"Aye she did." Tobias looked over to Jimmy. "Careful with that door."

"Aye ser. I'm sorry," muttered the boy.

Tobias left, and Jenny looked over to Nat. "Ye should not 'ave lied. It ain't right. Jimmy did that on purpose."

"No I didn't!"

"What happened was because of me being here.  I wouldn't have Mr. Appleton discipline you for it,"  she paused, then gave Jimmy a direct look, "this time.  Not how I want to start out here, but if happens again, then I will let it lay."  She said calmly.  "This is a good situation for all of us.  I don't know how he deals with bad behavior", she added silently, other than threatening her to jaol, "but I don't want to be finding out and don't care to see someone else get on the hard end of it either."  She finished her meal.

"I am ready to be seeing where I am to be making a bed."  She grabbed her backpack and moved to follow Jimmy.

Jenny shrugged. "Well off ye go then. And ye better behave, Jimmy!"

The boy shrugged and led Nat out, but when they were outside, walking to the barn, the boy turned to Nat. "Thanks for savin' me hide."

She nodded and shrugged.  "I've learned it is better to work together when trying to survive on the streets.  Find people that will watch your back and you watch theirs.  Doesn't always work, but often it does.  We would find jobs for each other when there were extras, and share food when there was enough.  I've looked for how to make allies, not cause enemies." She gave him a look, "But I am not going to take the fall, ifn it not worth it."  She added seriously.

"You've had other jobs then? I'd get away if I could, but my family is here. Anywhere is better than here. I'd go if I were you," the boy said. They entered the barn and Jimmy climbed the ladder.

"I had lots of jobs, when I could find them.  None steady, and sometimes there were none available at all.  I lived on the street, Jimmy.  Sometimes didn't even have a roof over my head with my stomach empty.  Some of the jobs would have been fine if they were steady, but most were things other people didn't want to do.  Dirty cleaning things, climbing in areas so tight you could barely breathe, or people that follow up on paying you after agreeing to, because you are a street rat and it doesn't matter.  It isn't a good life, I promise.  Once you get a place like this, steady job, regular food, and a roof over your head every night, jump on it."  She gave him a look.  "I don't mind hard work, not for that kind of payment, damn right.  Though if they abuse you here? That would be different."  She watched his expression to see if there was a hint of that.

[CW: reference to alcohol abuse and child abuse]

There was only dimmed lighting coming through the cracks in the attic, so it would be hard to see Jimmy's face as he sat down in the hay. "Oh yeah. When 'e's sober it's only when ye misbehave. Though 'e beats hard. And sometimes he locks ye up in a dark room for hours and hours on end, or ye don't get food for days. But when 'e gets drunk, then it gets really bad. Most servants only stay a few days, it's just that Jenny and I can't leave our mam. But don't worry. 'E only gets drunk about once or twice a week and the welts do disappear in the end. But if I were you run away while ye can."

Nat looked around the dim light.  It was not the worst she had been, but not the best either.  However, it was dry, seemly warm, and private.  Those were good points.  She would need to have a lamp of some sort, though with the hay she would have to be careful.  Then she heard Jimmy speak about the drinking and beatings.  That made her take a strong pause.

"Beatings?  For no reason?  Real reason, I mean?  Or just drunk reasons?"  That did not sound good at all.  If he was going to beat her, she wasn't going to be staying around.

"Aye, drunk reasons. Mostly just being near him when he's drunk. Though he might come looking for you. So if I were you I'd start back for Whitby at first light. You can make it back before dark." He sat down in a corner where blankets over the hay made a makeshift bed.

She considered this.  Though knowing that Jimmy had not wanted her here, she thought she would give a bit more time to finding out the truth of it.  The man she had ridden over from Whitby with did not seem a brutal man.  Jenny had not seemed afraid of him either.  Her words were not along the same as Jimmy's were.  So, one of them was not being straight with her.

"I'll wait and see how it goes for a bit."  She responded.  Then looking over at him in the dim space.   "I'll need to ask him what my list of chores will be each day and when he expects them done."  She stated.