Lottie hung up her shawl and turned to face her daughter as the younger woman dissolved into blubbing.

Lottie closed her eyes at the sound of the tears. Usually a kind and charitable soul, yet with the recent build up of frustration over her son, her husband, and now her daughter and child, something inside the older woman just snapped. She turned to face her, pursed her lips tightly, with her hands on her hips let the poor girl have it.

"As you should be Ruth Blacke, as you should be. I told you then that Angus Mac-Whathisface was no bloody good. As good as a barrel o' fish guts. I know the type.. smooth talk, easy smile, large... - purse. But did you listen to me? No. You shouted at me to bloody well shove off to 'ell with me and mine, cause you knew better and ran away."

Lottie offloaded a potted history of the last year onto the wayward child. Like she didn't know.

"Well, Ruth Blacke, you didn't know nowt."

Lottie paused fractionally, as if she had forgotten to mention something from the list of sins and poor decisions her offspring had committed. Then she remembered.

"A whole bloody year! Not a word. And now you come back with a babe.."

She had no right to come back out of the blue like this!