"A reporter fer the gazette. Her brother was an evil man who killed women and is also behind the deaths of others too. He was the owner of the brothel and married one of the women there, poor miss. Miss Pearl risked her reputation to help stop him and gave the story to that man and he stabbed her in the back. Would that I could wallop that jacknape." She clicked her tongue.

"The missus of the manor doesn't like the lass either, and the master.... Well, he shoulda had things in hand instead o' this." And then she gave a longsuffering sigh. "The lass isn't like the rest of the Carringtons. She is a kind soul with a spirit too big for this world to me."

"Aye, I heard all of that," Ruth muttered, dropping the towel and studying her naked body in the mirror. "But I didn't know Miss Pearl was involved." Not that she cared. Or about the reporter. Or about the fact that Miss Pearl was a good person. To Ruth, she was a threat. But she wasn't about to start any fires if she didn't need to.

She threw her damp hair in different ways to note the effect. "Look, I don't think anyone will listen to what I 'ave to say, but I'll do what I can when t' time comes." Probably not. But it wouldn't matter by then if he broke her promise. By then she would have squeezed all she could out of this situation and they could finish each other off for all she cared. "But for now, I'm gonna have to play on Magnus' side if I want to continue this contract. Where are his gross underthings?"

"I am asking for something a lot less complex than that. I want to be yer eyes and ears in return for ye simply gathering information where ye can. Ye have the position that not even the master's wife has. I have access to information ye might not get from him. Ye need ta protect yerself just as much as me. These people are not like most... Tis like watching a ship sink. Don't let him pull ye in too deep." She said this all with a soft warning, then she straightened as another servant, an older woman, came walking in long enough to give Tilly a note. She opened it and then muttered, "I have ta leave ye fer now. Ye can trust the few that ye will see, we tend ta stay as far removed as we can from the fallout."

Ruth didn't know what to make of the maid's warnings and proposal. It didn't matter. Before she could answer another maid entered. Was she supposed to get used to servants to walking in while she was butt naked?

Her eyes narrowed when the Tilly read the note and excused herself. They followed her reflection to the door.

What the hell? Ruth decided she disliked Tilly.

She shrugged at the comment and tossed her hair over her shoulder again. "Magnus is waiting for me," was her only answer. Her eyes had already turned to the older maid. "Let's get on with it."

As the maid dressed her and did her hair, Ruth was silent and reflected on the conversation and its abrupt end. Tilly was clearly playing her own game. She was as much of a danger as the rest of the family. Ruth decided her own common practice would serve her best in this hornet's nest. She'd trust nobody but herself.

At the appropriate time, she made her way downstairs to the hall, dressed more elegantly than she had ever been and a great deal more apprehensive than last night.