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

‘What about Max’s mother? Don’t she approve of you or something?’

‘She said we were too young to marry, and her husband agreed with her. They said that Max should establish himself in his career before thinking of marriage.’

‘Maybe you should write and tell her that he’s let you down. She might send you money.’

Horrified, Rose almost lost her footing on the uneven pavement. ‘I wouldn’t think of asking for charity.’

‘Suit yourself, but your young man got you into this mess, so it’s up to him or his family to get you out of it.’

Tears stung Rose’s eyes but she was determined not to cry. ‘I have only myself to blame, Cora. It’s up to me to find a solution.’

Cora shot her a sideways glance. ‘You’re obviously well educated, Rose. But without references you won’t find it easy to get work.’

‘I can cook simple things, and I can look after small children. I can scrub floors and wash dishes.’

‘Put us two together and we’d make someone a perfect wife,’ Cora said, chuckling. ‘Walk faster, Rose. I got work to do, even if you haven’t.’

Regan was hanging around outside the house in Black Raven Court, and Rose took an instant dislike to him. Despite his thickset physique and aggressive expression, his scarred face and broken nose suggested that he had come off worst in a good many fights. His unsavoury appearance, and the stench of his unwashed body made Rose shrink away from him, but his beady eyes lit up with interest the moment he spotted her.

‘You can forget it, Regan,’ Cora said firmly. ‘She’s not for sale.’

‘Pity. I could find plenty of work for someone like her.’ Regan smiled at Rose, putting her forcibly in mind of the Big Bad Wolf in the fairy tale, except that the teeth he displayed were broken and hideously decayed.

Cora turned to Rose with a warning frown. ‘You’d best go about your business, Rosie. I’ll see you tonight, but knock three times on the door or you won’t get an answer.’ She turned away, proffering her arm to Regan. ‘What pleasures have you got for me today, cully?’

Rose shivered as a chill east wind rushed up from the river. The sky was heavy with cast-iron clouds that threatened rain. She wrapped her shawl more tightly around her body and started walking, although she had no idea of where she might be going, but it was too cold to stand still. Her bright dreams for the future were fading fast, and she had very little money. She closed her eyes, praying silently for inspiration, and then she remembered what Adele had said just before they parted. Acting on impulse, she hailed a passing cab.

‘Elder Street, cabby.’ Rose climbed inside and closed the half-doors with fingers that were numbed by the cold. Sadie had warned her to pack more warm clothes, but she had travelled as light as possible, hoping to purchase a more suitable wardrobe in London. She wished now that she had paid more attention to Sadie, and had not allowed herself to be carried away by rash promises from Max. She took her purse from her reticule and counted the coins. There would be precious little left after paying the cab fare, but she had no idea where Elder Street was situated in relation to the Tower, and the pain in her feet was crippling. Perhaps Adele could find some kind of work for her that would pay enough to keep body and soul together until Max returned home. One thing was certain, there was no way she could raise enough money to buy a passage home, but she was not prepared to give up her dream, not yet anyway. She would wait for Max and they would marry and live happily ever after, just like the princes and princesses in the story books.

Adele rushed into the front parlour holding out her hands in welcome. ‘It’s good to see you, Rose. I’ve been thinking about you and your young man.’ She turned to the maidservant who had let Rose in and was now hovering in the doorway. ‘Bring us tea and cake, please, Bridget.’

The girl, who could have been no more than thirteen, acknowledged the instruction with a vague nod of her head and backed away very slowly.

Adele closed the door on her. ‘She’s still learning,’ she said by way of explanation. ‘But what brings you here today, Rose? Is everything all right?’

‘Not exactly.’ Rose clasped and unclasped her hands, suddenly nervous. It was one thing to be told that Max had been called upon to fight for his country, but quite another to put it into words.

‘To tell you the truth, Adele, I am in a very difficult situation.’

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

Despite interruptions from Bridget when she brought in the tea tray, and another when she returned with a plate of small cakes, and yet again when she came back with the plates that she had forgotten in the first place, Rose managed to explain the circumstances that had brought her to Spitalfields.

Adele sipped her tea, frowning thoughtfully. ‘I am so sorry, Rose. You were looking forward so much to seeing Max again. It must have been a bitter disappointment.’

Rose nodded, swallowing hard to prevent herself from bursting into tears.

‘You were lucky to have been befriended by such a good woman,’ Adele added earnestly. ‘I’ve never believed in judging others harshly, and Cora seems to be very kind-hearted.’

‘She is, and I don’t know what I would have done had she not taken me under her wing, but I can’t expect her to look after me. I need to be able to support myself.’

‘Surely your family in Bendigo would make the necessary arrangements for your passage home?’

‘I’m sure they would, but I’ve come this far, Mrs Parker. I want to be here when Max returns from war.’

‘I don’t think you’ve thought it through, Rose, but I can see that you’ve made up your mind.’ Adele replaced her cup on its saucer. ‘Maybe Festus would have some useful suggestions.’ She eyed Rose thoughtfully. ‘You are well-spoken and ladylike. I suppose you could try for a position as lady’s maid or companion.’

‘I haven’t any references, and I wouldn’t know where to start if someone wanted me to put up their hair or wash their fine lace, but I’m not afraid of hard work.’

‘Wait here, Rose. I’ll go and speak to Festus – he’s attending to his correspondence in his study.’ Adele jumped to her feet and left the room without giving Rose a chance to argue.

She reached out to take another slice of cake, but, tempting as it was, she decided that it would be greedy, and she folded her hands in her lap waiting for Adele to return. The room was quite small and the heavy velvet curtains seemed to absorb what little light filtered through the small windowpanes, but a fire burned merrily in the grate and the air was filled with the aroma of tea and chocolate cake, furniture polish and just a hint of old books.

She stood up and went to examine the leather-bound books on a shelf in one of the chimney recesses, but they were all academic works on philosophy and religion, nothing that would remotely interest her, despite her love for reading. A stuffed green parrot seemed to be glaring at her from the inside of a glass dome, and she wondered why anyone would want such a keepsake. Its eyes appeared to follow her and she moved on to study a photograph of a much younger Festus and Adele in their wedding finery, but at the sound of approaching footsteps she returned to her chair and sat down, folding her hands primly in her lap once more.

Adele entered the room followed by Festus, who gazed at her soulfully. ‘I understand you are in a sorry predicament, Rose,’ he said in sepulchral tones. ‘Rash actions often end in disaster.’

‘It’s not exactly a disaster, my dear.’ Adele laid her hand on his sleeve. ‘As I just told you, Rose has come to ask our advice.’

Festus went to stand with his back to the fire. ‘You are a well-educated young lady, Rose.’

‘I think so, sir.’

‘Living on your own in a big city is not to be recommended.’ Festus stroked his chin, something he did when he was thinking deeply, which was a habit that Rose had noticed during their time at sea. ‘If you want my honest opinion,’ he said at length, ‘I think you ought to go home and wait there for your young man.’

Rose knew that this was good advice and probably the most logical thing to do, but somehow logic and common sense seemed to have flown out of the window, and a stubborn streak that she had not known she possessed had taken hold of her.

‘Thank you both, but it isn’t as easy as that. As I explained to your wife, I haven’t enough money to pay for a passage home.’

Adele glanced anxiously at her husband. ‘We would lend it to you if it were possible.’

‘Which I’m afraid it is not,’ Festus added quickly. ‘Our means are limited, Rose. But your young man is related to the owners of the largest shipping line in the country, isn’t that so?’

‘It is, but Mr and Mrs Colville are away on a business trip. There is no one in London who could help me, and, if I’m honest, I don’t want to return home, not yet anyway. What I need is a job so that I can support myself until Max returns from Egypt.’

‘Young ladies do not go out to work.’ Adele’s eyes widened and she pursed her lips. ‘What would your sainted papa say if he knew?’

‘My pa was a practical man, Mrs Parker. He worked hard for his living and he would expect me to do the same.’

Adele raised a hanky to her eyes. ‘Oh dear, this is very distressing. I wish we could help.’

‘You must get away from that place of ill repute,’ Festus said firmly. ‘We would offer you sanctuary here, but this house is quite small and it belongs to my mother. We have to respect her wants and needs.’

Rose jumped to her feet. ‘Thank you, but all I wanted was some advice as to what sort of work I might do. I didn’t mean to put you in a difficult position. I think it best if I go now.’

‘Festus, we can’t allow Rose to leave without at least trying to help her.’ Adele clutched her husband’s arm, gazing up at him with imploring eyes.

‘My dear, we’ve been out of the country for five years. I expect things have changed significantly since we left.’