"I reckon ye should." Ben said. "She's a good and kind, lass, with a good head on her and t' heart in t' right place, and she deserves to be happy."

"That is me hope. I was hopin' fer yer blessing ta marry her. I know I've only been courting her for a short time, but I have a need fer a wife and I wouldn't mind hearin' the pitter patter of little feet soon too. She seems to be made of strong stuff and I believe she would make fer a good wife." He took another few puffs.

Ben turned to Andrew with quite a grave expression on his face. "Do you drink, son?"

"Upon occasion," he repeated his answer from before. He swallowed heavily, wondering what to make of this grave expression of Ben's.

"But ye don't make a habit out of it?" If Andrew might have thought it was a police interview before, that was nothing.

"Nay. I value me noggin too much to lose it ta drink," he said honestly.

Ben nodded. "What about gambling?"

"Never gambled in me life," he said. It was true, unless one counted moving across the country to open up a bakery in a place unknown to him.

Ben nodded again. "And yer business... Is it secure and profitable enough to support a family?" Ben was eager to see Rose married, even if it it would be a drawback for the family to lose her income. But he wanted to make sure that the marriage was a sensible one.

"I'm not poor, but nor am I rich. I just got to the point where I need help around me shop and am takin' on an apprentice. I'd say me profits are where they should be after six months." He knew that it took lots of hard work to get out of the red completely, and that usually took about a year. He was well on his way.