𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𑁍 𝑹𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝑮𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒏 (Hetty Feather)

𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄 𑁍 7

The last Sunday was going to happen eventually.

The last night.

But Rose wasn't prepared for it when it came.

"What are we going to do?" She asked Harriet in the dorm that morning. "Tonight's our last night."

Harriet sighed. "Well, me and Mathias, we're having a picnic in the tower. Just us."

"Great, just us and Will and Ned and all the boys," Rose smiled.

She failed to spot the look of disappointment on her friend's face.

𑁍𑁍𑁍

"I just wish Matron would tell me where I'm going," Rose said over rolling pastries in the kitchen with Sheila and Cook. "If I stay in London, at least I know I'll see my mother again."

"There's nothing you can do about it now," said Cook sensibly. "Just work hard, and hope for the best."

Rose took a second to admire the woman. She hadn't liked Cook much at all for most of her life in the foundling hospital, but this past year, that had changed a lot. The woman wasn't exactly empathetic, but she was... kind in her own way. And that was what Rose liked about her.

As Cook left, Rose said to Sheila. "Maybe staying here isn't so bad."

Sheila had been in a funk all morning, after finding out one of the other girls had a position as a kitchen maid in Kensington, where all the toff families lived.

"Are you missing Elizabeth?" She asked the girl.

Sheila looked up at her for the first time that morning, then back down.

Rose sighed before saying. "We're having a leaving picnic tonight. You should come."

"But I'm not leaving, am I?" Sheila snapped. "I'm stuck working here for the rest of my life. Why would I want to come to some stupid picnic anyway?"

"Fine, forget I asked!" Rose held her hands up.

For a minute, they just rolled pastries, then Sheila said stiffly. "Fine, if you insist, I'll come."

Rose smiled slightly.

At least she could make her (well, maybe) friend, smile.

𑁍𑁍𑁍

"Well, this is a surprise," Will spoke quietly with a smile as Rose labelled soup into his bowl.

Rose had been put on lunch serving lunch duty, and was serving the boys just now.

She smiled slightly at him. "A good one, I hope."

Will grinned. "Guess what, Brigwell's enlisted us into his regiment - together! We're all going to be together in the army!"

Rose smiled. "That's amazing, Will-"

"Rose Green! Serve the boy his lunch and get on with it!" Macclesfield's voice came from behind her. Rose rolled her eyes, gave Will a slice of bread to go with his soup, and sent him off with a smile.

"Ah! Colonel Brigwell! Do forgive us, still on India time..."

Rose's head snapped up as she saw a man in a nice suit jacket and a woman in an enchanting dress enter the lunch hall. Brigwell went and shook hands with the man, and kissed the woman's hand.