Had her big opinionated mouth gotten her into trouble again? "Sorry, I just meant... men who hang around women outside their own class..." she muttered. "Not him. I don't know him."

"Nevermind," she said, dissapointed more than anything in her friend's words but not particularly upset at Rose. "Just... I thought maybe I could move on from the kidnapping and maybe find someone who wants me for me and not for my money. You do know that the rich marry for money too, yes?"

Rose looked at her friend with pity. "But wouldn't a poorer person be more likely to want ye for yer money?" she said quietly.

"Therein lies the quandary," she said with a sigh. She moved to pace for a moment, pausing long enough to set her tea down. "It's better just to... let things be then. I shall just have to... pretend he's not there. Right?" She asked this with conviction. Her eyes looked kind of sad, but she seemed resolute.

Rose felt sorry now for speaking up, for it seemed she had made the other girl sad. "I didn't mean to say you'd have to ignore him. Just..." Don't fuck without a ring on your finger. She couldn't really say that. Be careful around gold diggers. That too and it was more acceptable. "Don't put your heart before your mind." Vague enough.

Pearl gave a sigh and said, "He's the one that stopped kissing me." Or rather, stopped fooling around. How heated things had gotten the last time she and Pony McBride had been together. And then she shook her head, "Oh, just... I am sorry. Let's talk about something else now." She was clearly frustrated with the direction of the conversation and wasn't sure what to say about anything anymore.

"He shouldn't be kissin' ye in t' first place!" Rose blurted out, rather shocked at that statement. Then she blushed, for she realized her tongue had been too fast again.

"I wanted him to," she said very softly. "It was the first time I didn't feel afraid... I don't think anybody would understand... not if they haven't done the same thing for the same reason." She gave a shrug and shook her head.

Rose frowned. Then she shook her head. "I'm sorry. I know nowt. Me father always says me tongue's me vice."

"But you're not wrong," she said, holding her hands out in gesture. "I wasn't supposed to be doing such things and you're right to remind me. A good friend does that." She gave a half-smile.