The words started him. He looked down at Alice, with her arm raised. Here there was another man shouting at him to let go of a frightened, pregnant woman, whom he had grabbed, rather too fiercely, so fiercely she was clearly afraid he'd strike her, and he felt shame. Damn Alice and damn the man he was becoming.

Then the other words came and stung more.

He let go of Alice. "Go to your room!" he shouted, and then he turned back to the intruder. "What do you know? Get out!"

What did he know? Had Alice told him? "How do you know?!"

Zechariah pursed his lips awkwardly when Alice burst into tears. The poor child was legitimately terrified for her life, and for what? A laugh? He was going to need a week in the bathhouse to soak out all this Ward pity off him once all was said and done.

Then Appleton shouted at her like the child she was, and Zechariah just felt worse for the poor thing.

When the older man started barking orders at him again, Zechariah blinked. Then, his brows furrowed in confusion. Did he want him gone, or did he want the juicy parts?

For once, Zechariah actually resisted lashon hara and took a step backward.

Alice didn't need to be told twice. She cast one last teary glance at Mr. Meijer, then cast her eyes down and rushed upstairs as fast as her weakened body could carry her. She shut the door behind her. She would have locked it, but Tobias had taken away the key, she would have moved all the furniture against the door, but all unnecessary furniture had been removed after she had tried to barricade the entrance to her retreat last time.

She grabbed her blanket, wrapped it around her self, and lay down in bed. She curled up on her side and closed her eyes. "Anne. Anne. Anne," she whispered.

"How do you know?" Tobias demanded. "How do you know Alice?"

Had she had more than one lover in Whitby? Another thing the family had failed to mention?

Had he known the conditions of her room, he would not have felt the relief he did. Ignorance was bliss.

The crisis seemed … averted, as much as it could be. Appleton pushed for answers – answers he would have gladly all but sung to him had he not just had the audacity to inspire pity for a Ward.

“That is your problem now, Tobias.”

He moved to leave.

Knew his name as well.

"Oi!" He followed the man. "What's your business with my wife?!"

Tobias moved toward him. Zechariah had been stabbed before, and could still point to the phantom scar where it had really, really hurt.

He took one look back at him, then ran.

Tobias stopped. He wasn't going to chase this one. But he resolved to be ready with a hunting gun the next time he saw that bastard near his property.