Rose and Harriet hadn't spoken in three days.

And it had been terrible.

But Rose was too prideful to admit it, and she always would be.

That morning was different, though, as Sheila was determined to interfere.

Waking up to a leak in the ceiling that morning because of the terrible storm that night, Rose and all the others were forced to strip their beds, and on the way to put their sheets in the laundry basket, Rose and Harriet were forced to make eye contact, which they quickly avoided again.

But then Sheila came over and said loudly. "Here, Harriet, let me help you with that."

"Oh, no, I can do it!" Harriet didn't seem very pleased with this, but she let Sheila help anyway.

"You know, I don't think you're a baby for not wanting to go to America," Sheila told her, loudly, again. "Maybe others would understand if they were your real friends."

"You don't have friends, Sheila, so how would you know?" Rose snapped irritably.

Before Sheila would reply, Macclesfield came in.

"Right girls! To the laundry room, chop chop! Green, report for kitchen duties."

"Er, just Green, nurse? What about me?" Sheila asked.

"Ah, day off for you," Macclesfield smiled. "Cook's orders, seems like she's doing you a favour."

At least that means I won't have to look at Sheila's ugly face all day, Rose sighed.

Then Macclesfield said. "Green, I hope you're feeling strong."

Sheila smirked. "This way, Harriet."

And, low and behold, Harriet followed her.

Rose tried to stop steam coming out her ears.

𑁍𑁍𑁍

Rose stood in the pantry doorway, looking at around fifty sacks of the poisoned flour Ned had unveiled the other day.

"Every last sack removed," said Cook, beside her. "Then we've got to lug all the new stock down. Deliveries will be coming in thick and fast, not to mention usual duties."

Rose sighed. "This is impossible! And you gave Sheila the day off! Not to say I want to be with Sheila all day, but I would like a bit of help with this."

"Stop bleating on," Cook reprimanded her. "Keep your head down, and there might be a reward in it for you later."

Rose sighed.

"Now, no more talk," Cook said, as she left the room. "Get to it."

Rose sighed as she started to lift the heavy flour sacks.

This was going to be a long day.

𑁍𑁍𑁍

Rose dumped another sack down outside, arms aching. She had only done about six at this point, but it was hard work, getting up the stairs, slippy from the bad rain last night.

"Everything in order over here?"

Mr Cranbourne's voice made Rose look up, but he was alone, no trail of boys behind him.

"Aye, Mr Cranbourne, salt replacement is all," said Cook.

"But this is hard labour, surely?" Cranbourne said. "I'll fetch one of the boys to come and help."

"No bother, we've got it in hand," Cook waved him off.

"What? That's ridiculous!" Rose yelled at her, forming a plan. She turned to Cranbourne and said. "Sorry, sir, I didn't mean to, it's just... all this hard labour, in fact, I feel rather dizzy."

"I insist, I'll go and fetch one now," Cranbourne said, walking off.

Oh please send Will, please send Will, please send Will...

Rose crossed her fingers.

And he was all she wished for.

𑁍𑁍𑁍

Rose drank almost all the water in her cup immediately, taking a deep breath once she had finished and smiling into it.

"Ida let me and Sheila try lemonade once," she said nostalgically. "She even let me use a glass. Do you miss her?"

"Ida?" Cook, who she had posed the question to, nodded. "Aye, she were a good egg."

"I miss her so much," Rose admitted. "I've fallen out with my friends and I don't think I've ever felt so lonely."

"Aw! All alone with no friends!"

Rose had been hoping for Will, or at least one of the good boys.

But no.

In the doorway stood Vince.

"Can this day get any worse?!" She snapped, slamming her cup down on the draining board and marching out the kitchen, back towards the pantry where more flour bags were waiting.

Why did this have to happen to her?!

𑁍𑁍𑁍

Rose tried not to cry as she took a new delivery four sack into the pantry and dumped it on the ground.

Of course it's contents had to spill out.

Rose sighed heavily and collapsed to the floor as Vince came in behind her, depositing another sack behind her in the pantry and smirking at her.

"Better get every last bit."

"Out of all the boys they had to send you," Rose snarled.

Will chuckled. "Listen, I know you wanted Will, but I'm not that bad," he told her. No, you actually are, she thought. "Do you guys kiss?" He added as an afterthought.

"Yeah, just as much as you kiss yourself in the mirror," Rose wasn't in the mood today.

"Oh, be quiet, will you?" Vince rolled his eyes, taking the flour bag from her hands and holding it open.

Rose sighed and began scooping the flour back into it.

"Why do girls sulk?" He wondered aloud.

"It's called being unhappy and you wouldn't understand because you don't have feelings," Rose was already on edge, and he was making her more so.

"But sulking won't change anything," Vince reminded her. "It won't get your friends back."

"Have you ever thought that I don't care?" Rose told him venemously.

Rose scooped up more flour as he said. "Try not being miserable for five minutes?"

Rose sighed, leaving a bit of flour on the ground that she would clean up later and holding the bag closed, putting it onto the pile and making to leave the room-

But when she turned round she saw that Vince had drawn a grid, three by three, in the leftover flour.

"Ever played tic tac toe?"

Yes, Rose had. She had played with Jake and Ned when she was younger, but the problem was that she was terrible at it, and never thought about other people's lines, only her own.

So it wasn't her that sat down, and drew a cross in the middle square.

It was someone else.

Totally.

𑁍𑁍𑁍

Five games later, Rose still hadn't won.

"I'll get you next time," she told Vince with a sigh, as she mixed the flour up again to draw another grid.

"I never lose," smirked Vince. "You're a sore loser, just like my borrowed brother."

Rose didn't know he had a brother. Borrowed, albeit. "Do you miss him?"

Vince shrugged.

"What about your real mother?" Rose asked. "You must think of her."

"Who doesn't think about their mother?" Vince scoffed. "At least you got to meet yours."

They sat, eyes connected, in a moment of clarity, before Vince smirked. "Ready to lose again?"

"Not this time," Rose fought against the smile forming on her face.

But she couldn't.

𑁍𑁍𑁍

"A draw. That's the closest you're gonna get," shrugged Vince, as Rose drew with him on their tenth game.

The girl sighed. "We should probably get back to work. Thank you, I actually feel better."

"I thought you might," Vince smiled slightly at her. "Do you know anything about bargaining tiles with spots on? I think it's some sort of game."

"You mean dominoes?" Rose reminisced. "That was one game I could win. Jake had a box when we were younger, and he would play with Ned and me for days on end. Maybe I could... teach you, when we get out of here?"

"I thought I told you to come straight back-!"

Cook's voice made them spring into action, scrubbing the flour to remove the game pattern-

Rose froze at the position their hands were in. Vince's on top of hers.

If he tells Will-

She quickly removed her hand as they both stood up and Cook appeared in the doorway.

"You, ten minute rec," she told Vince. "Away. You," she pointed to Rose. "More work to be done."

"Fine," Rose nodded. "I'm done sulking."

She just didn't want to admit who had been the cause of that.

Cook sighed. "You'd stay out of his way today, if you knew what was good for you. Trust me, Rose."

As she left, Rose frowned.

She didn't know about Will.

So what was she talking about?

𑁍𑁍𑁍

"A very special delivery is on its way," Cook told Rose when she got into the kitchen. "Go into the yard and wait for it. Have a rest till it arrives."

"What kind of special delivery?" Rose was confused.

Cook looked her in the eye.

"Eggs."

Rose frowned. "Eggs?!"

However, as soon as she got out the kitchen, Vince was there, saying. "Follow me."

"I can't, I've got to-"

"Come on!" He told her. "We won't be long, I've got a surprise for you! Come on, Rose!"

Rose sighed and followed him, despite deep misgivings. She couldn't believe she was doing this.

She couldn't believe the effect he had had on her, either.

𑁍𑁍𑁍

He covered her eyes as they entered a small shed in the yard.

"One, two, three!"

He took his hands off her eyes and let her see what was going on. On a small crate in the centre of the room, was a set of dominoes.

Rose couldn't stop the smile on her face as she looked at Vince.

Not before long, they sat down to play, Rose teaching him the rules and the way it was played.

"So how did you-?" She started.

"I have my ways," Vince interrupted her. "So you line up the pieces like this, yeah?"

Rose nodded.

BANG!

"HAND IT OVER, YOU SNAKE-!"

Next thing Rose knew, Will was slamming the door into the shed and lunging at Vince, the other boy holding his hands up so they were locked in an angry hold, each trying to hurt the other.

"Will, what are you doing?!" Rose yelled as they boys continued to fight.

"HE'S THREATENING TO TELL ON NURSE WINTERSON AND THE CONSTABLE!" Will bellowed to Rose in Vince's face.

Rose got in between the boys, pulling them apart as Will yelled. "He's blackmailing her with a silver pin!"

"Will!" Rose yelled, looking straight at him. "Nurse Winterson and the constable?"

"I'll tell you later," Will said by way of explanation, looking at at Vince. "She could lose her job because of him!"

"He's lying! He's always had it out for me!" Vince yelled back, looking to Rose.

"Prove it!" Will snarled back. "Empty your pockets!"

"I'm not doing what that idiot says-!"

Will lunged at him again but Rose helped him back. "Will just leave him alone!"

Will looked between her and Vince, stopping fighting her and scoffing. "Oh, I see what's going on here."

Rose shook her head, blinking rapidly. "It's not like that-"

"Well if it wasn't, Rose, then you would trust me!" Will shouted sharply at her, putting a hand on her shoulder, but not a soft one. This one was rough. "He's got it. Believe me, or don't believe me. But if you don't, you'll be sorry."

And with that, he was gone.

Leaving Rose feeling worse than she ever had.

𑁍𑁍𑁍

She sat back down to play the rest of the round of dominoes with Vince, a feeling of dread pooling in her stomach.

"You know, if Will was telling the truth, I would give you a chance," she informed the boy across from her.

"I told you, he was lying," Vince said. "He was just trying to get you away from me."

Somewhere in Rose didn't believe that.

"I'll help you put it right, and we don't have to speak of it again," sighed Rose. "But... you have to do the right thing."

She held out a hand.

Vince looked at her for a second, then stood up and emptied his pockets.

Rose shook her head. "We could've been friends."

"Oh come on, Rose-"

She got up, and made to leave, but on the way, crashed into a crate at the door and let an egg fall to the ground.

She looked back at Vince, uncovering that crate to reveal a whole delivery of eggs.

"Eggs?" She raised her eyebrows at Vince.

"Yeah, I took the delivery this morning," shrugged Vince.

"But- I was supposed to take that delivery," Rose wondered aloud. "Why is Cook making me wait for a delivery that's already here? What's so special about-?"

"Do you miss her?"

"Ida? Aye, she were a good egg."

"The good egg," Rose couldn't breathe- "Ida!"

She ran out the shed, and up the steps, and instantly became aware of a carriage, trundling back down and out the gates-

"NO, WAIT! STOP, PLEASE, STOP!" She yelled after it, running across the courtyard faster than her legs had ever carried her. "STOP! PLEASE-!"

"Stop the carriage!"

That voice-

Ida was crying as she leaned out of the back of the carriage, gripping Rose's hands. And Rose began crying, too.

"Oh! Go round!" Ida said, as Rose ran round the edge of the carriage and jumped in.

"My girl! I didn't think you'd make it!" Ida cried, holding her in the seat. "We can't be long, it's not safe."

"I've missed you so much!" Rose sobbed as her mother cupped her cheek, rubbing her tears away only for more to replace them.

"Aw, Miss Smith found me," smiled Ida. "She said you and Will gave up good jobs to help some other girls, and she wanted to repay your kindness."

This- this was more than repayment. Rose would be indebted to Miss Smith for life.

"Take me with you, I can leave now!" Rose cried. "

"You can't," Ida said. "You've got too many who care for you. But I'll be waiting for you. And look at me, Rose, this very important."

Rose looked at her mother, wanting to collapse into her arms and have Ida hold her forever.

"I heard you've been getting in trouble with Matron," sobbed Ida.

"So what? She sent you away," Rose cried.

"You must behave," Ida told her. "Matron could punish you by giving you a bad job, or sending you miles away where I won't be able to find you! You promise me."

"I've messed up," Rose was so happy, but so sad at the same time. "I've been so, so stupid, and I've lost all my friends."

"Rose, you need your friends," Ida warned her. "You can't do this

Rose nodded, unable to control her emotions.

Ida pulled her close to her, holding her, hugging her, with all the emotion she had been missing for the past six months.

"It's time," said Ida, holding her so she could look at her. "I'll find you when you're out. Now, remember your promise."

Rose nodded.

"Back to the kitchen now!" Miss Smith appeared at the carriage door. "Please, Rose!"

Rose sighed, looking back to Ida, and crying some more.

She couldn't believe today had happened.

But they hadn't got away entirely scott-free.

𑁍𑁍𑁍

"Thank you both so much!" Rose said as she ran into the kitchen, embracing both Cook and Miss Smith. "I won't put a foot wrong again!"

"If you'd waited as I said, we wouldn't be in this trouble!" Cook told her.

Rose frowned, pausing. "Matron found out?"

Miss Smith nodded. "I'm going to be taking some time away from the hospital, Rose. But I'll never be too far away."

Rose shook her head. "No, no this was my fault-"

"I did this, to save you from punishment. It was my risk to take," said Miss Smith, putting a hand on her cheek. "Keep writing, Rose. It's your gift. It must be nurtured."

Rose felt horrible as she smiled slightly at the woman. She was the reason that Miss Smith was leaving.

As Miss Smith and Cook left the kitchen, Vince appeared in the doorway.

"You see what you've done?" She spun round to face him. "If I'd been in the yard at the right time instead of messing around with you-"

"You know- I never would've actually got Winterson in trouble!" Vince told her as he held something out to her.

It was a pin. A silver pin. A pretty one.

His blackmail.

Rose took it, looking up at him. "You lost today, Vince."

She said no more, leaving him in the kitchen.

She wished things were different.

But then again, this wasn't the first time she had wished that.

𑁍𑁍𑁍

Rose wasn't taking no for an answer as she marched into the dorm, going straight for Harriet and hugging her tightly.

"I'm sorry for calling to selfish," Harriet sighed.

"No, I'm sorry," Rose said, pulling back. "I didn't listen to you and you're my best friend. I should've thought about your feelings. I've missed you."

"I'm going to go to America," smiled Harriet.

"What?" Rose asked.

"You have to be brave to be rewarded, Elizabeth taught me that today," she said. "She's got a new job as a children's maid."

Rose's eyes widened.

"Plus, I'm not staying here to be the last member of the she-mob," smiled Harriet.

Rose smiled right back. "Tell me about it on the way to the tower."

As the two best friends left the dorm, Rose smiled.

She had her best friend back.

But she couldn't stop thinking about Will.

She still hadn't made up with him yet.

And she didn't have Miss Smith as protection anymore.

So some things were better.

But some were also worse.