Nat went quiet.  He had made his point strongly and loudly.  She glanced toward Mrs. Appleton at the comment about not going near the baby.  That was not normal.  Something was wrong with the other woman.  She had seen some women not spend time with their babies, some of the boys have taken care of their little sisters until they were taken away.  Though those women were usually earning their money on the street with various men.  She didn't think this lady was like that.  After all, they were married.

She squeezed Mrs. Appleton's hand tighter in response to the woman holding her hand.  She would support the woman as much as she could.  Though she could see that the man had the upper hand in this situation.  He was a man, after all, the husband, and landowner.

"Alice!" Mr. Appleton snarled when his wife didn't move.

Still the girl did not stir though a slight tremble went through her hand. She did not let go of Nat however, but clung to her hand with yet more determinacy.

"Suit yourself, then, but don't expect owt from me anymore," he hissed, and with one angry glance in Nat's direction as if his wife's willfulness was her fault, Mr. Appleton marched back upstairs and a door shut rather too loud. Once again there was an infant's cry, but it was but short.

As soon as her husband was gone, Mrs. Appleton's lip trembled and she dissolved to tears. She let go of Nat's hand to bring her own hands up to her face.

Nat gave a shudder at the yelling and worried about the woman all the more.  What had he meant about not getting anything else?  Was the woman not to have money of her own to take care of her needs now, because of Nat?  She had not wanted to cause trouble. 

When the other lady's hands went to her face, Nat raised closer and patted the woman's shoulder.  "I thank you for that, but I don't want you to have trouble because of me.  I mean nothing to you, and he is your husband.  The father of your baby."  She spoke quietly and was confused by what was happening then.

Alice's shoulder's were drawn up. She sat bent forward as she sniffed. Her fingers caught strands of her hair and pulled. She let go, breathed unsteadily, pulled her hands away from her face to try to wipe her nose. Her hand trembled. Her eyes were wild. Her face blotched. It was not a pretty sight. Nor a sane one. Her hands clutched and unclutched in the air. She bit her lower lip hard, then put her wrist against her forehead and started bumping against it while whimpering. Nat's words seemed lost on her.

And then, as if in a moment of clarity, she looked at Nat sharply. The tears were still on her face, but the crying had stopped. "Then you must take my letter."

Nat's eyes went cautious, and all the more concerned.  The woman did not need to be around a baby, not like that.  Who was taking care of the baby?  Jenny?  Another maid?  Jenny had been with her in the kitchen the few times she had heard the baby cry.  Had to be another maid, as Mrs. Appleton had been outside the first time she had met the woman, and Jenny had been in the kitchen when the baby was heard upstairs.  So, perhaps a nanny?

Anyway, she needed to help the woman that had arranged for her own staying there.  With a job?  What would she be doing?  She couldn't sleep in the living room, nor out in the loft in the barn now with her secret out.  So many questions still to sort through, but he owed this woman, and he would get her letter out.  "I can do that.  I can walk to the nearest post office in town here.  You write it and get me the money to post it and I will do it, ma'am."

The girl looked confused for a moment and then shook her head. "I've no money to send it. Ye can take it with ye to Whitby. 'E lives there. I've no money to give ye in return, but..." she lifted her hand and took the simple golden wedding band off her finger. It came off easily. She held it out to Nat. "I'll pay ye with this. Ye can sell it. 'E probably won't notice until yer a few days gone."

She thought about it and looked at the wedding ring.  She wouldn't have to go to Whitby now, the woman arranged it, or had she.  Nat was confused now herself.  However, she could make a trip to the town nearby and mail it when she got paid.  Would she now get paid for working there?  She frowned.  She didn't have money to post it herself unless she got paid.  She wasn't taking the woman's wedding ring, that was special.  The man would notice it, Nat thought he would anyway despite what the woman said.

"I will see if I can ride with Mr. Appleton next time he goes to Whitby.  Since you have arranged for me to stay here with you, that is."  She responded.  "I can deliver it in person to whoever you want it to go to, saying I wanted to see my friends there.  So, you write your letter and I will get it there."  She nodded.  Then looked at the woman.  "But what about me here now?  I doubt he will want me sleeping here on the couch every night.  You wanted me to stay with you, but how will that work?"  She asked.  "I don't take up much room, I assure you."

The girl frowned as she looked at Nat. Then she shook her head. "No," she whispered. "No, 'e won't hire ye. At least I think 'e said 'e wouldn't..." she said hesitantly. Could she be wrong? She was so confused as of late. Everything was confused. She didn't know why she did what she did. All was a blur and often she wondered if she was there and she couldn't tell how much time had passed. There was just time, endless time that didn't seem to end.

Nat frowned.  The man had said 'Suit yourself, then, but don't expect owt from me anymore.', had that not meant that Nat could stay with Mrs. Appleton?  To help the woman?  She could have misunderstood it, but that had been how it sounded to her.  She didn't know if to feel hope or feel like everything had fallen down around her. 

"Well, I guess he will let me know for sure in the morning.  Have your letter ready either way.  I will get it there."  She nodded looking like she had lost her last chance at a future.

Mrs. Appleton pulled the hand with the ring back when Nat still didn't take it. Reluctantly, she put it back on her finger. She nodded slowly. She got up and glanced at Nat. Then her eyes went down to her hands. Up at Nat. "I'm Alice," she said in a half-whisper.