Benny had watched her practically run off, he was quite shocked. He laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. "Wasn't trying to upset her or nothing. Guess it shows I'm better on the sea. I don't know the first thing about ladies. Maybe I should just pay you for lunch and go . Before I do any more damage." He stood and reached into a pocket to dig out a little money.

"Ye mustn't mind 'er. She wasn't feeling well today." Benjamin told her. "It wasn't your fault." But he said that out of politeness. Benjamin thought it really was the young man's fault, poking his nose into their affairs. "Ye can pay what you like." Because the truth was that now he just wanted to be rid of Benny.

Benny frowned as he could tell they wanted him gone. He tossed a couple of coins in the counter, enough to pay what he would have at cheap pub. He stood and gave him a quick thanks before walking out, hoping to apologize to the daughter before he left.

There were some steps to get back down into the yard, where the girl stood washing her face. She looked up when Benny came out of the house.
"Oh I do apologise, ser." she grasped.

But Benjamin followed the young man out.
"Come inside, Rose," he said grimly.

Benny was about to speak when he heard the man's voice. He tried to keep his expression calm but felt the corners of his lips tighten. "She doesn't need to rush. I am just going to apologize."

He walked towards the girl and took her by the arm to lead her a few feet closer towards the street so that the man couldn't hear, hopefully. "Just a word, sir." He said to the Benjamin before looking towards her and dropping his voice.

"I did wish to apologize and not mean to upset you. Is everything alright ? You can speak freely if it were me ..." his eyes glanced towards her father then back. "Or anyone else. After all, how can we learn if we are not corrected?"

Rose felt embarrassed about her outburst of emotion. She hated how sometimes she just didn't seem able to control herself, and it was worse at this time of the month.

She was about to obey her father, when the stranger insisted on a word and grabbed her arm. Rose felt her heartbeat rise.

"Oi!" She heard her father shout and the man approached faster than his poor leg was supposed to allow. Rose raised a hand and tried to hit him across the face as hard as she could. "Let go of me!" she shouted. Meanwhile, other people in the yard had started shouting threats at the young man, and one man approached, a piece of driftwood in hand. Suddenly the whole yard was alive to protect "their own".

"Ah!" He was startled by the reaction and held his cheek she had slapped. He glared at her and then at the man with the driftwood. He had a pistol hidden in his coat, but didn't want to make things hard on the captain and his crew by getting into trouble over this. It wasn't worth it.

"Fuckin' stupid girl! I really just wanted a word. Why would you hit me?! We're in the middle of a yard. I wasn't going to lead you anywhere or try anything! I was trying to be nice and you hit me. No wonder you're all poor and stupid." He winced and rubbed his cheek as he glared angrily. He gestured to the man with the driftwood.

"Back off! I am leaving. I hope you all don't catch a fish the rest of the year and starve. Attacking innocent people just trying to help. " He grumbled and started to try to walk past them to get back to the pier.

"And your cooking is terrible!" He added to Rose.

"Get out!" Benjamin shouted, and the man with the driftwood pushed Benny as he moved.

Benny backed up a step and glared at the man with the driftwood. "I am leaving, I have no reason to want to stay around you. Back off!" He pushed at the large piece of wood before backing up. "None of you are worth my time, idiots." He wasn't about to look away from them so he kept stepping back until he felt he had enough distance to leave.