"Well that's only because I'm quite used to telling you all of everything, Mister Ellis," is not an indictment on certain men who do indeed often choose to deflect or outright refuse to answer her questions at all. It's merely fact. "I can hardly be blamed for occasionally getting ahead of myself out of habit."

She turns her hand, reaching past the edge of the bucket's lip to test the temperature of the water with her fingertips. It isn't hot persay, but neither is it cold and that may be tolerable enough for their purposes. She removes her hand, flicking some droplets of water from her fingertips.

"Now, I'm going to take this bucket upstairs and see about washing up and changing into something dry, and being rid of these straps. If you like, I will set the bucket in the hall so you can refill it and begin heating more water, and then you may borrow my basin after me. I'll put a kettle on, and once all is tidy and relatively dry, then we may address the state of the cellar floor. Yes?"