Miss Smith may have saved Rose and Will from serious punishment, but she hadn't saved them from the punishment of daily hospital life.

Classes, scrubbing corridors, wiping blackboards, cleaning classrooms. It was terrible.

But, of course, it wasn't long until something happened.

It started with something small. Blanche sneaking back into bed at night, and Rose being awoken by the door opening and her blowing the candle out.

But the next morning, Rose couldn't find her uniform.

"Well, it was here last night, so somebody must've taken it!" She complained as she searched her basket furiously, everyone around her changed and her still in her nightdress.

"You know, you give this hospital more trouble than smallpox!" Macclesfield snapped. "Find that uniform now, or you spend the rest of the day in your undergarments."

Rose sighed. Today was jam day, a day that was renowned in the foundling hospital. Basically, it was where the boys picked fruit out in the garden, and handed it to the girls, who then added sugar and turned it into jam.

So Rose was going to be spending the whole day in the kitchens, and she might need more clothes than her undergarments there.

So she went to the only person she could fathom it could've been.

"You took it!" She accused Blanche.

"What would I want with your raggedy old uniform?" The girl scoffed.

"Well, I saw you sneaking around last night!" Rose snapped.

"I never tell anyone when you go and meet up with your little sweetheart at night," Blanche told her. "Since when were you a snitch?"

Rose clenched her fists. "I'm not snitching! I just wanna find my uniform!"

"One of the juniors is in the infirmary," Winterson came up the aisle to her. "You can borrow hers, for now."

She held up a dress that was about half Rose's height, and couldn't keep the smile off her face. The girl was outraged.

"Well that's not gonna fit me, is it?!"

𑁍𑁍𑁍

But when Rose walked into the kitchen that morning, she was wearing that junior's uniform. She perked up a bit when she saw both Will and Gideon in the kitchens, but rolled her eyes when she saw them both scoff slightly at her dress.

Great.

"Hurry up!" Cook complained as Rose joined the line of girls in the kitchen, which included Sheila, Elizabeth, Blanche and Harriet

"Right, you know what day today is," Cook said.

"Jam day!" Everyone replied.

"And what's the only thing that matters on jam day?"

"Jam!"

Blanche put her hands up. "Uh, Cook, I'm not feeling too well. Am I allowed to go to the infirmary?"

"Unless you're coughing out a lung, I would stop right there," Cook warned her. "There'll be no skiving, no dawdling, no doing anything that does not directly relate to the making of jam. You, lads," she spoke to Will and Gideon. "If we don't get fruit, we don't get jam. If I catch any of you mucking out, it'll be one of your heads stewing in those pots. Now, where's my list?"

As she gave a bunch of baskets, along with the list, to Nurse Winterson, Will and Gideon left the kitchen, but not before Will gave Rose a knowing look and a wink.

"You two, washing drying jars," Cook pointed to Harriet and another few.

"Yes, Cook."

"Labels."

"Yes, Cook."

"Cherries," she looked to Blanche, Elizabeth and Rose.

"Yes, Cook."

"What about me?" Sheila asked, as the only one who had not been given a job.

"You're my second in command," Cook said. "Jars need sterilising once they're washed, and you keep on top of the others."

"You mean I get to tell them what do to?" Sheila smirked. "Nice."

Rose rolled her eyes.

𑁍𑁍𑁍

Rose, Elizabeth and Blanche were sat at the table, destoning cherries and peeling apples when Mathias and Will came in.

"More apples, Cook!"

"Put them out the back!" Cook commanded.

"Can I show him, Cook?" Harriet checked, and when she was granted permission, she got up and followed him out.

Rose sighed, a small smile on her face as she leaned over to get more cherries-

Riiiiip

"Oh for-" she hissed. "I just ripped my uniform!"

"Um, Cook, this knife isn't sharp enough," Blanche put her hand up. "Can I go get another one?"

"Get one from the storeroom, and be quick about it."

She's up to something, is all that went through Rose's head as she watched Blanche go.

"Cook, can I go fix this, please?" She asked, holding up her arm to show the rip in her dress.

Cook nodded and Rose was running to keep up with Blanche.

"She's up to something," was all she told Harriet, Will and Mathias as she ran past.

She got upstairs and saw Blanche sneaking through the corridors, hastening to follow her.

It was when she went into the library that Rose was confused. The hospital library was old and falling apart, and why would Blanche need in there anyway?

The mystery was solved as Rose got into the room, seeing Blanche and a girl she recognised as being one of Mr Grace's gang.

"You?! What are you doing here?" She exclaimed, as Will ran in the door behind her.

"Me and Jess are leaving," Blanche told her.

"No, you can't! It's not safe out there!" Rose yelled. "You've got nowhere to go, no money-"

"We can sell these," said Jess, holding up a bag of trinkets. "I took it from Mr Grace. None of it belongs to him, anyway, just this crusty old book he's always writing in."

From the bag she produced a book with yellowing pages and a green leather cover. Rose took it but Will touched her arm, making her look at him.

"Leave it, Rose," he told her. "If Matron catches them with all that, we're in trouble, too."

"Forget Matron, I heard Macclesfield say the constable is here on my way up!" Rose snapped. "If he finds Jess with all these stolen goods, she can go to prison."

That seemed to get Jess to listen.

"Okay, so what about Miss Smith?" Will said. "She's here today as well, and she lied to Matron to save us."

Rose sighed. "We'll hide Jess, and try to get Miss Smith alone, I know she'll help us out."

"What about the bag? Jess can't get caught with that," said Blanche.

"Me and the boys'll get rid of it," promised Will, as he took the bag.

Then Rose noticed what Jess was wearing.

"Is that my uniform?"

𑁍𑁍𑁍

So they put Jess to work in the kitchens.

"Who's this?" Sheila asked when she saw the girl sitting beside Rose, destoning cherries.

"Your skivvy," Rose said quickly. "You don't tell anyone she's here and she'll do whatever you want."

"I'm no one's skivvy," Jess spoke up.

"You are if you don't wanna end up in prison," Rose snarled.

"Prison? What's going on-?" Sheila asked.

"Shh!" Rose hissed at her.

As Rose continued to cut cherries, Macclesfield came in.

"Matron's asked for Miss Smith to be sent some tea-"

"I'll go!" Rose jumped up.

"And spend two hours doing it?" Macclesfield said scornfully. "Elizabeth, take up a tray and be quick."

Rose sighed, waiting for a moment when Cook had her back turned and running to where she knew spare pieces of paper, quills and ink were kept for writing recipes. There, she quickly got a letter together, to Miss Smith, telling her to come to the kitchens to meet Jess.

Once she was finished, she went to Elizabeth.

"Give this to Miss Smith."

"I'm not touching that," the girl objected. "Some of us want decent jobs when we leave here."

Rose rolled her eyes, slipping the letter inside a folded napkin. "There, you don't have to touch it, just make sure she sees it."

She headed off to cut some more cherries, just hoping Elizabeth would help her.

Of course that hope was too much.

𑁍𑁍𑁍

"Chop quicker!"

"Alright!" Rose rolled her eyes, chopping cherries at exactly the same pace as before.

However, something certainly got quicker as Matron entered the kitchen. Her heartbeat, that is.

As everyone stood, Jess took that moment to slip off into the pantry, the door of which Matron opened then closed in a few seconds.

She didn't find her, Rose tried to breathe. She didn't find her.

"Is there a problem, Matron?" Cook asked the woman.

Matron took a second before answering. "Just checking that everything is in order, Cook. Nothing unusual around here today?"

"Other than fifty tonnes of jam, no, nothing unusual," said Cook.

Matron narrowed her eyes. "Blanche, Rose, outside now."

Blanche and Rose didn't even try to fight as they walked out the kitchen and sat down on the chair in the hall.

Matron shut the door before facing them, towering over them and saying menacingly. "Where is she? Your little friend. I know she's here."

Blanche and Rose exchanged a look but didn't say anything.

Matron raised her eyebrows and then said. "If you're hiding her, then you're harbouring a thief."

"She's not a thief!" Blanche yelled.

"Oh, so you have seen her," Matron scoffed.

"No," Blanche ducked her head and furiously tried to make up for her mistake.

"She's broken the law," Matron said in a low tone. "And she will be punished for it. And if you are hiding her, then so will you!"

Rose and Blanche exchanged another look, but neither spoke. They were holding out.

"I see," Matron said. "Back to your duties."

As Rose and Blanche stood up, and went back into the kitchen, Rose told Blanche. "No one is going to help Jess until we can prove she isn't a criminal."

"What if Jess gives the stolen goods back?" Blanche suggested.

"Well, we could tell Miss Smith that she came here to give it to the constable and do the right thing," Rose smiled slightly.

"More fruit, Cook."

Ned's voice at the door made Rose spring into action as she ran over to him.

"Ned, change of plan," she smiled slightly at him. "Go and get all the stuff back so we can give it to Miss Smith."

Ned nodded, heading out the kitchen, offering Rose only two words over his shoulder.

"On it."

𑁍𑁍𑁍

"Girls!"

Everyone rose as Miss Smith and Matron strode into the room.

"Oh, Miss Smith! Let me take that for you!" Rose said instantly.

"Thank you, Rose," smiled Miss Smith.

As Miss Smith went round the kitchen, observing the girls doing all their jobs, Rose put the tray down on the kitchen counter, checking the napkin-

Her heart dropped. The letter was still there.

She clenched her fists as she looked round and saw Elizabeth, shaking her head right back at her.

Turning back round, Rose became aware of another, more horrifying thought. Jess was in the kitchen, her back turned albeit, but still here.

And Matron was here too.

Oh no-

As the woman started to prowl round the kitchen, Jess turned round, telling Miss Smith what she was up to-

And Matron got ready to pounce-

"Miss Smith, why don't we get out of this busy kitchen-?" She started forward.

"If I could have a word with Rose-" Miss Smith began.

"Well, maybe later-"

"Argh!" Matron had accidentally shoved Miss Smith into a pulled out chair, causing her to topple down.

In all the madness, Blanche yelled. "Jess, run!"

The two girls took off out the kitchen and Rose only prayed they would get away as she fanned Miss Smith with her hand.

Just, please.

𑁍𑁍𑁍

Later, as Matron was sitting with Miss Smith on that seat in the hall, Rose came round the corner with a glass of water, and was surprised to see-

"Will?" She frowned. He was stood next to the seat, smiling at her.

"I invited him, Rose," said Miss Smith. "And thank you, my dear," she added, talking about the water.

As she drank it, she said. "I must confess, I came here today to offer Rose and Will jobs."

Rose and Will locked eyes in shock. What?

"It's a job in service, not so far from Highgate," Miss Smith explained. "Will would work in the gardens and Rose in the house, and I was able to negotiate two afternoons off a month, where you two could go up and see Ida."

Rose could hardly believe what she was hearing.

"Thank you, Miss Smith!" She shook her head, absolutely in awe.

"Thank you so much!" Will grinned.

"Ah, Matron!"

The good in the air had to end there, as Mr Cranbourne came round the corner, Blanche in his grip.

"We've had an attempted escape," he said. "Another one of your girls, it seems. I caught this one trying to slip through the gates."

"It's not her fault!"

"Jess!"

In a flash, Jess came running round the corner, out of breath, still in Rose's uniform. Matron got up and marched straight to them, pushing them forward.

"Blanche was just trying to look for me," she explained.

"This is her! This is the girl!" Cranbourne yelled.

"Jess only came here for help!" Rose yelled. "She was running away from a dangerous gang - they tried to make her steal things!"

"This is none of your business, Rose Green!" Matron, who still had a vice like grip on the two girls, yelled. "Get back to the kitchen!"

"But what about the refuge?" Rose spun round to Miss Smith. "You said they look after girls who have nowhere else to go! Maybe Jess could go there."

Matron was outraged. "It is not your place to make demands-"

"No!" Miss Smith stood up too. "No, she's right. This girl is homeless, I'm sure I cab find her a place. In fact, I'm willing to take her there myself today. Thank you, Rose."

Rose stepped back slightly, her head spinning. Yes, Jess could be free, but what about Blanche? What would she-?

"Blanche should have my job," she said. "If she takes it... she can see Jess on her afternoons off."

"I'm not leaving without you," Will spoke up. "I'm not-"

"You can stay here, with me," Rose said, looking at him sadly before turning back to Miss Smith. "Please?"

"Rose, Will... are you absolutely sure?" Miss Smith asked. "There is no guarantee I can arrange another opportunity like this."

Rose looked to Will, who nodded, then back at Miss Smith. She nodded, too.

"Very well," Miss Smith pursed her lips, turning round. "If that meets your blessing, Matron."

Matron nodded. "Thank you, Miss Smith. Shall we retire to my office...?"

As they all headed off, Blanche mouthed to Rose. "Thank you."

Rose smiled slightly as they all went.

Will took her arm gently and pulled her too him, hugging her.

"This is why I love you so much," he murmured to her. "You're so brave and you're so, so kind."

Rose smiled slightly. "I love you too."

She knew she would have to move in a minute.

But that was a minute.

And now was now.

𑁍𑁍𑁍

"

You've impressed me today, Sheila," Cook told Sheila as Rose and everyone else tucked into scones with leftover jam on them. "Jam that good could've been served to Queen Victoria, no complaints. There'll be a job in this kitchen for you as long as you want one."

Rose sighed. Now even Sheila was sorted. But she still didn't have a job, or a mother.

She had Will, she supposed, and Harriet.

But sometimes, it just wasn't the same.

"Blanche, Jess, you mustn't keep Miss Smith waiting," Matron called across the kitchen, Blanche and Jess hesitantly getting up.

Of course, everyone else got up and hugged them tightly after, saying goodbye. Rose stayed slightly detached. She was grateful for the job opportunity from Miss Smith, but seeing Blanche and Jess and how happy they were, she knew she and Will had ultimately done the right thing.

Blanche eventually smiled to her and said. "Thank you, Rose. You have no idea how much this means to me and Jess!"

Rose smiled.

"Girls," Matron said in a warning voice from the door.

Blanche then hurriedly hugged Rose. At first, Rose thought it was just out of affection, but then Blanche whispered to her. "Get Mr Grace's book. Jess says it's important. It's in the library."

Rose gave a slight nod and smiled as she and Blanche pulled apart, Matron chivvying them along.

As all the girls said goodbye to them, Blanche caught Rose's eye and she nodded again.

She would get the book.

She just wanted to know why it was so important.

𑁍𑁍𑁍

That night, Rose lit a candle and snuck out the dorm, getting to the library quickly.

She was determined to follow Blanche and Jess, and carve her own path.

When she got to the library, she searched the shelves, and then finally, she found it. Yellowing pages, bound with green leather.

She held it tightly.

Matron was so keen to find this.

And she had it.

This was leverage.

And Rose was going to use it.