"Aye, I know you're not, with ye feeding those bairns." He put his pipe to his mouth and remained quiet as he inhaled the smoke.

The boy next to him, meanwhile, had shrunk his shoulders, pressed his lips together and looked down at his hands. He plucked at a little piece of skin by the side of his nail, until it came off and it bled a little. He put his finger in his mouth to stop the bleeding.

"Anne, she's a good lass mostly." Ben finally said. "And she means well. She just doesn't always think things through. I'll send her and Bram in tomorrow mornin' to apologize. She shouldn't 'ave lied to ye, even if ye were a tyrant. Though I'm glad yer not. Bram might even learn a thing or two while 'e's there." Ben didn't think it would benefit him, but it wouldn't harm him either, if he was forced to waste his time in school anyway.