I returned to the house that evening in a carriage paid for by Matthew and the fear that I was actually going to have to tell Doctor Ealing about my shoulder. As I had left Matthew and James, they had both made me promise that I was to get my shoulder looked at before Tuesday, when Matthew was due to visit Doctor Ealing about his hand. I had agreed and there was no way for me to get out of it after I had made the final promise. I never made a habit of breaking promises and I certainly wasn't going to start now, especially if it ended up affecting my relationship with Doctor Ealing and my new relationships with my own siblings.

When I walked through the back door and into the kitchen, neither Miss Jenkins nor Esther were around and only a small candle lay flicking on the table. Tucked under the candle holder was a letter reminding me to lock the door and hurry to bed so I could be up early for the morning chores. I grabbed the candle holder and locked the back door with the key that Miss Jenkins kept above the door frame. Once the door was locked, I took the candle and quietly climbed the stairs to the room.

Placing the candle on the chest of drawers, I undid the clasps at the back of the dress and pulled it over my head. Before putting my nightdress on, I glanced in the mirror at my exposed shoulder to see just how bad the bruising was. It looked as though it extended past my shoulder and creeped towards my collar bone whilst also creeping down my upper arm. The swelling wasn't as bad as it had first seemed, with my shoulder and collar bone only slightly larger then they should have been. Shaking my head, I grabbed my nightdress and pulled it over my head. I then blew out the candle and climbed into the bed beside Esther. It didn't take long before I fell asleep.

"How was supper yesterday?" Miss Jenkins asked when I emerged the next morning.

"It was good. It did feel a little strange to see James again," I replied.

"Sebastian seems like quite the handful, he didn't sit still throughout the whole of yesterday's service."

"He wasn't very still during supper, either. I think he was wearing more of the cake then eating."

"Sounds like Zachariah when he was that age." Miss Jenkins placed a plate of toast in front of me and turned back around to the sink. "Doctor Ealing said he wanted to see you in his office first thing so hurry up and eat."

"Did he say why?"

"No, but I don't think you're in any sort of trouble. I overhead him saying he will be needing an extra pair of hands at the office this week, so I expect he'll use as a way to get you out of Mrs Ealing's hair."

"Here's hoping."

The idea of getting out of the house for a few hours throughout the week sounded like a welcomed relief compared to having to spend the time looking over my shoulder and making sure I didn't do anything stupid to get another infraction. It also meant that telling Doctor Ealing about my injury wouldn't have the same impact on my day-to-day chores if I wasn't doing the chores themselves. The time in the office would allow my shoulder to recovery and I could use it to prove to Matthew that I kept my word. I was solving two problems at once and that was perfectly fine with me.

Whilst Miss Jenkins prepared breakfast for the family, I devoured the toast on the plate and pushed myself up. Brushing the crumbs off my skirt, I stood up and fixed one of the pins in my hair before leaving the kitchen and Miss Jenkins to find out just what Doctor Ealing had in store. The house was silent again as I made my way up the stairs and out into the hallway just as Robert emerged from the top of the main stairs. He grinned at me knowingly before the two of us walked the short distance down the hall towards Doctor Ealing's office.

Robert drummed his knuckles against the door and paused for a moment until Doctor Ealing called from within. When he did, Robert twisted the door handle and held the door open as I shuffled inside and stood in front of Doctor Ealing's desk with my hands clasped behind my back. Doctor Ealing was at his desk with his glasses perched on the edge of his nose and his hair looking as though it had been untouched as it stuck up in all manner of different directions. In front of him was a sheet of paper and he held a pen which he drummed absent mindlessly against the desk rather than writing anything with it.

"Robert spoke to me yesterday about what happened with Zachariah in the woods. I tried to talk to Elizabeth, but she wasn't having any of it so your infraction will stand for the foreseeable future," Doctor Ealing said, dropping his glasses on the table and lowering the pen. "However, I have managed to convince her that I'll be needing some extra help at the office this week and you are the only one who knows how my office functions. It'll get you out of the house for a while and give Elizabeth the chance to calm down. How does that sound?"

"Great, thank you, Sir," I said, knotting my hands together as a bubble of anxiety built up in my stomach.

"You are welcome. We'll be leaving in about an hour if that's alright with you."

"Perfectly alright, Sir."

"I'm glad." He glanced up at me as though expecting me to leave the room, but I remained rooted on the spot. "Is there something else?"

"Actually, there is."

"Go on."

"The other day, I think the incident with the tree may have aggravated an old shoulder injury. I thought it was fine, but my brother James had a look at it yesterday and it turns out it isn't fine."

"Which shoulder?"

"My right one."

"Let me take a look, I'll find out more about that old injury once I've assessed the damage."

Doctor Ealing pushed the pen across the table where it came to a stop at the ink well as he pushed himself backwards and around the side of the desk. Robert, who stood off to the side, gave me a pointed look which I quickly avoided as Doctor Ealing undid the buttons on the back of my dress to reveal the damage to my shoulder. I focused my eyes on the floor of the office as he examined the bruising and swelling around my shoulder and my collar bone. He shifted from standing behind me to in front of me as he poked and worked my shoulder to get a better understanding of what had happened.

Expelling a breath of air, he pushed my sleeve back up my arm and secured all the buttons before walking back to his desk and taking a seat. He didn't say a word. Instead, he pressed his fingers together in front of him, his elbows pressing into the table, as he leant into his hand. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Robert's eyes moving back and forth between myself and Doctor Ealing as though he was trying to will either of us to speak. It didn't seem to be working.

I knew bringing the injury up two days after it happened was going to cause an issue, but I never thought it would a big enough issue to stun Doctor Ealing into silence. Part of me wanted to turn around and walk in the opposite direction, to leave the office and hope he didn't come after me. If it came down to it, I would stay in the kitchen for the next week to keep out of Mrs Ealing's way, though that seemed as though it was an impossible task; there wasn't much to do in the kitchen.

Doctor Ealing took a breath before he finally spoke.

"What was the injury you picked up at the factory?"

"I was hit by one of the machines, there wasn't much I could do so it never healed properly. It's caused pain on and off for five years," I said.

"Right, and there was no way of knowing what you had done to it?"

"No, Sir."

"Alright. Well, judging from what I can see it looks as though you dislocated it when Zachariah dropped from the tree and then it was relocated not long after. Your old injury may have been a fracture to your shoulder blade and a break in your collar bone, which is why that has always swelled up. Both breaks must have re-occurred after the incident in the tree. Unfortunately, the breaks will take longer to heal then the bruising to your shoulder. As you'll be coming to the office with us, I'll place a sling on it, so it remains still and then check it at the end of the week. You may end up on light duties for a while."

"Thank you, Doctor Ealing."

"Why didn't you come to me the moment you knew something wasn't right?"

"I didn't think anything of it, I'm used to my shoulder being painful on occasion, so I just thought I made it worse."

"Next time, if you have any problems, I need to know. If it is something that will affect your work in the long run, such as your shoulder, it is best is dealt with quickly. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Good. You and Robert stay here, I'm going to inform Miss Jenkins and Elizabeth of the latest developments. Don't worry, you won't get another infraction for this," Doctor Ealing added the moment he saw my face drop.

Doctor Ealing pushed himself up from his chair again and placed his glasses back onto his nose before walking past me and leaving the room. He left the door partially open as his footsteps echoed down the hall and disappeared down the steps towards the kitchen. I knotted my fingers together behind my back as Robert looked at me, not really knowing what to say. He had been the only one to notice that something was quite right with my shoulder and I had told him time and time again that there was nothing wrong. I'd lied to him and I didn't think I'd be able to tell him why I had done so. Not without seeming as though it was all for selfish reasons; even though it was.

Robert pushed himself back from the wall and crossed the room, taking a seat on one of the chairs in front of Doctor Ealing's desk. He swivelled around to look at me and gestured to the seat next to him. Removing my hands from my back, I took a few steps forward and straightened out the back of my skirt to sit down. With my hands in my lap, I picked at the ragged skin around my finger nails and waited for Robert to say something. The silence was killing me.

"You could have told me," he muttered.

"I know, I just wasn't entirely sure how. Mrs Ealing had already punished me for climbing that tree in the first place, if she knew I had injured myself in the process it might have been cause for a second infraction."

"That's crazy. The first infraction should never have happened, I know it, Father knows it, and you should as well. You could have done some serious damage if you had left your shoulder any longer, you've spent enough time at the office to know that. You could have done yourself out of job."

"James and Matthew already gave me the lecture, it was them who convinced me to tell you."

"So, we have your brothers to thank for you finally seeking help?"

"I suppose so."

"I'll be sure to thank them next time we come into contact." Robert grinned at me, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "You know if there is anything wrong you can always come and tell me, right? No matter what it is."

"I know, and I promise I will in the future."

"You better, or I'll keep following you around until you admit the truth. I can be very annoying when I want to be."

"Hm, I know."

Robert poked me in the side and grinned, leaning back against his chair and titling his head over the back of it to gaze up at the ceiling. I rubbed my side where he had poked me and watched him as he closed his eyes slightly and looked as though he was taking a nap in the most uncomfortable position I had ever seen. Still, I preferred a quiet Robert to the one who continuously annoyed me when I was trying to work, especially if that including putting his dirty finger marks all over my cleaned surfaces. Then again, although he had the habit of getting in my way when I was trying to work, I didn't mind the company. Sometimes being around him wasn't such a bad thing.

After a few minutes, Robert tipped his head forward and rubbed his knuckles against his eyes, blinking several times as though he had just woken up from a long sleep. He pushed himself up from the chair and crossed the room, stretching his arms behind his back as he walked across the room as though trying to wake his legs up. He had been sat down for all but fifteen minutes and hadn't even been asleep yet was acting as though he had been asleep for hours, days even. I couldn't help but bite back the smile that played on my lips as he paced. There was something amusing about his actions, though I wasn't entirely sure what it was.

Whilst Robert paced, the door to the office was pushed open and Doctor Ealing stood in the doorway, raising an eyebrow towards his son but quickly shaking his head without saying a word. Something told me this was not unusual behaviour for Robert and that the pacing and the exaggeration was something he did quite often, though I had never seen it. Ignoring his son, Doctor Ealing crossed the room and picked up his briefcase where he leant it on his desk and undid the latches. He placed some papers inside and snapped it shut, watching Robert for a moment – who was still pacing – before he spoke.

"I've spoken to Miss Jenkins and she has agreed to let me borrow you for the week, after that you'll be on light duties for two weeks or so, long enough for you collar bone and shoulder blade to heal correctly. I have also explained the situation to Elizabeth, and you will not be punished for your injury or for it interfering with your work, especially as it is an old injury that's been bothering you before the tree."

"Thank you, Sir."

"Shall we get going? We might get in a little earlier so we can get your chores sorted out for the next week." He turned to look at Robert. "Stop pacing, you're going to burn a hole in the floor and I'm not scraping you out of the pantry when you fall through it."

"Sorry, Father. My leg fell asleep."

"You were sitting down for fifteen minutes, I highly doubt that your leg fell asleep in that time. Come on, get out that door."

Doctor Ealing walked around his desk and lightly tapped Robert on the shoulder, grabbing the door handle and holding it open as Robert walked through, pulling a face as he passed. I bit my bottom lip and followed Robert out of the room, keeping my head down so Doctor Ealing wouldn't see me fighting back a laugh at the face Robert had pulled. I followed Robert down the hallway and out the front door, running down the stairs and across the gravel path to the carriage that was waiting at the end.

We stood beside the carriage and waited for Doctor Ealing to join us, Robert pressing his back against the carriage and crossing one leg over the other with his arms across his chest. I glanced towards the horses at the front of the carriage and smiled at Samuel who gave me a confused look but said nothing. If there was one person I knew wouldn't ask questions, it was Samuel. He was the only one to notice that the burn hadn't been caused by simply falling into a log fire, but he never pressed beyond that. After Isabel died, he had allowed me to see the horses when I needed a break from work, and he allowed me to be on my own when I needed to be.

After a few minutes of standing next to the carriage, Doctor Ealing emerged from the house with his hat on his head and a briefcase in hand. Robert pushed himself off the carriage and brushed his hand over his hair, causing it to stick up in all manner of different direction but it didn't seem to phase him in the slightest. Instead, he pulled the carriage door open and bowed his head to me, gesturing me inside with his left arm. I smiled at him and climbed inside, keeping my right arm as close to my side as possible.

Robert clambered in after me and allowed the door to swing slightly before being caught by Doctor Ealing who gave him a pointed look for not waiting. Robert turned to me and winked, settling himself against the seat beside me as Doctor Ealing slid into the seat opposite the two of us. Before the carriage pulled away from the house, I could feel Doctor Ealing's eyes dance between Robert and myself as his eyebrows furrowed together in thought. I wasn't entirely sure why he was staring at us, but it wasn't my place to ask so I simple settled myself against the chair and balanced one foot on top of the other as the carriage slowly pulled away from the house.

Knowing I was to spend an entire week working the office came as a welcomed relief to being under Mrs Ealing's watchful eye for several hours a day. It meant that any mistakes I made would go unpunished and it would give my shoulder adequate time to rest and heal before I returned to my usual chores of heavy lifting and sweeping. Without Mrs Ealing watching my every move it would be far easier to concentrate on what I was doing, and I liked the idea of being in a new environment for longer than a few hours.

"Did your brother say when he will be paying us a visit?" Doctor Ealing asked as we moved through the country and towards London.

"I think he said he would make an appearance on Tuesday, Sebastian wants his tree house and I think Matthew is determined to get it finished. Something tells me Sebastian isn't one to be kept waiting."

"It certainly seemed that way yesterday. How old is he?"

"Three."

"Hm, he reminds me of Zachariah at that age, he never did what he was told and never seemed to sit still."

"That's what Miss Jenkins said."

"Are you getting along with your brothers?" Robert asked, pushing himself forward and resting his elbows on his knees.

"I think so, it's just odd seeing them after so long."

"Just as long as you don't abandon us for them, I'm sure everything will be fine."

"Asif I would do such a thing," I said, smiling slightly.

~~~

A/N - Back with Chapter Eleven! This is another pre-written chapter and there are plenty more ready to be posted in the coming weeks so don't miss it! There is a lot of drama on the way...

Rosie has finally told Doctor Ealing about her shoulder! Do you think Miss Jenkins or Mrs Ealing are as calm as they might seem? What about Rosie spending the week in the office? Is it only going to cause more problems or will it help?

Comment below!

Dedication - This chapter is dedicated to lyyson_ who voted on several chapters of The Factory Girl! It means a lot :)

First Published - August 6th, 2019