John sat on the bollard that was used to tie up the vessels. He pondered every single choice he had made and then some. He had left this place to create a better life for himself and now as he returned everything was ruined for him by one article

The army had suspended him indefinitely until the hearing and investigation had been carried out but that took weeks even months before it would be sorted. His promotion was out the window and he would be lucky to keep his rank.

Why did he come back? He kept asking himself this over and over again and knew there was no correct answer. He sighed.

The army had even mentioned time in military prison over this for two reasons. Bringing the army into disrepute and because he hadn't mentioned about his past when enlisting 7 years ago. He had two more years left on this enlistment but wondered if he would see the end of it or if he would be kicked out.

He sat staring blankly into the sunset

The smell of the brine in the air did little to settle her stomach as she slowly walked toward the sea, her thoughts jumbled and tired as she considered her next move. It did not help that there was a strange feeling that someone was watching her, leaving her to glance over her shoulder nervously, only to see nobody familiar trailing after her. The sound of the gulls screeching in the air as they circled overhead did little to ease her discomfort either and she sighed. As she approached the edge of the dock, she stared out into the sunset for a long time before she had the urge to glance over her shoulder again.

The sight of another person sitting nearby gave her pause and she eyed him for, perhaps, a few moments longer than was polite. He seemed to be deep in thought, himself, and not really interested in someone like her wandering around in places she ought not be...

Pippa, however, needed the last walk. It wasn't so much to clear her head as to look for Viktre, though her attempts were always futile. Pippa sighed and the scent of the ocean made her gag slightly, so she turned on heel and was about to dart away but it too was futile, and one would be able to hear the splash of her getting ill. Damned pregnancy.

John continued to stare into the sunset. 7 years he had spent trying to create a better future for himself. 7 years he had escaped this place and been able to put everything behind him and within a matter of hours. One person. One journalist out to make a name for himself had ruined his life back to what it was the day left. But what annoyed John even more was that now his brothers life had been ruined by this article and he didn't deserve that. He had fallen in love with a woman and wanted to be with her. There was no crime there.

John sat staring blankly into the sunset. Trying to process his thoughts when he saw a woman. Unusual to see people like her walking about here.....was she lost?....looking for someone. He decided to ask and as he stepped up & walked over. "Are you OK ma'am?"

As he was approaching her, she put the back of her right hand against her mouth. She sighed deeply before turning her gaze toward the handsome visage of the man. After a moment was taken to recover, her eyes did that thing that eyes do just before weeping might start, but there were no tears. She did not speak yet, but she did shake her head softly and close her eyes for just a stretch of 10 or so seconds, breathing in gulps of air.

After she was sure the bout of smell induced sickness was over, she did speak, "No... but I suppose I shall live. Thank you for asking though." She did much to avoid gazing down at the mess she had made on the surface of the sea, not wanting to look at it and end up sick again.

It wasn't the vomit that upset her, however, it was the fact that she had gotten the closure she needed but not necessarily the ending she wanted to the saga that began with Viktre and herself. He was gone and she knew that she would not see him again, and maybe it was for the best but it still hurt.

"I shouldn't have come here but I had to."

John continued to walk towards the woman and continued to speak "alot of people come down where when they need to clear their head. It's peaceful here."

He continued "not everyone who wanders is lost. We just need to find ourselves once more. And I always think places like this help. There's something calming about the water"

John looked at her. "Trust me on this one. Put your hands on your head and breath through your nose and out through your mouth and concentrate on that. It will help with the nausea. He looked at her once more "im John by the way"

"I... If I do that, I will throw up again..." she said and shook her head, "The smell is getting to me." And then she blushed and hoped that he wouldn't just put two and two together with that admission. It was bad enough that some people were noticing that swell despite her having let out her smock until she simply couldn't. She put her finger up to her nose to at least block the scent a little bit.

Except, in the process, the cloak opened and did exactly what she was trying not to do... The fabric parted to reveal the slight swell anyway, and there was an important thing missing from her finger... There was no ring.

John smiled. "im a soldier ma'am I've just come back from overseas posting. A lot of guys would get sick on the boat, and this was how we were told to help with it" He tilted his head and laughed "you feel weird and look silly but it does help"

He noticed the bump but didn't say anything. It wasn't his business. She was gorgeous. There was no mistaking that, but John had other things on his mind than admiring the talent. He gestured to the seat "some sit down, take the pressure off your feet"

She nodded softly and moved to sit where indicated. Pippa could not hide the smile as she peered at him for his kindness. She wondered if he was with another or not but would not bring that up as it was not her business either. She sat for a moment and did the trick of breathing deeply and exhaling, but only through her mouth which was at least tolerable. The nausea subsided and she tilted her head. "A soldier?" she prompted, trying not to frown because she wasn't sure if a soldier was much better than the absentee fisherman that fathered her child.

"I am a mere maid, though I once was not," she smiled again. She might not have been born to be a maid, but she certainly was proud of the fact that she was one because of the fact that she had learned so many new and good skills in the household. Thing was, she did not talk like a maid would, her speech pattern was succinct and distinct. It was with a refined, New England accent, not the heavy one but the one that was more subtle. She also had the kind of bearing of being polished.

She was clearly a lady in the form of a maid now.

John sat down beside her "yeah 7 years I've been with the army. Sent to India to fight the rebels, but sadly, the biggest rebel i found was myself. I escaped this place and dedicated my life to the army. I've been single all my time in the army, but since I came home. Everything has turned to ruins. Came home and had my life destroyed by one article and now awaiting the result of the hearing"

John smiled. "There is nothing wrong with being a maid. We all have our place in this world. We just have to find it" He returned the direction of the conversation "I used to come down here to hide when I was younger. It's a great place to think & soon i think I will be headed for York for what might be the last of my time in the army. And even if I do stay in the army I won't be deployed overseas again. Especially with my injuries........anyways what's a beautiful young woman like you doing down here?"

She listened quietly as he spoke of the things that he went through so candidly with someone like her. Pippa did feel slightly nervous, now knowing that he was unattached and she did not exactly know how to pursue a man. But she turned her gaze toward him when he brought her back up and why she was there. She licked her lips and looked away. "I am not sure that it is a good idea for me to be candid, but to be truthful... I do not know many people here and I have few friends since coming here. Even fewer than I thought."

Pippa bit her lip for a moment before glancing at him sidelong, and she took a deep breath before saying, "My family was killed in a fire set by a man that my father was associated with. I was in finishing school at the time this happened. I sold most of my gowns, all but this locket," she paused and put her hand over the locket that dangled from her neck, "my books, whatever I had that could have been of some value... The bank had frozen the money as far as I know, so I had to do something."

It was the first time she could talk about the horrible things that brought her to Whitby and she was not crying for it.

The emotion was thick, however, especially in the way her voice sounded. "He's looking for me now... The man who killed my family," she went on to say. "So... I came here from America while the wound was fresh. And... I suppose mistakes are easiest made when you do not have a clear head, when you are blinded by grief. I met a man and we.., created a life. He is a sailor and I come here to look for his ship sometimes and check his home. I don't think he will be back for a time. I thought today that I could come here and let go. I feel so stupid. I just wanted to feel anything besides the pain in my heart and now I am paying for it." She gave a slight shrug, looked down at her hands.

"I am not sure what to do other than look for someone who would be willing to marry for convenience, but I am not so sure if it will work. I am frightened of getting into yet another bad situation."