Rose had been trying and trying and trying all week to see Ned, but she hadn't seen him since Sunday service. Days ticked by, but Rose still couldn't get to him.

"Ned needs to know that I haven't forgotten about him," she said in the dorm one night. "And I never will. I have to see him. And it has to be tomorrow."

"Rose... tomorrow's just the same as any other day," sighed Harriet.

"It's not. Tomorrow's mine and Ned's borrowed birthday, the anniversary of the day we arrived at Anne's," explained Rose. "Every year Jake would make a cake, so I need your help."

"With what?" Polly frowned.

"I wanna see Ned, and celebrate like we used to," Rose said.

"We're foundlings, Rose. We can't have birthday parties," said Hetty.

"We can if no one finds out," smirked Rose.

"Guess your fortune, Rose," Sheila said, coming over and bringing with her a fortune teller doll. "Or do you know it already? Horrid. Troublemaker. One day Matron'll find out who you really are."

"Least she's found out who you are," Rose smirked, standing up and bringing with her a hairbrush. "Your turn for the hairbrush, Sheila. Oh, of course not! You've got no hair to brush."

Sheila's hair was wonkily cut and looked like how all the others' did when they were five and admitted to the hospital.

Sheila rolled her eyes and stalked off, Elizabeth and Monica following.

"Right," Rose said as she turned on her heel. "We need a place to escape. Just us, Ned, and the boys."

"But Matron's new rule - she'd have everyone punished," said Polly sadly.

"We are not escaping," said Harriet firmly.

"Escape doesn't necessarily mean getting out of here," shrugged Rose. "Just as long as I get to see Ned, without fear of being caught."

She turned her attention to the window then, standing up to get a better view.

And then... she found it.

A slightly larger turret, located in between the boys' and girls' wings.

"What we need is a den," she smiled, as all the other girls crawled over to see what she was seeing. "Our own secret tower."

"It's perfect," smiled Polly.

"How do we even get up there?" Harriet asked.

Rose shrugged. "I don't know. But I'm going to find out."

𑁍𑁍𑁍

The next day, when they were supposed to be scrubbing the corridors, Mary kept watch outside the cupboard with the vent in it as Polly, Hetty, Harriet and Rose all chambered up into the rafters.

"We'll be as quick as we can, Mary, I promise," Rose told her friend once they were all up.

Mary nodded back at her, and off they went.

"It's scary!"

"Wait for me!"

"Rose," Polly tapped her shoulder. "It's like an adventure!"

Rose smiled. "It is an adventure."

They continued to crawl through the rafters, climbing over beams and holding their candles aloft.

Finally, they reached a hatch.

"Our way to the tower," grinned Rose, going forward.

However, when she pushed it, it didn't move. "It won't budge."

"How are we gonna get up there now?" Harriet frowned.

Rose sighed, sitting back.

It never had to be easy, did it?

𑁍𑁍𑁍

"We'll find something to lever it open," Rose spoke in a hushed voice over the table at lunch.

"Rose, we'll never do it," sighed Mary.

Before Rose could say anything more, there was a loud banging noise from behind them and she turned round to see Matron, Cook and Nurse Macclesfield standing at the fore of the room, faces stony.

"Foundlings," Matron said, her voice low and threatening. "Last night... the lock on the panty door was slipped. I am shocked and ashamed to report that food has been stolen."

"Two buns, one meat pudding and Matron's special apple pie," Cook listed.

"Not to mention a bowl and cutlery," added Matron. "We have a thief in our midst."

Rose froze. She knew that she hadn't stolen, but she also knew that this meant security would be cracked down and she just couldn't have that.

"Until that theif is reprimanded, my eyes are everywhere," continued Matron. "During lesson times, your dorms will be searched thoroughly. Those on kitchen duty will carry out a strict stock check. For the rest of the day, leisure time is cancelled. We will find the thief, believe you me!"

Rose sighed. There seemed no hope of seeing Ned tonight, but that was not going to stop her.

𑁍𑁍𑁍

Stock check was boring, repetitive and dull. Thankfully, Rose was doing it with her friends.

She had covered the whole of the pantry table with flour and in it, she had drawn out the sky-view of the rafters before her friends gathered round.

"Both wings of the hospital are the same," she explained in a lowered voice. "If we can crawl through the rafters, the boys can, too. We meet in the tower. All I have to do is get a message to Ned."

"How will you manage that? We're on stock check," Harriet frowned.

"I'm not sure," sighed Rose.

"Hurry along girls, the rest of the pantry needs checking!" Matron's voice came in from the kitchen, causing the girls to all lunge forward and work together to rub out the drawing made in the flower.

Once they were done, Rose said. "Let's go."

However, as she made to leave, she heard a squeaky from below her and looked down to see it.

"Rats! Oh my, Matron! There's rats!"

"Rats? Rats?" Matron asked, but once she saw it, both she and Nurse Macclesfield shrieked, flattening back against the wall.

"Cook! Get that! Get it at once!" Matron shouted to the woman, pushing her forward. "Cook, trap it!"

So Cook advanced forward with a bowl, managing to get it over the rat and putting a loaf of bread on top of it to prevent escaping.

"Got it!"

As she stood up, she sighed. "Lunch will be delayed. The whole kitchen needs scrubbing, and food back to the pantry."

And then Rose saw it.

Clear as day, her chance.

"Matron, shall I inform Mr Cranbourne?" She said, looking over to the very distressed woman.

"Yes, thank you, Green, a very good idea," Matron breathed.

And so Rose managed to leave.

She knew the boys were in the garden, and so found the energy to run, full of anticipation to see her brother again.

She even smiled when she got to the corner, about to shout-

"Urgh-"

She collided with someone, a boy, who was carrying a bag of something.

"Sorry- I didn't mean- Rose?!"

Looking up, Rose saw the black hair and realised it was Will.

"Um, hey," Rose smiled slightly.

"What are you doing here?" Will smiled warmly at her.

"Well, to inform Mr Cranbourne of rats in the kitchen, technically," Rose smiled hopefully. "But I was hoping you could squeeze in a visit with Ned for me?"

Will smiled. "Don't worry, we will. Now go and tell Cranbourne about the rats before Matron 'Stinking' Bottomly does."

Rose couldn't help but smile as Will ran off. She waited a few seconds before running round the corner herself.

"Mr Cranbourne? Mr Cranbourne, Sir!" She said, catching the man's attention. "There's been an outbreak of rats in the kitchen, lunch will be delayed."

"The rat-catcher's been sent for?" Cranbourne checked.

"Yes, Sir."

"Mr Cranborne! Mr Cranbourne!"

Rose turned to see Ned, sitting on the ground, stuffing weeds into a bag.

Above him stood Walter and Will.

"Someone's had a go at the garden store!" Will exclaimed, sparing a small, almost inexplicable wink for Rose.

"It looks like it's been disturbed, Sir!" Walter added.

Mr Cranbourne turned to Rose. "Thank you, Rose, straight back to your dorm."

"Yes, Sir," Rose smiled, even though she had no intentions to do so.

As Cranbourne went off with Will and Walter, Rose grabbed Ned's arm and pulled him into a knook with bushes surrounding it.

Instantly, she and Ned hugged, gripping each other tight before letting go, Rose saying. "I've tried to see you Ned, honestly, I have, I've thought of nothing else."

Ned smiled. "Me too."

"Listen, I've got something to tell you," Rose said.

And then she explained, telling her brother all about her mad idea to go into the tower.

"Count me in," Ned smiled once he had heard it all.

"But we're gotta go up there tonight, you understand?" Rose raised her eyebrows.

"Tonight?" Ned frowned. "Why tonight?"

Rose scoffed. "You mean, you don't remember what today is?"

"Remember what?" Ned asked.

A grin appeared on Rose's face. "Then trust me. It's a surprise. Look for a yellow duster in the girls' dorm window before dark. That's our signal. You hang a cap in reply. After dorm rounds, we meet in the tower."

"Boys! Pack away please!" Came Cranbourne's voice from the other side of the bushes.

Rose turned back to Ned. "I'll see you there."

But as she made to leave, Ned asked. "Wait a minute, how do we get up there?"

Rose shrugged. "I thought you were the smart one!"

And with that, she went, taking with her some blue, red and white bunting that was on a plant nearby.

"Hey! They're to keep the birds off our strawberries!" Ned shouted after her.

"The birds can have the strawberries! Our den needs this more!" Rose shouted back, taking off with the bunting.

Ned sighed after her, but his look very quickly turned into a smile.

𑁍𑁍𑁍

The rat-catcher certainly knew how to put on a show. Rose got back just as he was setting up in the dining room, where there were two rats.

"Right, that's the kitchen sorted," he said. "Ladies, for your entertainment, let me introduce to you - Cecil."

From a cage nearby, he got out a ferret, which many people made an "eurgh" sound at.

"Cecil is the fastest ferret this side of Bishopsgate," said the rat-catcher. "Now let me show your his skills."

Harriet was part of the demonstration, but Rose could still talk to Polly, who was beside her in the crowd.

"If anyone can get us through the hatch, this man can," she said lowly.

Polly grinned at her. "Rose, you're a genius."

"...Once Cecil's down there, he will run the rats to the darkest place... but that is only if my pretty volunteer, Harriet, can frighten them into daylight first."

Harriet was armed with a pan lid, and when the rat-catcher said to, she started banging it against the sideboard, making the rats flee to Cecil, who ran them straight into the net the catcher was holding, so he could chuck them straight into the cage that was ready and waiting for them.

"That's your lot in here, nurse," he said to Macclesfield once he had locked the cage.

It was then that Rose saw her chance, and siezed it, stepping forward. "Of course, it's the rafters that are the real problem."

"Huh?"

Polly stepped up too. "We can hear them."

Macclesfield nodded. "Show him to the rafters!"

Rose smiled, turning to the catcher. "My name's Rose, I'll show you exactly where to go."

As she stepped back, Mary said to her. "All birthdays need a cake," handing her a tin.

Rose smiled at her. "Thanks Mary."

"Alright," the rat catcher made her turn. "Lead the way."

𑁍𑁍𑁍

So she and Polly took the catcher to the cupboard and the three of them climbed up into the rafters, Rose and Polly sitting about as the catcher set traps.

He talked as he did. "Society ladies pay top whack to keep pet rats in their parlour. It's the fashion. The day I find a black and white piebald... I could earn my fortune."

Rose and Polly exchanged a glance and then Rose said. "Maybe there's one in the tower? It's infested."

The catcher looked upwards to where Rose was pointing. "Is it, now?"

Rose grinned to Polly, mouthing. "Job done."

𑁍𑁍𑁍

As the catcher attempted to break past the hatch, Rose and Polly got down from the vent.

"Here, take this," Rose said, attempting to hand Polly the cake tin-

She missed, and it crashed onto the ground.

And then, as Rose got down, Matron opened the cupboard door.

Rose breathed. "Matron."

Polly shook. "Matron."

Matron looked between them. "Would you two care to explain yourselves?"

Of course, Rose was the first to speak.

"We were just helping the rat-catcher, Matron."

"And the provisions?" Matron asked, looking at the open cake tin Rose was holding, with scraps of buns and pastries in there.

Rose steeled herself, trying to make herself as believable as possible and looking Matron straight in the eyes. "It was me. I stole the food, Matron."

"No, you didn't," Polly interrupted. Rose's head snapped to hers. Matron was going to believe her! And now Polly would have to take the fall for it.

"Polly-" Rose started.

"Honestly, she's just saying that to protect me," Polly looked up.

Matron pursed her lips. "Well, one of you is lying. Turn our your pockets, both of you."

Rose sighed, turning out hers to reveal nothing.

When Polly did, however, she took out two buns, resting in the palms of her hands.

"So we've found our thief," smirked Matron. "Is the food from last night hidden in here too? And stealing from the garden shed?"

"What- no, what garden shed?" Polly frowned. "I-I only took this to help the rat catcher. I thought a few buns and currents might help catch the vermin. I'm sorry, I was just trying to help... I've never been in trouble before."

Rose's heart broke for her friend as Polly looked down, biting her lip to stop crying.

"Hmm," Matron looked at her sternly. "Lucky for you, I believe you. Whether your intentions were honourable or otherwise, stealing food is a serious offence."

"Y-yes, Matron, I'm sorry Matron," Polly murmured.

Matron nodded. "I want you to clean out the privies."

"Polly-" Rose started again.

"The privies will teach you," Matron said, ushering Polly out the room. "I want them spick and span."

As Polly went off, Rose shook her head. But then the bigger blow came.

"There's no need to get into the tower," said the rat-catcher from above her. "The traps in the rafters will do the job."

Rose sighed.

But she couldn't do anything but agree.

𑁍𑁍𑁍

"It could be worse, Polly could've got tench," Mary whispered across the row in lessons.

"It's me who should be suffering, not her," Rose snarled. "Why did Polly take the blame...?"

"It's you and Ned's borrowed birthday, and she wants you to celebrate with him," Hetty offered.

Rose frowned. "Polly really did that for me?"

Harriet nodded. "Your plan can't fail, you can't leave her scrubbing out privies for nothing."

"Poor little Polly," said Sheila, getting up and standing over Rose. "All alone and cleaning the privies. She'll stink for weeks."

"At least she got that stink from privies, you carry yours around all by yourself," Rose retorted as a snarl.

But as Sheila left, Rose couldn't help but feel hopeless.

However, soon she was about to feel hopeful.

It happened as the girls were in their line, going from one class to the next. A squeak.

Rose frowned, instantly seeing the rat as she followed the noise.

It was a rat. Black and white.

A black and white piebald.

Rose grinned, ducking out of line and picking the thing up, shoving it in her bonnet which she took of her head.

She got up and ran off to find the rat-catcher.

𑁍𑁍𑁍

"I can't believe you got me a black and white piebald!" The catcher said as he took all his tools up to the rafters with him.

"You know what they say, one good turn deserves another!" Rose smiled.

"Oh, it's the least I can do," the catcher grinned, climbing up into the rafters himself.

Yeah, he was going to get into the tower. But not to lay traps there.

But so Rose could throw a party there. Which she didn't tell him, of course.

"For you, I'll have this hatch open in no time," smiled the rat-catcher as he started to work.

Finally, there was a way into the tower.

𑁍𑁍𑁍

That evening, Rose, Hetty, Harriet and Mary sat on Harriet and Rose's beds, chatting and laughing.

When Polly came in, her bonnet askew and her hair messy, they all ran up to her, hugging her.

But Rose was late to the hug. Because she was hanging a yellow duster in the dorm window.

She collided with her friends halfway up the dorm to many laughs, ignoring the she-mob's eye rolls. They laughed happily, all hoping the boys were as ready as them.

And they were, as Rose saw it in the window a few minutes later.

She grinned at it, happy to see it.

The cap in the window.

𑁍𑁍𑁍

That night, carrying the bunting and the cake tin and some other bits and pieces, the five girls crawled through the rafters, all of them high on anticipation.

As they went through the hatch, Rose was shaking. She had imagined this a lot over the past thirty six hours, so she just hoped it was everything it was made up to be.

As they went through, there was a ladder, which Rose quickly climbed, all her friends at her back.

As she got up, Rose looked around, amazed.

It was a small, circular roo, and there was a big wooden pillar in the middle, with small wooden crates on the outside to sit down on.

Rose smiled. "Perfect."

They had made it.

After a bit of admiring the place, they got to work, hanging up the bunting and setting the cake up, also putting up a banner that said:

ROSE & NED
BORROWED BIRTHDAY

As they heard footsteps on the ladder, Rose hushed everyone and they all knelt down.

When Ned's face appeared at the top of the ladder, the five girls got up and shouted. "SURPRISE!"

As the rest of the boys chambered in and they all got a look of the room, Ned exclaimed. "Now I remember! It's our borrowed birthday!"

Rose sighed, rolling her eyes as Polly handed over the cake, a single candle stuck in the top of it. "To Rose and Ned - happy borrowed birthday!"

The two of them grinned, leaning forward and blowing out the candle together to everyone's claps.

As Rose looked around at everyone, she knew that it wasn't just a birthday celebration. It wasn't just a dream anymore, the girls had a way to meet with the boys.

"To our den, our very own place!" She said, as everyone echoed the toast before cheering.

As they all started to talk and mingle, Will tapped on Rose's arm, making her turn to him.

"Just how did you manage this?" He asked her, gesturing to the whole tower around them.

Rose shrugged with a smile. "I have my ways."

Will smiled and laughed. "To be honest, I'm starting to think that anything is possible when you put your mind to it, Rose."

To that, Rose had not answer.

They eventually all settled, sitting round the room and just talking, catching up. Laughing and talking and joking.

But that was when an ear piercing scream resounded through the air.

"What was that?" Polly asked.

Rose just hissed. "Everybody, get out of here! Run!"

They blew out all the candles hurriedly and rushed down and out the rafters, following the noise.

They found Sheila, Elizabeth, Monica, Mr Cranbourne and Matron all gathered round the pantry door, which had a chair in front of it to prevent it being opened.

The thief's in there, Rose quickly realised, as Mr Cranbourne took a rolling pin and slowly advanced towards the door.

As he opened it, he yelled, and several of the people around him screamed.

But the person in the pantry didn't fight.

He didn't even move, as Rose realised, when she leaned in closer to get a look.

There, cowered in a corner, dressed in a sack and some ripped up clothes, looking more scared than Rose had ever seen him, was Mathias.

"Goodness me!" Mr Cranborne panted.

"It rather looks like we've found our thief," Matron snarled, closing in.

Rose just frowned. "Mathias?"

As Mr Cranbourne and Matron took him and pulled him up, leading him out the room, Rose just looked at him in shock.

One thing was for sure.

He had changed.

And he may never be the same again.