The Serving Girl // Book 2 in the Rosie Grey series

Chapter Five

Serving at supper was, and always had been, a rather dull and repetitive task.

There was nothing worse than having to stand in the far corner of a rather large room and watch as other people ate but you were unable to. We always ate our supper after the family had eaten so standing in the dining room with the smell of food in the air just made me even hungrier. There was nothing I could do to stop my stomach from grumbling and groaning as I tried to serve at the table. Though it may have annoyed me to no end, it amused Robert more than he probably cared to admit. Then again, small things often amuse small minds.

That particular evening, I wanted to be doing anything other than standing around and waiting to be told to fill up a glass or put food on a plate. Meeting Matthew for the first time in seven years sent my head into a spin. I couldn't focus on anything. My brother had a wife, a child and his own life. All three of them had done remarkably well for themselves considering they had all been apprenticed out to earn money for Father. They all had lives that hadn't been ruined. Mine had.

All three of them had been allowed to live their lives, to stay at home and move into a career or their choice. I never had the choices they had.

"Who was at the door earlier, Albert?" Mrs Ealing said, taking a sip from her glass and placing it back on the table.

"It was a Mr Matthew Greyson, Rosie's brother," Doctor Ealing said.

"Rosie's brother? What did he want?"

"To talk to Rosie. I allowed it seeing as she had completed all of her morning chores and I had to get to work."

"You allowed a strange man into our house? Near our children?"

"He's not a strange man, he's Rosie's brother and I treated him just the other day. They stayed in my office and were nowhere near either of the twins. Besides, I wouldn't have allowed it if I thought there was any threat to anyone, Rosie included."

"I'd just wish you had spoken to me about it first."

"There wasn't time, Elizabeth. I had to leave for work."

I chewed on my bottom lip as the room fell into an awkward silence. I had thought that I would be the only one with my brother turning up out of the blue. Doctor Ealing certainly didn't think anything of it and both Robert and Matilda had encouraged me to meet with him in the first place. I suppose I never really thought Mrs Ealing would have that much of a problem with it. She hadn't been particularly nice since she found out about the factory, not that I blamed her. She had allowed me to come into her home against her better judgement and I had done nothing but lie since crossing the threshold.

As time had gone on, I had hoped that Mrs Ealing would mellow out. I didn't mind if she felt indifferent about me, but the hatred and dislike she showed towards me and my work was not something I needed. It felt like being back at the factory. Back then, everything I ever did was scrutinised and watched by a man who didn't care if he saw the back of me. The way Mrs Ealing acted felt the same way. Even though I knew she would never be like the foreman, I knew she would never actually hurt me, but the fear still ate away at the back of my head.

After years of fearing the worst in most situation, even with the Ealing's, I wondered if it was only a matter of time before I felt the same way. When Doctor Ealing had slapped me, I thought that would be the moment it all went back to the way it was at the factory, but it didn't. Both Suzanna and Lucy tried to tell me that I didn't need to fear, but I did, and I always would. No amount of convincing from anyone was going to change my mind.

"Mother, do you mind if I speak?" Matilda said, placing her knife and fork down on the plate in front of her. She picked up her napkin and dabbed it gently along her lips.