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

Chapter Thirty

Swallowing hard, I hobbled across the room to the doorway and glanced towards the stairs that led up to our bedroom. I had nothing to hide, nothing hidden in the room that would seem suspicious to anyone unless they had a vendetta against. Something Mrs Ealing did have. Anything that I may have possessed that she didn't know about could be used against me and there were several things she didn't know about. There was the toy Robert had brought me, the drawing from Zachariah, the bracelet Charlotte had made for me and the drawings I had done of Robert. Every one of those could have been the cause for an infraction.

Perhaps the worst thing she could have found would be the two drawings. I had no way of explaining them seeing as I only had the attention of drawing one picture and the other has been unintentional. Why I didn't throw them away remained a mystery to me, but it had been the first drawing I had made in seven years. That may not have meant anything to Mrs Ealing, or anyone else, but it meant something to me though I doubt she would have understood that. It wasn't what I drew that made me happy, it was holding a pencil for the first time in seven years. Having the freedom to draw for the first time in forever.

I hated the idea of her using the thing I loved against me as if having the drawing was the worst thing in the world. There were so many other things she could use against me, but I knew she would use the drawing. The one thing she seemed to fear was me getting too close to Robert under her roof. Such a thing would be improper. Seeing the drawing would simply confirm her idea, even if there happened to be no thought to confirm. It would be just the thing she needs to tip her over the edge and have the ammo needed to give me a second infraction.

"Why does she think you're hiding something?" Miss Jenkins asked. Her grip appeared to tighten against the back of the chair.

"I don't know, I have nothing of interest up there," I said.

"What do you keep in your drawer other than your dresses?" Esther asked.

"Not much. There is a drawing Zachariah did after I pulled him from the river, a bracelet Charlotte gave me, some drawings and a small toy."

"Where'd the toy come from?"

"Robert. When I went into London for the food shop for Matilda's birthday, he saw me looking at it in a shop window and decided to purchase it."

"Rosie," Miss Jenkins warned.

"What? There was nothing more to it than a friendly gesture. If she asks, I'll just say I brought it with my wages."

"You can't lie to her."

"Why not?"

"She'll find out the truth."

Miss Jenkins was right. Lying to Mrs Ealing would only add to my troubles, especially if she found out and yet it would remain a mystery as to how she would find out. Although I couldn't help but wonder if she would find the truth or just use it against me no matter what I said in response. Unless Robert came forward and admitted he gave me the toy, she would never find out where it came from. All my trust had to go into Robert, Miss Jenkins and Esther to remain silent and not say anything about where the toy actually came from. Whether or not they would lie for me would depend on which item from my drawer Mrs Ealing decided caused the biggest amount of grief.

Silence settled on the room as we waited for Mrs Ealing to descend the stairs with whatever it was she happened to have found. I hated the nervous feeling that bubbled up inside me as we waited. My heart hammered away inside my chest, my palms grew sweaty against the wood of the cane and it felt as though someone had tied a length of rope around my lungs. It was the same feeling I used to get back at the factory when the foreman was trying to come up with a new way to punish me for something I hadn't done.