The Apprentice Girl // Book 3 in the Rosie Grey series

Chapter Twenty-Five

Christopher emerged from his room about an hour later looking a little worse for wear. Whilst James had dressed before he came downstairs and managed to make himself look somewhat presentable, Christopher hadn't bothered to change out of his bedclothes or tame his hair which stuck out in a whole manner of different directions. The moment he sat down he grabbed the blanket that had been thrown over the sofa and wrapped it around him, pulling it up to his chin. Every slight noise caused him to groan.

"That clock will be going out the window if it doesn't shut up," he muttered from underneath his blanket cocoon. James looked at me and looked as though he wanted to laugh."

"You missed out on all the fun, Matilda Ealing was here," James said.

"I take it you saw her out?"

"Actually, Rosie did. She handled it rather well."

I recounted the story of that afternoon's events with Matilda and very slowly he started to emerge from the cocoon and out into the real world. Although I had thought nothing of my interactions with Matilda, both of them thought it a good thing that I had dealt with her myself rather than let someone else do it. They also seemed rather impressed that I saw through her act rather than believed the shy attitude she had tried to present when she first arrived. Little did they know that I knew Matilda had never been shy in her life.

When I had finished, Christopher had a few choice words for Matilda that I dare not repeat but he seemed a little disappointed that he had missed out on all the fun. Usually, I would have disagreed with them, that something like that should not be considered fun, but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a little enjoyable. Being employed under the Ealing's meant that I just had to deal with whatever it was that they threw my way, but I finally had more freedom to stand up to them and prove their actions wrong the moment they happened.

My deal with Robert had been the tipping point I needed to finally stand up for myself when someone thought they could push me around. Before, I would have let it happen and had that belief that they were somewhat redeemable and that their actions were to hide behind how they really felt. That viewpoint had done nothing for me. For years I had let the foreman push me around and do whatever he wanted to me and those around me. I refused to let anyone else act that way towards me regardless of who they were.

No adult has the right to inflict pain on a child for their own amusement or to prove a point to the child. That isn't how the world should work. Both Mrs Ealing and Matilda had proved they would do anything as long as it meant getting their own way and if they happened to show their face again, I didn't intend to sit back and let it happen. I had dealt with enough people pushing me around and I didn't intend to let that happen any longer than I had to.

"What are you going to do about their order at the shop?" Christopher asked James, drinking the glass of water Mrs Baker had bought him in one gulp."

"I don't know. That sort of order could give us a lot of money, but I don't want to either of those women anywhere near the shop if I can help it."

"It's the twins I feel bad for, growing up in a house like that."

"The twins are closer to Robert than anyone else, I doubt they even listen to anything either of them says," I added.

"Perhaps not." James looked out the window. "I think we've wasted quite enough of our time on them. How would you like to go and get a Christmas tree, Rosie? I think it's time we got one, or we'll run out of time to decorate it."

"I'll stay here. Too many people outside," Christopher said. He buried himself in the blanket once again and slipped down the sofa until he was half on it and half on the floor.