With the cane half-way across the front lawn, I made my way down the gravel path and towards the stables. Although my knee ached whenever I put too much pressure on it, I was able to reach the stables faster than I would have with it. Doctor Ealing may have meant well when he suggested I use the cane, but I could walk just as fine without it. This wasn't my first knee injury and I had my doubts it would be my last.

I reached the stable and pulled open the door, glancing around to make sure Samuel wasn't around. He wasn't. The horses whinnied as I stepped into the stable and closed the door tightly behind me. Fresh straw covered the stone flooring and the wind shook the wooden ceiling and made it shudder slightly as I walked down the centre towards Biscuit's stall. In the six months I had been working for the family, I often found myself talking to Biscuit if I didn't want to talk to anyone else. Sometimes it would be in the middle of the night when I had woken from a nightmare about the foreman. I would always be back in the house before Esther woke up, but it was nice to have someone to talk to who couldn't talk back.

Biscuit nudged me with his nose as I undid the latch to his stall and slipped inside, bolting it behind me. I ran my hand along his nose and back as I moved further into the stall and towards the back corner. In all the time I had slipped away to the stables, Samuel had never found me if I tucked myself away in the far corner where no one could see me unless they looked into the whole stall. Samuel had cleaned the stable earlier that day, so I simply sunk into the straw and laid my legs out along the base of the stall, rearranging my dress so it covered my knees.

The stables were colder than the main house with the wind slipping through the small holes in the wood and allowing the cold air to enter. After years in the factory, I had gotten used to the cold and it almost felt welcoming compared to the usual heat from the fireplaces burning in the house. I had spent years wishing to be free of the factory, yet I still found comfort in the things that I hated for so long. The cold had been a constant dislike of all of ours, yet in this instance I welcomed it. There was something familiar in it and it was that familiarity that I clung to.

I leant my head back against the wall and glanced up at the ceiling whilst the wind roared just outside. If there had been any uncertainty about my leaving, even if it were the smallest piece of doubt at the back of my mind, it had gone. Miss Jenkins and Esther's conversation had decided for me. I would be better off with James then staying in a house where I no longer felt wanted. Not feeling wanted at the factory meant nothing as I couldn't simply walk out the gates unless I had injured myself severely, this time I could leave, and no one could stop me. Not that they would have.

"What are you doing here?"

My head darted down at the sound of the voice, thinking I had been caught out by Miss Jenkins or even Doctor Ealing, but it was Samuel. He stood at the side of the stall looking through the bars that made sure Biscuit didn't escape and go bolting across the grass. I relaxed slightly and let my head fall back against the side of the stall.

"Thinking."

"Odd place to think, though I suppose the sound of horses can be comforting. Is everything alright?"

"Not really."

Samuel sighed before undoing the bolt to the stall and stepping inside. He lightly brushed his hand along Biscuit before joining me at the far end of the stall. Our of everyone in the house, it had always been Samuel who I could tell anything to. He had been the first person to know I had lied about the burn all those months ago, he knew it had been Mrs Ealing who had struck me with the cane, and he knew Matthew had asked me to live with him. I trusted Samuel more than I had trusted anyone else in my life, so I had been glad he was the one who found me in the stables. Had it been anyone else, I'm more than certain I would have been in trouble.

"I'm not going to force you to tell me anything if you don't want to but talking to a person is oftentimes better than talking to a horse," he said.

So, I told him. I told him about the conversation I had overheard between Miss Jenkins and Esther, the way they had both behaved towards me that morning and the conversation I had had with James the day before. He listened to all of it, not interrupting and allowing me to just get everything out for the first time in several days. I still wasn't sure on whether or not he was right about talking to a person over a horse, at least a horse couldn't judge me if I were being over-dramatic. Not that I thought Samuel would do such a thing, but after the day's events I wasn't entirely sure who I could trust with any of it.

When I finished, Samuel didn't say anything. Instead, we sat beside one another and listened to the horses in the stable. Biscuit stood looking over the stall, it almost felt as though he were watching out for someone so I wouldn't get in trouble for avoiding my chores and taking refuge in the stables. Horses may not have been good at giving at advice, but they always seemed loyal and oftentimes that was something not found with humans. At least in my experience.

"I told you the other day that you had to do what was best for you and ignore everyone else and that advice still stands," Samuel said, breaking the silence.

"I know. The Ealing's have done so much for me, but I don't think I can do this anymore. It's too hard." I squeezed my eyes shut and felt tears run down my cheek. Beside me, Samuel sighed and wrapped his arm around my shoulder, pulling me into his chest.

"If you want to leave, if it is something you are certain you want to do, I will help."

"You will?"

"Yes. Doctor Ealing is sending me into London early tomorrow morning to arrange some new shoes for Biscuits and I can take you with me. We'll be going very early so no one else will be awake."

"Tomorrow?"

"I have no plans to go to London at any of date, so it will have to be tomorrow. Do you know where your brother lives?"

"No, but I know where his shop is."

"That will do. I will meet you here tomorrow morning and if Doctor Ealing asks, I shall say I didn't know you were there.

"Are you sure? You could lose your job over this."

"Losing my job is worth it if it means Mrs Ealing doesn't hurt you again." He paused. "You should go back to work. You will be better off writing letters to the family and leaving them where they can find them."

"Alright."

Samuel uncurled his arm from my shoulder, and I pushed myself into a standing position whilst he stayed on the floor. I took a cloth from my pocket and wiped the tears off my cheek and brushed the draw off the back of my dress in a bid to make myself somewhat presentable. The last thing I wanted to do would be to get in trouble for having straw on my dress. If this were to be my last day working for the Ealing's, I didn't want it to end on a bad note and getting into trouble certainly classed as a bad note. I sent Samuel a small smile before undoing the latch of the stall and making my way back to the house.

I had less than a day to find out how to say goodbye to everyone and just what to put in the letters. Through my time with the Ealing's, my writing had improved somewhat, but I wasn't sure it would be good enough to really put into words how much they had done for me and why I was leaving under the cover of darkness without telling anyone. If I were more of a wordsmith it might have been easier to explain, but as it wasn't, I figured it would be best if I kept it simple. Were the opportunity to explain myself to arise, I would use it. For now, a simple letter would have to do.

Miss Jenkins had yet to return to the kitchen when I walked through the back door, washboard in hand. With the cane laying halfway across the lawn, I was able to manoeuvre around the table much faster and make my way into the side room. I quickly filled the basin with water from a tap attached to the back wall and placed a small stool beside it before soaking the clothes in the water and scrubbing them against the washboard. Laundry was one of the most tiresome chores of them all, it required a lot of arm strength and that had always been something I lacked.

"You're still washing clothes?" Miss Jenkins said, poking her head around the door.

"There was a lot of laundry," I replied.

"Where's the cane?"

"I don't need it anymore."

"Did Doctor Ealing tell you that?"

"No, I decided myself. I'm much faster without it and it's just an inconvenience."

"Rosie! You have to use the cane, Doctor Ealing said you could do more damage to your knee if you don't use it."

"My knee is already damaged, how much worse could it get?"

"I'll be speaking to Doctor Ealing about this."

Miss Jenkins frowned at me, as though stunned I had done something so disrespectful but left me to it. I had no doubt she would keep her promise and tell Doctor Ealing that I was no longer using the cane, but I knew I wasn't going to be around long enough to deal with the repercussions. I turned my attention back to the laundry and continued to scrub it all against the washboard until there was nothing left to scrub.

Before putting the clothing and blankets through the mangle, I grabbed three sheets of paper from the sideboard and a pencil. I wrote three very simple notes. One to Doctor Ealing, explaining why I had left, one to Miss Jenkins and Esther to apologise for leaving them in the lurch and one for Robert. It contained just two words and a small 'R' at the bottom for a signature. I couldn't think of anything else to say to him, I just couldn't find the words. I folded the three letters and wrote their names on the back, placing them in my pocket for later. With the sounds of Miss Jenkins working in the next room breaking through the silence, I returned to the laundry.

By the time I had finished the laundry, darkness had set in and no one had stepped foot into the room since Miss Jenkins had left. I hadn't eaten since that morning and I didn't mind all that much, I was just glad to be on my own. Being on my own meant that there were no risks of putting my foot in it with Miss Jenkins and Esther and I hated the idea of leaving on a sour note. Although I knew I could end things well with them, I had no hope of mending my relationship with Robert. I had to hope the letter would do that for me.

"Rosie! I'm about to serve supper!" Miss Jenkins called from the other room.

"Coming!" I replied.

I left the clothes hanging in the side room - since the weather made it impossible to hang it outside - and limped into the kitchen where Miss Jenkins and Esther were already sitting with their supper in front of them. My plate, which consisted of chicken, mashed potatoes and vegetables, sat at the far end of the table at the furthest seat from the door. Miss Jenkins watched me as I moved past the table and to the seat, watching my face for any hint that walking without the cane would pose as much of an issue as walking with it. I gritted my teeth and ignored the pain, as I had done time and time again back at the factory.

"Same routine as yesterday. You can wash up and then head up to bed whilst Esther finishes the chores for the evening. If you feel as though you can handle more in the morning, we'll re-evaluate your chores," Miss Jenkins said.

"Yes, Miss Jenkins," I said.

"I'll talk to Doctor Ealing about you not using the cane tomorrow, there's no point in doing so now."

Miss Jenkins spoke as though she had all the time in the world to talk to Doctor Ealing about me completely ignoring the cane or throwing it across the grass. I suppose to her, she did. I hated sitting there knowing that tomorrow they would wake up and I'd be in London with James. Although leaving was my only option, it pained me to do it knowing just how optimistic Miss Jenkins seemed about me getting back into my normal chores and life getting back to some semblance of normalcy. If she knew the truth, she wouldn't be so optimistic.

Still, I said nothing and silently ate my dinner before tackling the pile of washing up that had been created throughout the day. Esther had almost finished all of her evening chores by the time I had finished the dishes and I had just changed into my nightgown by the time she appeared in the room to go to bed. She quickly changed out of her work dress and unpinned her hair before crawling into bed, muttering a goodnight and settling against the blankets.

I settled myself against the chair at the side of the room and looked out of the window. Everything outside was coated in darkness and the moonlight had been blocked by the clouds that rolled through the sky. The night sky reminded me all too much of my last night in the factory. I had gone to bed thinking my job there would be safe only to have the foreman wake me up and throw me out of the gates. Now, I knew this would be my last night at the Ealing's, my last night looking out of that window and onto the grounds.

Esther muttered something in her sleep, and I pulled my attention away from the window. It felt as though I had been staring out of that window for hours, but I knew that wasn't the case. I pushed myself off the chair and crossed to the chest of drawers at the other side of the room. From the drawer, I pulled out my work dress and changed into it. I grabbed my nightdress from the floor, the dress Matilda had given me and the other small trinkets I had collected and placed them on top. From the corner of the room, I grabbed a broken suitcase Doctor Ealing had allowed me to have and filled it with the meagre things I owned. Quietly, I snapped the latches shut and grabbed onto the handle. I took one last look towards Esther's bed before leaving the room.

The house was still as I crept down the stairs to the kitchen and laid the suitcase on the table. I pulled the three letters out of my pocket and placed them in the centre of the table for Miss Jenkins to find in the morning. I did want to leave Doctor Ealing's letter in his office, but Miss Jenkins would get it to him faster than he would find it himself. After that, I sat at the kitchen table and waited for Samuel.

It felt as though I had been waiting forever when I heard the sound of keys in the lock and the back door was pushed open. Samuel stood in the doorway with his keys in one hand and a lantern in the other. He gestured towards the door with his head and I grabbed the suitcase before turning to follow him. Before I stepped through the door, I took one last look around the kitchen in an attempt to commit to memory before I left. It would be the last time I would step foot in that room. In the entire house. This was my last time within those walls.

Samuel cleared his throat and I walked through the door, pausing for him to lock it. Then, holding the lantern up, he led me down the gravel path and towards the stables where a cart sat. He hung the lantern up on a hook and climbed up onto the wooden seat. I slid the suitcase along the foothold and climbed up next to him, my knee protesting at being moved so much. Once I had settled into the seat, Samuel snapped the reigns and Biscuit started off down the road. As we went, I turned my head and watched the house as it moved away.

In one of the windows, high up in the house and almost hidden except for a small flicker of light, a figure watched me go.

~~~

A/N - And that is it!!!! The Serving Girl is OFFICIALLY over, but as you know, Rosie's story is not. There is plenty more to come if you stick around for it.

Details of the third book will be released in the days, so keep your eyes out for that. I am Seven chapters ahead.

For now, I want your thoughts on the book! How did you feel as a whole and what are your predictions for the third book?

Comment below!

Dedication - This book is dedicated to all of you lovely people who have tuned in week after week to follow Rosie's story! I owe you all so much!

First Published - January 14th, 2020