I couldn't seem to shake the comments that Esther and James had made as I returned to the house that evening and settled down to complete my evening chores. Although I knew it to be ridiculous, I could think of nothing more absurd than the idea that Robert considered me a sweetheart and myself think of him the same way. In truth, I thought them both to be a little out of place to suggest it in the first place, but I didn't want to say that to them. Instead, I pushed the thoughts of my mind and attempted to focus on something different as a new week began.

The new week entered with high gusts of winds and dark clouds that threatened to burst and soak whoever happened to be caught on the grounds. With a cold front approaching, Miss Jenkins set me the task of lighting the fires in the drawing-room, dining room and living room whilst Esther helped her with breakfast. During the brief cold period we experienced in the Summer months, Miss Jenkins had taught me how to start a fire and keep it stoked all day. As apprehensive as I may have been about starting a fire, I could find no way to argue my way out of it. Miss Jenkins reasoned that I had been stoking the brazier in the kitchen so setting a fire in a fireplace would be no hassle.

She had been right in some respects but lighting the brazier and lighting a fireplace were two completely different things. Still, I had learnt the skill and headed to the drawing-room to light the first fire. My knees pressed against the rug as I stacked logs of varying sizes on top of each other, leaving a small gap in the centre for the match. Soot from the chimney breast and around the inside of the fireplaces covered my hands and the edges of my sleeves as I pulled the matchbook out of my pocket. Striking the match, I placed it amongst the logs and poked it with the fire poker, watching as the fire jump from the match to the longs and start to burn fiercely.

Wiping my hands on a cloth, I placed the metal guard in front of the fireplace and tucked the matchbook back into my pocket before sitting back on my heels. My fingers were blanked from the soot as I tried to wipe the substance off my hands but to no avail. A cloth would not help.

"I never thought I would see you lighting fires," Doctor Ealing said. He stood in the doorway with his hands tucked into this jacket pockets and he regarded me with a raised eyebrow and the smallest of smiles.

"Neither did I, but this fire is more controlled. Unless I stick my hand into it, it poses no threat," I said.

"Well, that's one way to look at it, I suppose, though I expect you didn't see yourself doing this when you first came to work for us."

"To tell you the truth, Sir, I thought you would keep me out of the way given that I'm not exactly a typical servant, nor my circumstances all that typical," I clenched my left hand at my side.

"I suppose that's true. I wondered, perhaps, if I may ask you a question." Doctor Ealing removed his hands from his pockets and stepped into the room, closing the door slightly behind him.

"Of course, Sir. This is your house, after all, I daresay you have the right to ask anything you please."

"Valid reasoning." He smiled slightly, even though what I had said would most likely have given me an infraction if I had said it to Mrs Ealing. "I was curious as to how you are finding working here? I meant to ask a little while ago but so much has happened recently that I could hardly find the time."

"I'm grateful to have been given the opportunity, Sir, especially given recent events."

"But?"

"That's all there is to it, Sir. I'm grateful to be working here," I lied.

The truth haunted me more then I cared to admit, and I certainly wasn't going to talk to Doctor Ealing about it, especially if I could hardly comprehend it myself. I did still enjoy working for the Ealing's, most who left the factory were never lucky enough to gain a position in such a welcoming household. Yet recent events, particularly those involving Mrs Ealing had forced me to rethink it and my future as a servant. Mrs Ealing would never force me out of the house, I could never allow her to do that, but I wondered if I could save everyone the hassle by leaving on my own terms. If I was going to leave, I wanted it to be my choice, not because I had been forced out.

I hoped, however, that it would never come to that. If Matilda could have mellowed towards me, I couldn't see why Mrs Ealing wouldn't especially given that she had liked me in the past. Whatever might have happened to change her opinion of me, be it the fact I had lied or the trouble I had caused after Isabel's death, part of me hoped she would change her mind. If that were to be the case, I didn't want Doctor Ealing to be under the assumption that I didn't like working for him. I did enjoy the work, it gave me something to do, I just wished I didn't have to spend my days looking over my shoulder as I had done back at the factory. I certainly didn't want to create any more animosity in the house, so I decided not to mention it. Whether or not that would be for the best remained to be seen.

"I'm glad. I know things have been difficult for you these past few months, but you have taken everything in your stride. Although I had my doubts when Robert first bought you to my office that day, you have proved me wrong time and time again. We are lucky to have you here," Doctor Ealing said.

"Thank you, Sir."

"I shall leave you to your work otherwise Miss Jenkins will come after me." He chuckled to himself before pushing the door open and leaving me alone with the burning fireplace and more than a thousand thoughts running through my head at a speed that made them impossible to understand.

Despite all the time I had spent in Doctor Ealing's company, he had never once asked me how I found the position even though plenty of time had elapsed between Isabel's death and the most recent events. Yet he never asked nor did the topic even come up, he just left me to my work and allowed me to do what I had to without any questioning. I wondered, as I collected the wood bucket and lightly swept the tiles in front of the fire, why he had suddenly felt the need to ask. If it had never been thought of before, why after six months did he decide it needed to be asked? What could possibly have changed in just a few days that he had to ask about my opinions on my job?

I couldn't help but wonder if it had something to do with the luncheon we had gone out for the previous day. Although it may have been a simple luncheon, James and Matthew's way of thanking the Ealing's for all they had done for me, it didn't look as though Doctor Ealing had taken it the same way. It almost looked as though he felt threatened by my brothers. He seemed scared that I would find life easier with them and throw my job away to live with either one of them. The idea sounded ludicrous, yet I didn't feel as though I could deny it as a possibility. I enjoyed working for the Ealing's, but after everything with Mrs Ealing, I started to think it might have been a better option.

Tucking the brush in with the wood, I took the bucket from the handle and left the drawing-room. Doctor Ealing had disappeared from the hallway as I stepped out into the flickering candlelight and the haze that travelled through the window at the top of the front door. I slipped into one of the other rooms before starting to stoke the fire the same way I did before. As I stacked the logs in the fireplace, I listened to the creaking noises throughout the house and the sound of the wind as it whipped through the trees just a short distance away. It seemed so simple, yet those were the things I would miss the most if I left. The sounds the house made when no one was around, the sounds of nature just beyond the walls compared to the busy London streets. I didn't think I could give up my visits to the river.

"Are you almost done down here? Master Robert has requested for the fire in his room to be lit as well," Esther asked, poking her head around the door.

"I still have to do the dining room. Doctor Ealing wanted to ask me something so I'm not where I should be," I replied, pulling the matchbook from my pocket.

"Alright, I'll let him know. The house has gotten so cold in just a short amount of time. I've asked, Miss Jenkins if we can light in the fire in the kitchen as well, the brazier doesn't seem to create much heat." She readjusted her grip on the collection of bedclothes in her hand. "What did Doctor Ealing want?"

"He wanted to know how I was getting on, whether I liked my position here."

"Hm, an odd thing to ask after six months."

"I thought the same thing."

"I wouldn't think too much of it, Rosie. I expect he was just curious."

"Probably." I shrugged my shoulders as I lit a match and dropped it between the logs in the fireplace.

"I should get these to Miss Jenkins before she comes looking for me. Head straight up to Robert when you've lit the other fire, otherwise, he'll come looking for you in the kitchens and Miss Jenkins will chase him out with a wooden spoon."

"Alright. I'll see you later."

"See you later."

Esther moved the door with her foot and rested her chin on the top of the bedding in her hands before leaving the room. Her footsteps echoed the short distance down the hallway whilst I swept the soot of the tiles and replaced the fireguard. Shoving the matchbook back into my pocket, I grabbed the bucket and walked across the hallway to the dining room. The large window that looked out onto the grounds had been propped open slightly and the cold wind shook the curtains and rattled the glass panes in the cutlery cabinet. I dropped the bucket onto the floor and removed the latch from the window to allow it to close, cutting off the wind.

With the window shut, I went about lighting the fire in the dining room with no interruptions from anyone else. When the fire burned brightly and started to warm the room, I wiped my hands on my apron, creating large black stripes of soot against the once clean piece of material. With my hands somewhat I cleaned I pushed small strands of hair off my face and once again took hold of the bucket. It felt a lot lighter without all the wood in it, but enough remained to light the small fireplace in Robert's room.

Readjusting my grip on the bucket, I crossed the hall and started up the stairs towards Robert's room. Small whispers of conversations from other parts of the house followed me as I climbed the stairs and spilled out onto the hallway. It almost felt as though the house were talking to me, as though they weren't people talking to one another in the confines of various rooms, but the house itself felt the need to make comments on my work. Of course, I knew that wasn't the case and yet I couldn't appear to shake the feeling. I felt relieved to enter Robert's room and leave the whispers of the house behind me as I knelt in front of the fire and started to stoke the fire.

After stacking the logs for a fourth time that day, I reached into my pocket and produced the matchbook like I had several times already. As I lit the match, the logs on top of the stack shifted and knocked against the metal of the fireplace, sending a loud clang throughout the room. Startled from the noise I dropped the match, watching it fall towards the hem of my dress. Just before it reached my dress, ahead stretched across and knocked it away whilst Robert swore loudly. He stamped his foot on the match to extinguish the flame whilst I gathered the bottom of my skirt and slid myself back along the floor before standing up.

"That was close, Rosie," Robert said. He pulled a strip of cloth from his pocket and dunked it into the jug of water next to his bed. He then wrapped the damp cloth around his hand and stood in the centre of the room.

"After lighting three fires downstairs, that's the first time that has happened." I paused. "Are you alright?"

"Just a small burn, it's superficial so nothing to worry about. What happened? I heard a bang and when I came in here your dress was a few seconds from going up in flames."

"The logs moved, and it scared me, I dropped the match in response to the noise. I sort of just froze rather than move out of the way."

"Understandable, given everything that has happened."

"It was stupid."

"No, it wasn't. Give me the matchbook, I'll light it."

"It's my job."

"Don't argue, hand it over."

I grabbed the matchbook off the floor and placed it into Robert's outstretched hand. Wiping the soot from my hands onto the front of my apron, Robert lit one of the matches and dropped it amongst the logs. The logs in the fireplace caught almost instantly, the yellow and orange flames dancing whilst Robert placed the guard in front of it and removed the damp cloth from his hand. On the back of Robert's hand lay a small, almost unnoticeable red mark from the match after he had knocked it away.

It may have been small, and I had my doubts anyone would even notice it, yet I knew Mrs Ealing would try to blame the whole thing on me and I couldn't exactly stop her. If I hadn't had been stupid enough to drop the match or better yet, moved out of the way, Robert wouldn't have been burned. The severity of the burn put aside, it had been caused because I had made another rather stupid mistake. Even if Robert didn't see it that way, even if no one other than Mrs Ealing thought it to be the case, I knew that I had been the one to make the mistake and nothing could convince me otherwise.

Much like the incident in the tree, it would be my actions that landed me in trouble, even if the after effect turned out to be completely harmless. If Mrs Ealing saw fit to give me a second infraction, or even find another way to punish me, I wouldn't fight it because I knew I deserved it. Asking me to light fires seemed like a rather stupid thing on Miss Jenkins part, especially given that I always became startled at loud noises and still didn't feel all that fond of fire. Of course, I would never have planned her for a task I agreed to. I should never have said yes to it in the first place.

"Stop that," Robert said, placing the cloth back over the burn.

"Stop what?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows at him.

"Over-thinking everything. You were startled by a sudden loud noise as anyone would have and you froze when the match fell, again, as anyone would have. Sometimes, Rosie, I feel as though your biggest enemy is yourself."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing bad, honestly. I just think you spend too much time over-thinking the smaller things and you become caught up in your own thoughts. If you spend your entire life in your own head, you'll miss out an awful lot and frankly, it is never a good thing to miss out on the world simply because you are over-thinking every little thing that happens."

"I can't help it," I mumbled.

"I know you can't and there is little doubt in my mind that it is all down to that foreman. However, I intend to change that. I want you to do something without thinking about it or even over-thinking it and the consequences that may follow."

"I don't understand."

"That's sort of the point, but I'm going to say no more on the matter for the time being. You'll find out soon enough. For now, you may return to the kitchens and see what else Miss Jenkins has in store for you. Everything shall be revealed in due course."

"You can be quite unnerving when you want to be."

"It's part of my charm."

Shaking my head at Robert, I fought back a smile and grabbed the now empty wood bucket, dropping the brush inside. I left Robert to nurse the small burn on the back of his hand and left the room, his comments spinning through my head. I never liked it when someone told me to wait for something. Back at the factory, it always made things worse when he told us that we would have to wait and see. Most of the time it meant a new and rather unusual form of punishment on his behalf and we all waited with bated breath to see who had gotten into trouble. Most of the time it happened to be me.

Still, I knew that would never be the case with Robert and found myself feeling more excited about what he had planned then I would usually. I knew Robert would never harm me intentionally and that it would all be in good fun. In all honesty, I found myself looking forward to a little bit of fun. It had been so long I wasn't entirely sure I knew what fun really was, but I was determined to find out exactly how it felt. 

~~~

A/N - SURPRISE!!!! Yes, a double update! Why a double update? Well, THE FACTORY GIRL HIT 50K READS!!!!! Honestly, I cannot believe it and I owe you guys so much for this! 

(If I get the time, I might write a short story for part of TFG. Is there anything you guys you would like to read?

Right, opinions on the chapter! Rosie lighting fires, Robert coming to her rescue before she burnt herself! Do you think Mrs Ealing will clock onto the incident? What are your thoughts on Doctor Ealing's question?

Comment below!

Dedication - This chapter is dedicated to ALL OF YOU!!!!! Most of you have probably had a dedication, but consider this a THANK YOU!!!

First Published - October 16th, 2019