He joked about the hammer in her hand and Gwen blushed and then grinned. "I thought you might be a murderer," she said with an ironic lift of her lips. "They knock just like that. Has no one ever told you that you knock just like one?"<br/><br/>When he refused her offer of hospitality, Gwen looked at him with an almost-stern expression. "But you've just come all this way, out of your way, at the end of an evening when you've been working. Eli, please, I feel badly enough that anyone had to even think about it. Please?" She gestured towards the kitchen from where there were emanating some very pleasant aromas. "Toby had a roast dinner - I haven't eaten yet, I was …" not planning on eating anything because she'd been too upset. But, if it meant that she could repay him a little, then she was more than delighted. It might make this lousy evening worthwhile. "I was planning on eating in a while. Please, join me?" He finally gave in and Gwen felt a surge of relief. It was because she didn't want to be beholden to him, of course. That was why. That was the only reason why.<br/><br/>She led him into the kitchen, offering him a seat at the small, but impeccably clean, dining table there. "Tea?" She had a kettle on the hob, which she lit and then got about the process of warming up some food for them. "My parents were British," she explained, "I grew up there, until I was twelve or so. Here you go."  It explained the cup of tea, as far as Gwen was concerned. Heating up the food didn't take too long, and she got about the job quickly. The fridge was covered with photographs and drawings Toby had done, the walls too. Nothing was expensive, but there was a lot of love in the place.<br/><br/>As she worked, not using a microwave (he might notice there wasn't one) but rather warming things through in the oven or on the hob, Gwen listened to what he said about Martin. For a moment, it might seem like she hadn't heard him, except for how white her knuckles turned as she grasped the pan-handle. After a moment, she put down a plate in front of Eli, roast chicken which was warm rather than hot, with sage and onion stuffing, roast potatoes, peas, and roast parsnip. There was a boat of hot gravy.  "He thinks I'm going to sleep with him to stop him telling the other students where I work." Gwen looked at Eli and she smiled. "And if he tells them, then they're all going to think what he already does." She shrugged slightly, her expression helpless. "On the first night, Mrs Smith put us in pairs to introduce each other. I had to introduce him, and he introduced me. It's how he knows about Toby." Shrugging slightly, Gwen knew it was just fate but there it was.<br/><br/>"I wish things had worked out with us, you know.", she said and Gwen recognised that she was being completely honest with him. More than she could explain, she wanted to just kiss him. Just … damn … well... kiss him. Just for a moment she found herself leaning towards him, but she caught herself. "I'm happy for you, I am. Miss Sinclair is making you happy, and that's a good thing. I'm just tired of the Martins of this world."  She was pushing her food around her plate, not really eating it so much as worrying it. Eli seemed to be enjoying his and Gwen smiled, pleased at that. After all, he'd gone out of his way to help her. "I'm going to have to drop out of school. I can't fight it, while I'm working there, and I've got to work there. Maybe I'll set up that book- and paper-making business after all." Putting down her knife and fork, Gwen pushed her plate away, the contents untouched.<br/><br/>Then, determined not to bring him down in to her misery, Gwen gave a bright, false smile and asked. "So, how long have you been teaching? You seemed very at home in the workshop when I dropped in unannounced, do you enjoy it? I bet you miss Rosalie, though. How's she doing?" Gwen's life was a mess, but this man had been kind to her and, if they were to be friends, she had to not let her own crap stand in the way of enjoying his success.