Anne felt a little warmer inside, and she followed him back in, determined to work as hard as she could to repay the man for his kindness.

Gus didn't head to the room with the body. He went to the kitchen and poured her a glass of water. "This may help you, if you're still feeling a bit ill from the body and the fumes. Remember, let me know if it is difficult. I would never forgive myself if you fainted and got hurt. You are under my wing now.' He smiled huge as he was going to treat her like a granddaughter if she let him.

Once again, Anne was surprised. She had never worked for anyone but her family before, but if she was to believe Rose, employers were horrible. This man was paying her to be here, and yet he treated her almost as if she was a guest. Slightly embarrassed by all the kindness she was so unfamiliar with, she took the glass. "Aye, ser. But I expect I'll be alright." She was determined to be alright. She drank the water.

Gus nodded but smiled. "You haven't had a bad day here yet though. I have seen men twice your size collapse. It will be hard sometimes and you will need to sit down. You need to be my age and seen it all for it to not bother you physically like that any more. There is nothing wrong with admitting you aren't ready yet." He nodded to her and headed towards the other room to finish a few things up. "Come see me when you are ready" he called out to her.

Anne had seen her brother washed ashore after days. She had seen grown ups and children who had died from flu or other problems. She believed that she could handle it. She put the glass down and followed the man. "I'm not afraid, ser. I daresay I've seen a great deal."

Gus glanced back and he looked at her sadly. "Oh? I am sorry you had to go through with that. The first death I ever had was my brother, and we never saw his body. It happened in the war. Few things can bring you grief like knowing someone has passed but never being able to be certain because you were not able to say goodbye to them in person. It guided me to this job. I would never wish someone's farewell to be unsatisfying because the one giving them the path to their great sleep wasn't caring enough.' He put away the pumping machine and seemed to be checking the limbs for something. "I think this man is ready. Can you help me?" He gestured to a door. "Open that please." He wheeled the body to what appeared to be a large dumb waiter that was able to hold the body and the table it rested on. "I put them in the basement where it is cool to keep them as they sit and the chemicals can work through them. I will have to dress him later and make him look as much like his old self as I can."

"Ye lived through war?" Anne asked, surprised and not quite sure which war he was referring to. "I'm sorry ye lost your brother." She opened the door. Talking helped her not focus on the body, even if it did feel somewhat disrespectful. "But it's good of ye to turn it into som't good."

Gus nodded and laughed lightly. "Do I look too young to have lived through it? I was older than you when it happened. "He shrugged slightly, "It is alright. I have regretted not being there but I was too ill at the time to serve. My brother was a good and brave man who had a lot going for him before he passed. I didn't want his memory to be in vein and I try every day to make him proud. I like to think I am doing an alright job."

"Crimea?" she asked softly. Her father had been a child and Anne only knew about it from what she had learned in school. It seemed forever ago. She wanted to ask why he had been sick, but held her tongue. It was not her place to ask personal questions.

Gus nodded, "That's the one. It was a difficult time, I'm glad I haven't seen days like that since." He pushed the table through the door and started to pull on some ropes that lowered them to the basement and gestured for her to open the door.