He played a couple bars, before answering to the missing lead of the piece.

“I – am playing – the piano can’t you see that?”

That man looked utterly pleased with himself, even though one of the piano’s notes was sour.

"Yer tresspassin'," she said, rather shocked by the audacity. Why was he here at all?

Glibly, he continued on and considered his answer before singing along:

“I paid for eggs, paid for eggs, paid for eggs two dozen.”

Perhaps Rose was right and he was just not quite right in the head. Anyway, this was all very wrong. Her husband might come home and find her in the presence of a strange man.

She sat down on the sofa and unwrapped her shawl.

There was a smirk as she settled in.

“Fancy the coincidence,” he mused, to the beat but not sing-songing any more, “that not one, but two Wards – one after the other!” Dramatic slow-down. “Would end up shot-gun marrying mere months apart. How many sisters are left?”

Had he come here to gloat? Damn right he had.

Alice felt something tighten in her stomach. For a moment, she thought she might cry. But instead her lip curled up in disgust. "What's it to you? Jealous yer all sad and alone?"

“You Wards all seem the height of marital bliss,” he answered sarcastically. “Besides – unmarried does not mean alone.” With a mean look and a jaunty twinkle of keys, he added: “You would know that.”

He was completely and utterly alone. Tears on the pillows and bodily fluids in the plumbing-alone.

Alice thought. "Ye'r right. Ye have that witch of a sister livin' in."

The music slowed, but did not halt. Zechariah had a sour look, however.

She was right, but that was none of her business! What was this? He had come here to hurt her, not the other way around! Ohh, he was withholding Rose’s references for no good reason after that!

“At least she does not go mosying through others’ kitchens like a stray, laden animal.”

"Says the person traveling miles out of town, to play piano in his maids sister's drawing room," she scoffed. "Rose did say you were the pettiest person she knows."

Would that harm Rose? Alice had stopped caring.