Elijah had some time, so he went to the market to buy some things he needed. He figured he'd be able to run his purchase home before he'd be missed. As he walked and had a few paid items in his arm, he noticed a familiar figure. It had been a short time since he'd spent time around the family that had seemed like his own once. Still, she'd gotten married, right? And he hadn't checked up like he should have. He hoped she wanted to talk to him, after arresting her father.

As he got closer, he got more nervous, but knew he shouldn't be. He was a constable, he should be bold and brave. At worst, she will yell or give him the cold shoulder. Which is worse? The tall man wasn't sure. Still, he took a brief pause to gather his courage, and slipped up to her side at a respectable distance.

"Hello, Rose.. It's ... been a while. How are you?"

To the outside world, Rose bravely held up the appearance of a happy fresh wife. She dutifully received friends and family for tea and showed them the cottage. She smiled when they were impressed. When they asked her how 'married life, you know..." she smiled once again and turned her eyes down, as if flustered rather than being afraid that people might read in her eyes that all was not well. She assured people that Andrew's business was going well, even while it was not. The fact that he was never home when people visited, no matter the time of day, was explained away with an "oh, that good man, he works so hard...". To the outside world, Rose was a happy bride. On the inside, she was falling apart. Andrew avoided her. The business was suffering even now that she wasn't touching a thing. And Rose felt lonelier than she had ever felt.

The market was a particular challenge. Buying food reminded her of the meals she would have to cook and destroy, and it made her want to cry. And yet especially in this place she had to keep a constant smile etched on her face, because she was likely to run into friends or family.

When someone spoke to her, her stomach sank, but turning around, she realized it was Elijah, and the sight of his face cheered her. "Elijah!" She hugged him (her basket slamming into his back, oops), before quickly stepping away embarrassed when she realised she wasn't a child anymore. "Oh... I'm sorry. I'm happy to see ye. How are ye?"

Elijah could be completely clueless sometimes, but he could tell genuine sincerity in Rose when she saw him and instantly hugged him. It felt good to know he wasn't hated. He hugged her, even after feeling the basket sling into him. It was easy to ignore to give his friend the return hug he didn't know she needed.

"I'm happy to see you too! I'm... alright." He honestly wasn't worse off, and for the moment it felt like rumors had died down at last. "I can not complain. How about you? Having a busy day ? Is married life being easy on you?" He knew a little and felt ashamed at having not checked on her sooner. He certainly had no inkling to all that had happened to her. "I know you've always had a hectic time. Wasn't sure how much followed you into the new life." He said with a smile, just trying to talk on what he had hoped was a pleasant subject.

Of course he asked about married life. Her excitement evaporated and her face fell for a second before she forced a smile and avoided his eyes. Why was it harder to pretend to Elijah than to her own father? "Oh, ye know... runnin' a 'ouse on me own is busy too, but it is a very fine 'ouse, and we are very 'appy! Ye should visit."

Elijah hadn't know what he'd stepped into with the question. He thought she'd be glowing with joy and happy to talk about it but Rose had been a friend for a long time. He saw her downcast eyes and frowned. His head tilted and his voice became quiet. "Rose? Are YOU happy? It is alright.. if something isn't right. Or off. We are friends. I may not be perfect, but I can listen to you. Even if you're not sure what's wrong, if you're just anxious and nervous about married life. You can talk to me. Right?"

"Elijah..." she begged in hardly more than a whisper. "Please, not 'ere..." Elijah's concern and his calm acceptance of the fact that things might not be good, made her feel grateful. She realized that if there was anyone she wanted to talk to, it was him. It also brought her even closer to tears and she really couldn't break down in the middle of the market. By tomorrow, everyone she knew would have heard about it. She bit her tongue and gripped her basket tight, fighting the tears. She had felt so alone.

Elijah saw the tears and strain. He looked down. "Ah! I'm so sorry, Rose. I stepped on your foot. That must have hurt. Let's find a place to sit down and catch up." The man quickly wanted to get her away. "I think there's a quiet place not far." He took her to the closest quiet spot he could find for them to sit and chat. The tall man offered to take her basket for her.

Rose was immensely grateful for the way Elijah tried to cover for her. There was never any drama with him. She followed him and set down on the bench. She had started tearing up, but still fighting it, her eyes darting left to right, to every direction from which someone she knew might suddenly spring. She put her face in her hands. "I can't... Please... Come back to t' cottage. Andrew's never around anyway..."

Elijah looks very concerned. "Alright, let us go. Do .. you have any clue why he isn't around? Why he isn't home with you?" He asked. Wasn't the fellow a baker? He wasn't certain, but he knew he had to find out what was going on for Rose's sake. Not that he'd push against her more than she'd allow.

"Well, 'e's workin' now..." Rose evaded the question. She did not want to elaborate on what she had just said. If she did, she was sure she'd cry anyway.

She walked perhaps some ten meters away from the market, but then changed her mind. What if someone saw them go into the cottage together? She had not thought about the fact that he was a man and she a woman, a married woman at that. Elijah was like a brother to her. It felt completely natural to invite him over. But if somebody else saw, it could lead to gossip. As if she wasn't miserable enough. And God forbid Andrew would think something of it.

Yet Rose was desperate to talk and doing so in a public place bore the risk of an even greater tongue-stirring gossip: Plain old Rose from the Cragg who had been so lucky to marry that baker, Willaby, had been seen crying. The whole Cragg would want to know what was going on.

The cottage it was...