"I-hi'm fine," she lied and then whisked passed him. Why was it he only noticed her when she was in distress? She kept her back ramrod straight and escorted him to the bathroom. "Here it is, sir," she said, not looking at him when she turned around. Her eyes were on the floor. "Excuse me," and then she went back toward the kitchen, barring him not stopping her.

Douglas would have followed her but the urgency of his bladder caused him to take that path first.  After a longer time than most would expect and a long stream of liquid hitting the bowl, the sound of the flush followed.  He washed his hands and dried them finally going back out the hall to look for that kitchen again to double-check on her.  He leaned on the door jam and glanced in.  His jacket was still up in the room with Tristan and his shirt now untucked and top buttons undone showing his red curled toss of chest hair over his muscled torso that peeked out of the v of the shirt.

"Lass, I 'ope what 'appened earlier 'as nae caused yu troubles."

She was crying again by the time the man came back to her. She dashed the tears away and ducked her head. "You shouldn't concern yourself with me, my lord." And then she burst into tears again. She wanted to go home and be with her family but she couldn't because they were dead! Her heart hurt. "I'm f-hine-ha-ha." No she wasn't. She buried her face in her hands and sobs wrenched from her. It wasn't just the things Tristan had done to make her feel, it was the whole... being a servant thing and not being used to it, and missing her family dearly. But she wasn't going to complain.

When he heard the door of the privy open and close, Tristan returned into the room, drank his water and sat down. It was hard not to doze, left alone in this state, but his near dozing was interrupted when he thought he heard something downstairs again. He sat up.

Douglas heard the deep sadness in her tone and in her body language though she obviously strived to hide it from him.  He moved over to her and put a large hand at the curve of her shoulder in comfort.  "Lass, yu 'ave more than yu say going on 'ere.  Please, I dae nae know yu, but I 'ave a good ear tae 'ear.  Dae nae 'ave what ever it be on yur own shoulders."  He urged with genuine concern in his expression and tone.  A bit slurred and even more accented than before, but all the same, he was concerned about the young woman.

Frustration was welling up, especially when he put his hand on her shoulder. She backed away... nay, stumbled back as if burned. A chair toppled over and nearly her with it. "Y-you d-don't understa-ha-and," she sobbed and turned away from him. "Y-you mustn't worry about me. I'm insignificant now, nothing." And then she whirled around, "Y-you have to leave it be. Y-you just h-have to. H-he'll surely fire me n-now if y-you d-don't leave it b-be. And th-ehen I will have n-nothing l-left. N-nothing. P-please? I l-lost everything already." Shit, that slipped out. And then another. "I'll h-have no-nobody. I already l-lost everything and everyone I ever knew."

He certainly heard the chair fall and Pippa's sobbing. Tristan stood up and rushed down the stairs - which wasn't very smart after the amount of alcohol he had consumed. He slipped down a few steps and hit his backside on a step, before he managed to catch himself. He made his way down more carefully and stepped into the kitchen.

Douglas stepped back not wanting to make the situation worse.  The lass was beside herself.  Grief, he understood now when she mentioned losing everyone she knew.  That she would lose the job because he was concerned didn't make sense.  Surely Tristan wouldn't fire the lass because he gave her some concern. 

"Lass, I would nae 'arm yu.  I just want tae be of 'elp."  He picked up the chair that had fallen, then heard a thump out side the kitchen.  "I would nae cause yu tae lose yur job.  I dinna think yu need worry aboot it.  Sit down, lass, let yurself calm."  He thought she needed some whiskey more than he and Tristan did.  That he was affected by the whiskey himself, that logic was not the kind he would normally come up with.

He was trying to help and she was trying to resist his help... And then she heard the commotion of Tristan falling over himself to get downstairs. Her eyes widened and then she opened her mouth to speak only for a squeak to come out as the man came barreling into the mix.

"I'm so sorry! Please don't fire me, Doctor Wells! I-i-i was only trying to show his Lordship the the privvy and..." she trailed off. She was visibly shaking, her eyes dilated with fear and worry and grief.

Though Tristan was annoyed that his evening of... innocent friendship was disrupted, he was an alienist, and Pippa definitely seemed hysterical. "I'm not going to fire you, Pippa. You did nothing wrong. But you must calm down. Let me get you some whiskey." He looked at Douglas. "Keep an eye out, will you?" And he disappeared upstairs.