The Christmas Rose: The most heart-warming novel of 2018, from the Sunday Times bestseller

A wry grin twisted his lips. ‘That’s better. Meek and downtrodden doesn’t suit you, Munday.’ He pulled open a drawer and took out a cash box. ‘I want you to buy yourself some more suitable clothing.’

‘I can’t do that.’

He tossed the coins onto the desk. ‘Give me one good reason why not.’

‘You’re not responsible for my wellbeing. I can look after myself.’

‘This is strictly business. Call it a loan, if it makes you feel better, but the weather is set to get worse. You’re no damn good to me if you’re sick, so when you’ve had your tea I’ll get the office boy to take you to the nearest second-hand clothes shop. And buy yourself a cup of soup or a cheese roll from the stall on the corner of Chancery Lane, and you can get me one while you’re about it. I didn’t have time for breakfast either.’

Rose tossed her head. ‘Sadie would say that’s the pot calling the kettle black.’

‘She sounds like a sensible woman, but a bit of a bore. Anyway, I enjoyed a good supper last evening in the company of a very attractive young lady, so there’s no comparison.’ Eugene beckoned to the office boy, who was hovering in the doorway, clutching two mugs of steaming tea. ‘Thanks, Scully.’ He waited while the spotty-faced youth placed them carefully on two mats. ‘When Miss Munday has finished her drink I want you to take her to the nearest dolly shop, and you can wait and bring her back. We don’t want her to get lost.’

Rose reached for the tea and took a sip, glowering at Eugene over the rim of the mug. Maybe this was a mistake after all. She had been more or less free to do as she pleased at home in Bendigo, and she was not sure whether she could stand being ordered about by anyone, let alone a man she barely knew. The warmth and sweetness of the tea was already having an effect, but her fingers and toes were tingling painfully as the feeling returned to her extremities. She did not want to accept charity from Eugene, but she had underestimated the severity of a British winter, and she was in desperate need of warm clothing. However, when she received her first week’s pay she would start repaying the debt. If Pa had taught her anything, it was never to owe money to anyone. She glanced at Scully, who was waiting for her to finish her tea and he winked at her, but she turned her head away. She was used to cocky boys.

But Scully’s attitude changed the moment they left the office and he dropped his self-assured swagger, becoming almost deferential in the way he behaved. Rose discovered that he was the eldest of seven children and his meagre wages went to his widowed mother, who worked as a charwoman in an attempt to keep a roof over their heads. Rose was sympathetic and Scully grew shy and blushed to the roots of his mousy hair, and he was clearly smitten. It might have been amusing to be the object of puppy love, but Rose was wary of hurting his feelings and she managed to bring Max into the conversation early on, describing him as her fiancé, even though their engagement was unofficial.

Later, having scoured the second-hand shop for clothing that was not too worn or dirty, Rose felt smart and warm in a grey flannel coat and a woollen hat, which was only a bit shabby with just a couple of moth holes. She stopped at the coffee stall and bought two cheese rolls with the last of the money that Eugene had given her. She could tell by the way Scully was eyeing the food that he was very hungry and his stick-thin limbs told a tale in themselves. She handed him one of the rolls.

‘I’m not hungry, Scully. Do me a favour and eat this before the guvnor sees it.’

Scully licked his lips. ‘It’s yours, miss. I couldn’t.’

‘No, really. The guvnor told me to get two, and I can only eat one, so you’ll be helping me out. Eat it now and he’ll never know the difference.’

‘If you’re sure.’ Scully snatched the roll from her hand and bit off a huge chunk. His pale blue eyes watered as he chewed and gulped the food down.

Rose turned away and walked on slowly, giving him time to eat and digest before they reached the office.

‘Where’s yours?’ Eugene demanded when she placed the food in front of him.

‘You were right,’ Rose said airily. ‘I was so hungry I ate it on the way back. Ta, Guvnor, and thank you for the outfit. I’m warm and dry, so now I can sit down and have a go at that machine in the corner.’

Eugene pushed back his chair and stood up. ‘I’ve got to go out now, and I’ll probably have luncheon in the pub, so I won’t need the roll. You have it, or feed it to the birds if you don’t want it.’ He took his overcoat and hat from the clothes stand. ‘Write up an account of the affray in Eastcheap. Let’s see if you can master the typewriter and write a good article. I might slip it into tomorrow’s edition if you do well.’

‘Right you are, Guvnor.’ Rose waited for a minute or two after he left the office and when he did not return she snatched up the roll and bit into it, demolishing it in a speed that matched Scully’s. The food gave her the spurt of energy she needed to sit down and take on the new machine. This, she realised, was a test of her ability to master a new skill and her way with words. Her job depended upon both and she sat for a moment, admiring the floral decoration on the front of the machine. Then, controlling her shaking fingers with difficulty, she took a sheet of paper, slotted it behind the platen and wound it into position. She took a deep breath and began, using two fingers, to type out her account of what she had witnessed the previous day.

Chapter Five (#u40ff26be-dccf-51e8-9218-248f909f4da2)

It was not as easy as Rose had first thought, and it would have taken her less time to write the article by hand, but she persevered. Eventually, after wasting several sheets of paper, she managed to turn out a piece with only a couple of mistakes. It was slow going, but she was beginning to learn the layout of the keys, and she was studying the result when Scully put his head round the door.

‘I’m sorry, Miss Munday, but Nicholls wants to see you.’

Rose stared at him in surprise. ‘I’m busy doing the work that the guvnor set me.’

‘You don’t want to get on the wrong side of Old Nick.’

‘What does he want?’

‘I dunno, miss. But you’d best find out.’ Scully lowered his voice to a whisper. ‘He’ll make your life a misery if you don’t do as he says.’

Rose placed the sheet of paper on the desk and stood up. ‘All right. I’m coming.’ She followed him into the main office and marched up to Nicholls’ desk.

‘You wanted to speak to me.’

‘You can stop playing with that new machine and do something useful.’ He jerked his head in the direction of a pile of documents. ‘Those need filing in that cabinet over there, but first I want you to run these proofs down to the print room.’

Rose faced him angrily. ‘I wasn’t taken on to work as a filing clerk or to run errands. I take my orders from the guvnor.’

‘You’re a novice, and a woman at that. If you don’t like it here you know what to do.’ Nicholls pushed the pile of papers towards her. ‘Now get on with it or I’ll have a talk with Mr Radley, and you’ll find out who’s boss round here.’

Rose glanced round at the other clerks, who immediately bent their heads and pretended they were too busy to take any notice. She met Nicholls’ hostile gaze with a straight look.

‘As it happens I’ve finished the task that the guvnor set me, so I’ll do what you ask, but we’ll see what he says when he returns.’

‘I suppose you’ll flaunt your titties and flutter your eyelashes like all females do when they want to get their own way. Well, it won’t wash with me, miss. If you want to work here you’ll have to do as I say.’

Rose tossed her head. It was not worth arguing with someone like Nicholls, but she had a feeling that the other men in the office were not on her side. In fact, her only friend was Scully, who was hopping from one foot to the other in an attempt to catch Nicholls’ eye.

‘I got nothing to do, Mr Nicholls,’ he said, blushing. ‘I could take the proofs down to the print room.’

‘Did I speak to you, Scully?’

‘No, sir.’

‘Then shut up and fetch me a cup of tea, a dash of milk and two sugars.’ Nicholls waved Scully away as if he were an irritating insect.

Rose felt sorry for the boy, but she knew that any attempt to stand up for him would only make matters worse. She took the proofs from Nicholls and made her way to the print room, where the men seemed to share Nicholls’ opinion of women in the workplace. No one spoke to her, and it was becoming obvious that surviving in a man’s world was not going to be easy. It would be so simple to quit in the face of such opposition, but she needed the money and she was determined to stay and prove them all wrong.

Eugene returned from his luncheon appointment in the middle of the afternoon and he was in a good mood, if slightly tipsy. His overcoat was pearled with raindrops and he created a minor storm as he shook it before hanging it on a peg.

‘Did you enjoy your meal, Guvnor?’ Rose asked, trying not to chuckle as he aimed his hat in the direction of the stand and missed.

‘Very pleasant, thanks, Munday.’ Ignoring the fact that his expensive topper was lying on the floor, Eugene went to sit behind his desk. ‘How did you get on with the typewriting machine?’

Rose placed the sheets of paper in front of him. ‘It will take a lot of practice, but I think it looks good.’ She waited anxiously, crossing her fingers, while Eugene scanned her work.

He looked up at last. ‘Not a bad attempt. In fact it’s very promising.’

‘Thank you, Guvnor.’

Eugene eyed her speculatively. ‘We might make a reporter of you yet, Munday. As to the typing, it could be better. I want you to work at it every day.’

‘Mr Nicholls thinks I’m here to run errands, Guvnor. I’m not complaining,’ Rose added hastily. ‘It’s just that I need to know exactly what my duties are.’

Eugene leaned back in his chair. ‘You’re paid to do as I tell you, Munday. You take your orders from me.’

‘That’s what I thought, but I think it might be best if you tell him so.’