Kate's eyes went wide as she looked from her mother to her father.

"Aye lass, yer brother has ruined us, ye'll see. Ye better wake Anne up. We'll deal with that, before the hell breaks loose," said Bill.

Her husband's mention of that poor wretch caused Lottie to bristle. "Bill!" she scolded, but then she remembered he wasn't here when that all happened.

"Bill, Anne Ward never stayed last night. After ye left, Ben came ta collect her," Her nostrils flared and her voice became hard at the remembrance. She was not sad, she was angry. "That.. that... man," she said with emphasis on the 'man' "struck that poor girl with the back of his hand... in my house! and then dragged 'er away. I swear, if 'e sets foot in this 'ouse again.. I 'ope yer proud of yerself, ye and all men."

Bill frowned and groaned softly at the scolding he received. His head hurt too much to deal with all of this. "What? It's not like I struck 'er," he defended himself. "Ben shouldn't 'ave raised 'is hand against 'er. She's practically a young woman," he added, but, he thought quietly to himself, with Anne back home, at least they had one issue less to deal with.

"But ye weren't 'ere to protect her either. Ye men are like wee babes: ye want food, clothes, hot baths all at once and ye'll scream until ye get it, even though ye can do it yerselves. Ye ask me, the world would be a better, kinder place if women ran it."

"Jesus, woman, if ye weren't so damn belligerent all the time, maybe the world would actually give ye a chance," Bill snapped back at her.

Kate shrunk.

Bill got up and left the kitchen.

Lottie scoffed at her husband's attitude.  She would continue to say such things if only to set a good example to her Kate.

The front door slammed. Kate bit her lip, got up and started preparing herself some breakfast. She hated it when her parents argued.

"Ma? Are Joe and Miss Ca-... and.. Miss Pearl comin' home?"

"Aye, their letter says so."

Kate sat back down with her oatmeal. She prodded in it with her spoon, then looked at her mother. "Are ye very angry, ma?" she asked in a small voice