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

Chapter Fourteen

"You agreed to talk to me because it was written on some list because it was something your friend wanted to do, not you? Did you even want to see us when you left the factory or were you going to stay hidden?"

"It's not like that!"

"What is it like then? From where I'm standing, we wouldn't be here if that list hadn't had been written. We would still be wondering where you were, and you would have kept us in the dark about all of it. All you wanted to do was complete the list, we didn't matter to you." Matthew pulled his wallet from his pocket, handed Doctor Ealing some coins and stalked out of the room.

"Matthew!" I called, lightly nudging past James and standing in the door was Matthew walked down the corridor and out of the door, not even looking back as he went.

"I'll go, he's just confused," James said, coming up behind me. He handed me the list, smiled slightly and followed Matthew. I stood in the corridor watching the door close and wondering if I would ever see either of them again.

Sighing, I slumped back against the wall and pressed my hand against my face as the silence descended upon the small corridor. Just as things felt as though they were getting better, something always happened to turn it on its head and leave me to pick up the pieces. It had happened at the factory, it had happened six months ago before the fire and it was happening again. I felt as though I was trapped in a never-ending cycle, a cycle which meant no matter what I did, no matter what happened, I was never going to be happy. Someone had plans for other than happiness, but I wished those plans would have changed.

I hated feeling as though nothing was ever going to change. When I had left the factory, I thought it would be a new start with new people, even with the burn. A week later I was forced to return to that world and Isabel was killed. The six months I had been working for the Ealing's started smoothly and then I had been given my first infraction. I had meant my brothers for the first time in seven years, gotten to know them and their families and it all just imploded in my face. Somethings always happened to make me feel as though I didn't belong anywhere.

Pushing myself off the wall, I turned the corner and walked back into the room where Doctor Ealing and Robert were both stood staring at me. I tucked the list back into my pocket and crossed the room to take a seat on the sofa, placing my hand in my lap and looking at the ground. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Robert move across the room and stand next to his father before he muttered something I couldn't make out. I watched his shadow move across the room until the spot on the chair next to me dipped as he sat down. After a few seconds of silence, he grabbed my hand and pulled me up.

"Come on," he said, tugging my hand and dragging me across the room.

"Where are going?" I groaned, trying to resist as he pulled me out of the room and down the corridor.

"Somewhere."

"I don't want to go anywhere."

"I don't care. Father has agreed, so we're going somewhere. I'm not telling you where you, though, that is a secret."

"You're a pain."

"I know."

Robert's grip on my arm tightened as he dragged me down the corridor and out the front door, pausing slightly to close it behind him as he continued to pull me down the steps and through the streets. Some people turned and watched as he pulled me, not once releasing my arm from his grip as we went. I was sure there was some sort of etiquette rule surrounding dragging a girl through the streets, but I didn't know what it was, and I didn't care. All I cared about was my fingers as they started to go numb and where exactly Robert was taking me.