𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𑁍 𝑹𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝑮𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒏 (Hetty Feather)

𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄 𑁍 4

Rose perused the book that morning, not understanding what most of the shorthand used in it meant, but knowing that there were money terms in there.

"Look at this!" She said to Harriet, going over-

"Girls, nice straight line!" Macclesfield called as she slipped into the dorm.

Harriet, who was holding the book at that point, quickly hid it under her mattress, Rose not being able to stop it.

"Come on! Chop chop! No dawdling!" Macclesfield shouted, as Rose and Harriet ran to join the line, not being able to change the book's whereabouts for now.

Rose knew she would have to look further into it if she wanted to bring down Matron.

But she did know she had to do just that.

Bring her down.

𑁍𑁍𑁍

As Macclesfield got stopped (or rather, stopped herself) by the constable in the halls, Harriet turned to Rose.

"Anyone could find that book under my bed," she said worriedly. "We could get in real trouble."

"But it had Matron's name in it, with amounts of money," Rose was only invested in the book's contents. "Mr Grace must've paid Matron for something, it proves they're connected. I need to find a better hiding place for that book. I'll go and get it."

"Rose, you'll get caught-" Harriet started. "Rose!"

"Silence!" Macclesfield turned back round in a flash. "Rose Green - get back in line!"

Rose sighed, sliding back into her place behind Harriet as Macclesfield continued leading them down the hall.

She sighed.

They needed to get that book hidden.

𑁍𑁍𑁍

"The answer's in there," Rose whispered to Harriet during a boring lesson about verbs. "Why would Matron be getting money from Mr Grace? What if- what if Blanche wasn't the only foundling she sold? Maybe she's done it before-!"

"It you keep going after Matron, you'll make things worse!" Harriet hissed.

"But what if it's still happening?" Rose questioned. "We need to stop her."

Harriet sighed, dipping her quill into her ink-

"Harriet!"

In a flash, Rose grabbed her best friend's arm and pulled it towards her, splattering herself with in.

"What is going on?" Macclesfield demanded, looking up.

"Harriet didn't mean to-" Rose began.

"I didn't-"

"Enough!" Macclesfield snapped. "Go and get changed quickly before Matron sees that mess."

Good. That was exactly what Rose wanted.

Now she just needed to get that book.

𑁍𑁍𑁍