Those words stung. It was unfair! Mrs. Blacke had just seen him on a bad day! "'e does!" she was quick to defend. "'e tries! 'e just didn't know about t' corset because I didn't tell 'im! 'e would 'ave made sure I had summat decent." Her voice was high and shaky as she fought against the tears that threatened to break out once again. She opened her mouth to say something about the last scene Mrs. Blacke had witnessed when Anne was in her house last time - to explain it - but she felt too upset and humiliated before Mrs. Blacke when she merely thought back of it, and so she closed her mouth again. Her left hand reached across her stomach to grab her right arm, and she stood there, shoulders shrunk, hugging herself and unable to let her eyes meet Mrs. Blacke's "I don't know what to pick," she said in a small voice.