could make a guess. Mr. Meijer was a liar. But by this time, Tobias had made his own deductions regarding the quality of Ben's parenting and Ben's ability to keep himself in hand. No wonder Alice was the way she was.

When his father-in-law tried to get back to Mr. Meijer, Tobias quickly grabbed the arm he had let go, to assist Elijah in keeping him under control. "Don't make things worse for yerself, Ben!"

Did Mr. Meijer have a death wish? Was his face injured so little because it had been punched so often it had somehow hardened?

When the man got up, ready to fight, Tristan grabbed his arm. "Mr. Meijer. You're already injured."

Elijah wanted to tell Zech to focus on being treated, but before he could open his mouth, Ben tried to rush from his grip. He slid his arm in to lock around Ben's atthe elbow and force him back. He nodded to Tobias more than grateful for the help.

He glared at Ben as the man was nearly foaming at the mouth in a rage. "I'm so disappointed in you. I always hoped you could change and be someone better. But you just sank lower. Stop fighting, I don't want to be rough with you but I'll do what I have to to get you to the constabulary. " He pulled him back and tried to lead him away from the scene.

He glanced to Zech and Alice. He wished he had the words to say to them, but nothing would be enough. He just looked forward and tried to get the violent man away

Murphy shook his head to Mehmet. "You don't need to be strong. It's not the same as a beast. But it's a terrible thing to claim on someone. " He tsked at the man in handcuffs who was being lead away. Even he looked down in the guy he didn't even know. Who would say such a terrible thing unless they really knew or just wanted to ruin their lives. And considering his claim about him seducing others, it was probably the latter he figured.

[[CW: You know what this thread needs? Biphobia.]]

Lory sneered off the ship at Simon’s downfall.

“Some men just can’t choose.”

Zechariah smiled a patronizing smile up at Wells for stating the obvious, but let his fist unclench and his weight drop back onto both heeled-boot heels.

His gaze swiveled between Elijah and Ben. If it were any other constable, he could probably have riled him up more, copper’s face be damned.

Instead, he settled for glaring at Ben.

“Pretty bad,” Mehmet humored, though he wasn’t especially convinced that sodomy was, well, bad. “There a bathhouse around here?”

… Shit. Did Englishmen have the Libertin association with bathhouses, or was it just assumed sodomy didn’t happen in spaces excellent for sodomy?

"Oh..." she whispered, realizing there was a lot she didn't know. She didn't have long to reflect. Her father nearly attacked the man again, but Elijah and Tobias stopped him. Anne could feel tears sting her eyes. Why wouldn't he just stop? It was bad enough to see him arrested. To see Elijah tell him off hurt her more. What would come of this?

There was a time her father's arrest would have upset her. But Alice looked on coolly. Had he shed tears when she was led away a captive? When she had given one last desperate glance over her shoulder, had he stopped them and called the whole thing off as she had wanted him to?

When Elijah looked over at her, she looked away.

Had he?