A/N: Thanks for your enthusiasm and encouragement, everyone. This fic has relatively short chapters, so expect frequent updates. I hope to have it finished up before Book Number 11 comes out in early February. Cheers, S.C.

Ruth Galloway

She was right about Ruth Evershed, she realises. She really is a lovely person. She's managed to put both Kate and herself at ease, feeding them a delicious lasagne that she apparently made over the weekend and playing games with Kate, some of which Ruth suspects are brand new and bought today for this very purpose. She can't fathom why she's taken such an interest in the two of them, is making such an effort. Is it because of Kate? She knows her daughter is a charming child and people seem to be inexplicably drawn to her. She enjoys things like acting, which Ruth herself would never dream of doing. Kate definitely takes after her grandmother in that respect.

Perhaps Ruth just loves children and doesn't have any of her own, or perhaps her children are all grown up and have left home. She seems to be about her age. Certainly old enough to have grown up children if she started rather young. She'll ask her when she goes back downstairs, she decides, once Kate has fallen asleep. She'd like to find out more about her.

"Do you have children, Ruth?" she asks once they've both agreed that sharing a bottle of wine sounds like a good plan as neither are ready to sleep yet.

"No," she replies, looking away. Ruth doesn't think she'll say anything more, but she hears her add softly, "I had a stepson once, but he lives abroad now."

"I'm sorry," she replies, not knowing what else to say.

"It's okay," Ruth Evershed says, turning to smile at her. "I miss him, but it's probably for the best."

She frowns.

"It's not easy to raise a family, doing what we do," she clarifies.

She nods. "Nelson gets a bit paranoid about Kate sometimes," she offers. She gets a bit paranoid herself, especially after what's happened in the past to put herself and Kate in danger, but she's not about to admit that.

"We see things that most people never even dream of," she agrees. "It's hard not to let it get to you. And then the hours we work..." She sighs. "Your daughter is lovely though and so smart."

"Kate loves to show off," Ruth confesses, feeling a little embarrassed.

"She's self-confident," the other Ruth replies kindly. "That's a good thing, especially for a girl. It should be encouraged."

She smiles. She decides that she really likes Ruth Evershed.