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

Chapter Twenty-Nine

"There aren't too many light duties you can do that don't involve standing, Rosie. For today, you'll just have to peel and cut the potatoes and carrots until I can think of something else," Miss Jenkins said.

She stood with a cloth flung over one shoulder, one arm gripping the back of a chair whilst the other rested on her hip. Esther had been right about one thing, she had been none too happy about it. Even as we approached the kitchen, we could hear her voice as her and Doctor Ealing had a discussion over the best way to approach the situation. Neither of them seemed to happy with the idea and I knew Miss Jenkins had been frustrated with my shoulder injury, this would be a whole other type of frustration. Not being able to use one arm was bad enough, not being able to walk made it impossible to find any jobs I could do around the house.

I had already been on thin ice, now that ice had started to crack and splinter beneath me and it was only a matter of time before it all shattered and I was left to drown with no one to save me.

"Yes, Miss Jenkins," I said, digging my nails into the wood of the table.

"Any idea how long you'll be out for?"

"Doctor Ealing didn't say."

"Great, another hoop to jump through," Miss Jenkins muttered.

I watched as she tore the cloth off her shoulder and threw it across the kitchen where it slid over the top of the counter and fell against the wall. She turned her back towards the counter and grabbed a bowl full of carrots, an empty bowl and a knife before sliding them across the table towards me. She then turned away from me and started to prepare the pie for the family supper whilst I started to peel the carrots. Miss Jenkins didn't even look at me as she worked, and I didn't blame her in the slightest.

Everything that had happened, had happened very quickly and in a very short period. The six months previously had flown by without incident and then Matthew turned up and it all went downhill rather quickly. I didn't blame Miss Jenkins being mad at me, I didn't blame Doctor Ealing for being mad at me. In truth, I was surprised to still have a position in the household after everything that had gone wrong. If Doctor Ealing turned me out without a reference I wouldn't be surprised, and I wouldn't so much as complain. Mrs Ealing would finally get what she wanted and as time went on, the more I knew it would happen.

It wouldn't take long before both Doctor Ealing and Miss Jenkins realised that I was doing more harm than good in the position I held. Why they came to that realisation, and I had no doubt that they would, Mrs Ealing would have gotten her way and I would be without a job. Although I hoped they wouldn't come to that conclusion, with the way everything seemed to be going, it certainly looked that way. My knee injury was just another obstacle to contend with after the countless others that had cropped up during the past few weeks. There were only so many obstacles the Ealing's would work through before it became too much, and they may have reached that tipping point.

"What are you doing down here?" Miss Jenkins said. She glanced towards the door as she moved across the kitchen.

"I came to get a glass of water, I also wondered if I could have a word with Rosie. It won't take long," Matilda said.

"If you must." Miss Jenkins sighed loudly and gestured Matilda into the room before turning and slipping through the door. Her footsteps echoed down the hallway towards the privy as she left Matilda and me on our own.

"She's not very happy," Matilda said, crossing the room and taking a seat in the chair next to me.

"She has every reason to. I've only been back at work after the influenza for a little while and now this. It's a miracle I'm still here," I said.