Bill entered, closed the door behind him and sat down, all without a word. He put his fists down on his thighs and sat there very uncomfortably, as if his limbs were too big for him and he didn't know what to do with them. He glanced at Joe. "I eh.... shouldn't have shouted at yer mother, t' way I did. That was wrong. And ye shouldn't 'ave 'ad to see that for an example."

Joe sat up and swung himself into a sitting position on the bed with his be-socked feet on the floor.  How do two men talk to each other when they've not really talked much? especially about something as women-ly as 'feelings'? What do they say?

"It's okay." Joe knew deep down it wasn't, but now was hardly the ideal time to point that out, so he focused on his own recent failings. "I'm sorry fer the drinkin', I wasn't thinkin' clearly. It won't happen again."

William had been planning to lecture Joe on the evils of drinking, but the boy's admittance of his wrong doing surprised him and now he wasn't sure what to say. "Aye well... I'm glad for that. Ye cannot go drinkin' just because yer frustrated. Ye'll end up like those men that drink their wages and beat their wives and children. That's not the man ye wanna be, is it?"

"No sir." Joe answered quietly.  He couldn't quite imagine himself with a wife and children. Would someone like Pearl marry him? He wasn't opposed to the idea, indeed his own mind had had a lot of fun with it, but their pairing was only days old.  The thought of children seemed hasty and naive.  Despite the foreignness of marriage and children, the notion of beating his imaginary wife, say Pearl or imaginary offspring, repulsed him.

Will gave a brief nod. "Good."

This had all gone a lot smoother in his head.

He didn't know what to say. He stood up. "I'll ask around, see if we can find you sum't else."

"thank ye" Joe replied. He'd need all help he could get. There was only one railway in town, and he'd just been fired from it. Employers would be wary of that. Maybe the Navy would take him? He'd have some days before he'd have to face Pearl and explain things. Hopefully, it wouldn't cast too poor a cloud over the wedding.

Bill nodded again as he opened the door. He pressed his lips together as he looked for words and his moustache twitched. "Ye're a good lad. Ye'll be alright," he said, and he left the room.