His immediate response saw her take a step back - except there was nowhere to step back so her heel hit the bottom of the counter. Normally a gentleman might have immediately apologized for his outburst, would he not have? With her prior irritation completely gone, she reached a hand back to steady herself and tried to calm the sudden panic that had risen in her chest. She had already started to stress out that she might give her mother the wrong herb. He certainly seemed quite annoyed, but it was hardly her fault that the man behind the counter was fumbling, was it? Philomena blinked rapidly up at him; her eyes had started to grow hot and it seemed as if the air had suddenly grown thin. “N-no,” She stammered, taken aback by his forwardness. Never mind that if her mother’s patient had been relying on the medicine, she certainly wouldn’t have sent her step-daughter the day of the treatment. “That would be horrible…”

She didn’t wait to watch his response. She spun back around, muttering to the shop boy that she’d just take the lot. Heat flared in her cheeks and she quickly rummaged through her purse for the proper amount. “Keep the change,” She said, patting the coins on the counter before seizing her purchases and heading for the door.

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