She was simply exhausted as the train came to a stop. Pearl had sent a brief missive to her father explaining the situation with one of her many siblings, Robert, who had yelled at her for something she had no control over. He had replied with the money to take a trip out of town for a week to anywhere she wanted to go. She chose London and came back feeling like she should go there for good. She sat on the bench outside of the station, and Tilly was off to find transportation for the two of them.

The young miss looked up to the sky and murmured to herself, "I don't want to go home." For going home meant possibly hearing it from another one of her siblings about what she was doing to ruin their lives! All because she'd been kidnapped and someone had the nerve to write about it like it was more than it actually was! Her brothers wondered what was making her move into her own house as a single young lady when she ought to be living with her family... It was them! They exhausted her so.

And now she was on the verge of tears, not having been able to sleep much during the entire trip, with the possibility of facing her brother again.

She sat there staring off, a sad look upon her face.

“’ere, catch” Joe shouted as he playfully tossed his last package at the train guard before shoving off with his trolley.  

Jennings was out sick… again, so young Joe had been temporarily promoted from the squalor of the goods shed to take his place. With top button fastened, he had been instructed to ensure that passengers, parcels, and letters were delivered safely to wherever they were supposed to go.  He pushed his trolley along the platform as the steam from the engine swirled about his ankles. At that moment, he spied a passenger, slumped down nearby. As he got closer, Joe noticed that the passenger was a she and that she was clearly upset. Joe couldn’t stand to see someone in distress – especially a woman.  

“You okay, Luv?” He asked, then paused, remembering his manners “er Miss.”

Startled, the young miss looked up toward the voice that was addressing her. "I am fine, thank you for asking," she said, lying through her teeth and even managing a smile of appreciation. But her lips gave the barest of trembles and her eyes shone with unshed saline. "I am just waiting for my maid to come back to me so we can go home." She didn't know why she was even telling the bloke that much... It wasn't like she knew him. Of course, she hardly noticed men anymore since Pony up and disappeared. Even further, with the way her brothers acted toward her, she wasn't even sure she wanted to be around this kind soul who'd simply asked after her.

Startled, the young miss looked up toward the voice that was addressing her. "I am fine, thank you for asking," she said, lying through her teeth and even managing a smile of appreciation. But her lips gave the barest of trembles and her eyes shone with unshed saline. "I am just waiting for my maid to come back to me so we can go home." She didn't know why she was even telling the bloke that much... It wasn't like she knew him. Of course, she hardly noticed men anymore since Pony up and disappeared. Even further, with the way her brothers acted toward her, she wasn't even sure she wanted to be around this kind soul who'd simply asked after her.

By all rights and conventions, Joe should have taken his trolley and rolled on, but in that moment he decided not to.  This was a young lady, well-to-do by her clothes - she even had a maid - but here she sat alone and maybe about to cry. Now was his chance to do what the Sunday sermon said he should do and to give aid and comfort to the widows, the children, and young women alone at the railway station.  

"You know, most people at Whitby Town station is 'appy.  They're 'appy to be back to family or to see the seaside.  They can also be 'appy to be goin' away from family or on a grand adventure.  But your the saddest person here today, if you pardon the observation, Miss.  I can push off if your okay, but I can stay 'til the maid returns. Should you need to talk.  If you want to, that is."

She looked up at him, her big brown eyes were doe-like. Pearl sighed and then said softly, "I don't wish to be back here. I wish to be in London where I've come from today. My family... well... they aren't so thrilled with me as of late." In fact, she was feeling so very alone after having been accosted by Robert in her own home. She didn't know what to do! "My mother is hardly speaking to me, and two of my brothers have expressed their disappointment in me." The disappointment was an understatement. "I... don't wish to face them..."

The young miss shed a tear, then another, and then covered her face, knowing that she would be blamed again for being kidnapped, or that there was a man whom she had never met that wrote a newspaper article about her, and he didn't actually know what happened. Robert's words had cut deeply into her heart, for she had loved her brother dearly.

Joe pondered the lady's tale of woe.  Despite the wealth, they had feelings, fears, and problems too... just like anyone else.

"Sorry for your troubles, Miss." He paused but a moment, reflecting on his own relationships at home.  Sternness from his father, dislike from his brother, distanced from his older sister.  But there were bright spots: he stood on good terms with his youngest sister.  The lady here reminded Joe of her, her smile probably.  Maybe that's why he stopped his trolley for awhile. 

"Family can be a right bother, an' all." Joe added.

Joe saw the young lady's attractive features were tainted with tears as she grappled with her lot.  There wasn't a lot he could to help her on a practical level.

"'ankerchief, Miss?" he asked, fumbling with his coat "it's clean.  'onest!" he asserted.

"Oh, th-hi-hank you-hoo," she said as the waterworks really began. She had never cried in public before, but just being where she was at made her miserable on so many levels. She accepted the hanky with a pitiful sniffle and buried her face in the cloth. "I'm terrib-bly sor-horry," she squeaked out. "I am a mess aren't I?" She went on to ask, her voice's pitch rising into a tiny little sound. She then steeled herself and stiffened up, balefully mopping up the wet salt running down her cheeks. She sighed, "Ahhh..."

Though she managed to stop the little bit of sobbing, there were a few stray tears that glistened their way down her cheeks. She sighed again and dabbed now at her eyes.

"Oh, th-hi-hank you-hoo," she said as the waterworks really began. She had never cried in public before, but just being where she was at made her miserable on so many levels. She accepted the hanky with a pitiful sniffle and buried her face in the cloth. "I'm terrib-bly sor-horry," she squeaked out. "I am a mess aren't I?" She went on to ask, her voice's pitch rising into a tiny little sound. She then steeled herself and stiffened up, balefully mopping up the wet salt running down her cheeks. She sighed, "Ahhh..."

Though she managed to stop the little bit of sobbing, there were a few stray tears that glistened their way down her cheeks. She sighed again and dabbed now at her eyes.

"Tears don't look good on anyone, Miss."

Joe recalled the women in his life crying at home, usually an awkward uncomfortable experience; his younger sister was especially sensitive.  

"When my little sister were young and she would be upset, I would give her advice and penny sweets to cheer 'er up.  Now, I don't have penny sweets today, but I say you already know 'ow you want to 'andle your family and what you want to do next. Me Ma'am called it 'the little voice.' Just be still and listen for a moment, it'll tell you what to do."

"Thank you," she said in a small voice. She took a moment to just... breathe. All would be well, she thought. She was the picture of calm again. "I can't imagine you wanting this back right now," she said with a breathy laugh, gesturing with the hanky. She dabbed her eyes with the sopping cloth and blinked a few times. "All will be well, I think. I just need to go home. I live in my own home, you see, and my brothers don't like it." She was a talkative young miss, usually a ray of sunshine.

"But I do not mean to take up your time, sir. I know this must be strange, you bumping into the likes of me. I promise I am not normally so morose." She gripped the hanky in one hand and offered her right, gloved hand. "I am Pearl Carrington, and I thank you for your kindness."

Joe smiled and shook his head.  In reality, Joe had precious few hankies to spare, but he wasn't going to appear unkind or low class by demanding it be returned.  He had to admit, it was all a bit strange, a lady of means having a quiet word with a railway porter.  Just like two regular people having a chat. Usually, people with money barely acknowledged his existence or they would throw themselves about demanding some such, but she seemed kinder, softer, more understanding - a storybook proper lady.

"It's no bother, Miss.  It's all part o' the railway service; can't have sad passengers now, Station Master says so."

When she offered her hand and introduced herself, Joe froze. What was he to do?  He looked down at his own hands and saw that they were streaked grey with dirt from some task he had done hours earlier. 

"I wouldn't want to ruin your nice gloves, Miss Carrington." Joe replied apologetically, unsure of what to do with his hands.