"Gladly!" said Ben. He took Anne by the arm and led her away.

It wasn't the sharp pain on her ear that made tears spring in her eyes, but rather the sense of humiliation in front of the onlookers. Anne didn't dare to look at either Lottie or Kate and let her father lead her away.

Lottie kicked the front door closed

"Bastard!" She hissed. Only fools hit women, and cowards hit children.

She fell to her knees, overwhelmed with emotion and wept that she had again failed Anne Ward.

Kate too was in tears at seeing her friend so mistreated and so timid. "Oh ma," she cried and she knelt down and hugged her mother. "It's not right at all!"

Lottie couldn't answer so strong were her tears, she could only vaguely nod at the consolation of her own. At least she hadn't failed Kate.. yet

Kate hugged her mother tight. "Can't we do sum't? He treats her so miserably. He can't just do that, can he?"

Lottie had recovered enough sense to process her daughter's question, though the tears still flowed "Y--Yes. He can. Th..here's nothin' we can do" that harsh reality set the tears flowing once more.

Kate had hoped that her mother would come with some magical wild solution for Anne's sorrows. Her mother's reply was hard to accept. "But it isn't right!"

Lottie's face was flushed from tears, her eyes puffy, and breathing laboured." She was afraid to look at her daughter, but did it anyway. What would she think of her? That her mother was a failure? An accomplice to an evil system?

"Ye're right... it isn't. I don't think I can fix this."

Kate looked down, but then she frowned and took her mother's hands. "We'll find a way."