Cinders & Sapphires by Leila Rasheed Read Free Book Online Page A

congratulations!” Cook exclaimed as Rose came nervously into the kitchen the next morning.
    “Thank you!” Rose still wasn’t sure if she was more frightened or more excited by the news of her promotion. “I just hope I can do it.”
    “’Course you can,” Mary said, patting her on the arm. “You’ve always done our hair and our dresses when we go out. Even Lady Edith’s maid says how nice we look when you’ve been at work. And she’s French!”
    “Now you’ll have a room to yourself, you lucky thing,” Martha sniffed. “Well, I wish I had a mother to put in a good word for me, that’s all.”
    “Martha!” Cook rounded on her. “Rose deserves her new post and you know it.”
    The bell jangled in the passage.
    “That’s the hall. You’ll be wanted to help Miss Ward decorate the place. Off you go, both of you!”
    Rose and Annie ran up the servants’ stairs and came out into the hall. Miss Ward was standing on a chair, pinning up wreaths of roses and honeysuckle. The hall smelled sweetly of flowers.
    “Rose!” Miss Ward stepped down from the chair and came toward her, smiling. “I’m so delighted. I’ve heard of your promotion.”
    She took Rose’s hands and pressed them warmly. Rose blushed and smiled, but Miss Ward’s expression changed and she looked down at Rose’s hands. “Oh dear, these are housemaid’s hands, aren’t they? I don’t know how the young ladies will feel about that.”
    Rose snatched her hands back. They were red and rough, as all the housemaids’ hands were. She had never thought of it before. “Do you think they will mind?” she said, frightened. “I don’t know what to do about it.”
    “Oh, nonsense, Rose, your hands are fine, and you’ll wear gloves anyway,” Annie said, giving Miss Ward a look of annoyance.
    “Annie, you mustn’t call her Rose now that she’s been promoted,” Miss Ward said sweetly. “You must call her Miss Cliffe, just as you call me Miss Ward. Rose, you may call me Stella.”
    “Oh, I don’t think—” said Rose, horrified.
    “No, she’s right,” Annie said, though she looked angry. “There’s rules, aren’t there, and you’re a ladies’ maid now.”
    “But I…” Rose trailed off, realizing it would do no good.
    They climbed onto chairs and worked silently to pin the wreaths of flowers along and over the arch of the hallway. At the other end, Mary ran in and out, carrying plants from the hothouses to decorate the orangery, where the wedding ceremony was to be performed. Footmen came in and out, carrying chairs to set in rows for the guests, and an oak lectern for the priest to read from.
    “Why aren’t they getting married in church?” Annie asked, pinning up a garland of white roses and pink ribbons.
    “It’s not done for a second marriage,” Stella replied.
    “Why not?”
    “It just isn’t.” She looked down her nose at Annie. “But I wouldn’t expect you to understand the etiquette.”
    Rose caught Annie’s eye and made a wry face. Then Annie’s expression changed.
    “And who’s he?”
    Rose followed her gaze. James and Roderick were not alone; helping them set up the chairs was a handsome young man with black curly hair. When he spoke to James, Rose was struck by his educated accent.
    “Oh, that must be Mr. Templeton’s valet,” she said, remembering that her mother had mentioned him to her. “Oliver Campbell, I think his name is.”
    “He’s ever so elegant,” Annie said, smoothing her hair back as if unconsciously. “Maybe I should go over and introduce myself.”
    “If you want to make a fool of yourself, go ahead,” said Stella with a smile that Rose found hard to make out.
    “You’d better not, Annie,” she said. “Think how cross Mrs. Cliffe would be.” Hoping to take Annie’s mind off the handsome new arrival, she jumped down from her chair and looked up at the wreaths. The hall now looked like a bower of flowers.
    “Doesn’t it look beautiful?” she said, feeling proud of