Andrew was nervous... Again, he had dressed in his Sunday best and put pomade in his hair and... well... all of the stuff he had done before. After he had gone to church, he went back to the bakery and added the tart he'd baked just for the occasion and two loaves of brioche bread into a basket, and he would walk to the house that belonged to the Wards. He smoothed at his curls before wiping his hand on a hanky, then knocked upon the door and waited for an answer. He looked up at the sky when a few droplets of cold rain hit his face and took note of the heavy clouds overhead that said he would be walking home in the rain after supper.

Rose was as nervous. Tom had been courting a girl, and Maggie had married, but both had been with people the family had known already. Alice, well, that was a story of it's own. Rose was the first to invite a stranger she with whom was courting to a family diner - or so she thought. Dressed up as fine as she could, she opened the door, and barely knew what to say, for she was suddenly very aware of her family's presence. "Hello." Awkward. "Come in."

From inside rose the smell of bacon, and fish, potatoes and some vegetables. Rose's father stepped up to Andrew and held out his hand. "Ben Ward, pleased to meet you."

Beside him stood a shy looking teenage girl and a younger teenage boy. The youngest boy had his arms crossed and was sizing Andrew up.

"The pleasure is mine," said the baker as he took the man's hand and shook it with a firm and respectable grip. "I am Andrew Willaby." He looked to the boy and then back at his father and said, "I've brought with me some brioche and a chocolate tart from me bakery." He looked to Rose with a softened expression, and a somewhat dopey smile flitted across his face. He was certainly smitten with the young miss.

The little boy's eyes turned wide and he sat down at the table. "Let's eat!", which made some of his family members laugh.

"Please have a seat," said Rose, gesturing at one end of the table. Her father sat down at the other end and Bram sat himself next to the guest, even though that was not his usual spot. Rose and Anne brought food to the table. "Let's leave the brioche and chocolate cake for desert," Rose suggested.

He handed off the basket of goods first and then sat. He found Bram's antics entertaining as the child sat next to him. "Oh, the brioche is best served with supper, but there are two loaves so you can have more later if ye wish." He nodded. If she tok a look, she would see a perfect tart in the bottom of the basket, a barrier of parchment paper protecting it from the bread and the bread from it.

Rose, of course, could not resist peeking under the parchment paper, and she was delighted. Anne, who was standing next to her, caught a glance and stared at it longingly, even after Rose had covered it with the paper again. "Alright, then!" Rose said, and she placed one of the breads on the table. "It looks delicious!" She was glad for the cheerful spirit and would gladly add to it.

When all were seated, Rose's father said a prayer and then father and Rose were helping everyone to food, serving the guest first.

"Where are ye from, Mr. Willaby?" Ben asked, when everyone had food. Bram broke off a rather large chunk of brioche while his father was distracted by the hearing.

Andrew smiled toward Bram for his large appetite and then looked over to Ben. "I'm from London, sir." He glanced to Rose, who was serving him, and said a quiet, "Thank ye," and was glad that the family liked what they saw in the basket. He waited until everyone was seated and had food on their plates and eating before he started eating.

"Ah, what brings you to Whitby?" Ben asked. Rose coloured red. She understood that father wanted to know what kind of man she was seeing, but could he not be a little more subtle about it? She cast an apologetic look in Andrew's direction.

"I wanted away from London, a fresh start," he said simply. He looked to Rose when she sent her apologetic look and merely smiled in reassurance.

"Well, it's a good thing ye did. Rose told me you've been helping Mr. Meijer to feed t' bairns in school. That's a very kind thing," Ben said.

Rose relaxed and smiled at Andrew.

"I'm in Mr. Meijer's school!" Bram forced his way into the conversation.