"Of course you didn't. Most men's brains are clouded by drink, but ye don't have that excuse. Do ye think of nowt else but fishin'?"

Ben felt bad, but the way Lottie scolded him triggered his stubbornness. "Now wait just a second. She nivver told me she needed a new one!"

"Did ye miss that she was growin' up? Yed have ta be blind na ta see it!" Lottie hadn't been in the Cragg when Anne was younger, but had helped Hannah, Ben's wife, care for her older children.

"Well, I... nivver thought of it..." he finished more quietly. "I try to be father and mother to 'em, but it's hard, Lottie..."

"Well you've done a poor job of it." Lottie shot back.

She wasn't so angry at Ben for forgetting to buy Anne clothes that fit her. Rather her anger was directed at Bill, at Joe, at the world, because it had to be released. Ben just happen to be the poor sod in the room to receive it.

"I don't need you to tell me..." He certainly didn't. He had been unable to save Tom from drowning, unable to keep Simon from... doing everything he had done, and Alice had gotten into trouble recently.

Ben looked again at the corset. "Wait, if she's not wearin' that now... whats she wearin' now?"

"I paid fer a new one. Bill'll be pleadin' charity at the Red Lion, but at least now Anne has decent clothes."

That shamed Ben even more. "Then I'll pay ye back. I'm sorry, Lottie."

"I won't hear of it. What ye can do, is care more for 'er. If ye can't talk to 'er, get her sisters te talk to 'er. If they can't, then send er to me."

That added insult to injury. "I do care for her. I do all I can, for all those bairns. I care more about their wellbein' than owt in the world, surely you understand that as a mother."