Dilly Court - The Christmas Rose - The most heart-warming novel of 2018, from the Sunday Times bestseller

Rose shot him a sideways glance. ‘You’d take him on?’

‘I can handle myself in a fight. You’d be surprised.’

It was dark when they arrived in Black Raven Court and Rose was nervous. It was not only feral cats that lurked in doorways and down dark alleys. There was danger in the back streets even in daytime, but when the shadows deepened after dusk it was a brave person who walked there alone. Rose had learned this much already, and she kept watch while Eugene marched up to the front door. He turned to her and beckoned.

‘It’s not locked – the girls are obviously expecting to do a good trade tonight. Come on.’

Rose hesitated on the bottom step. ‘Maybe it would be best if you keep watch outside. I’m used to creeping up the stairs.’

‘All right. Go ahead, but be quick.’

Rose entered the house on tiptoe. The nauseating smell of unwashed bodies, damp rot, cheap perfume and tobacco smoke hit her with almost physical force. The familiar sounds of laughter and creaking bed springs were punctuated by raised voices and the occasional scream. Rose broke into a run, taking the stairs two at a time, but in her haste she trod on the step that everyone tried to avoid and the loud creak brought Cora to her door.

‘Blooming hell, Rose. You gave me a fright – I thought it was Regan come to collect the rent.’ Cora took a drag on a cheroot and then stamped it out under the heel of her boot.

‘I’m sorry,’ Rose whispered. ‘I’ve come to collect my bag. I’m moving out.’

‘Good for you, nipper. I wish I could do the same.’

‘What keeps you here? Haven’t you got any family who would take you in?’

Cora gave her a pitying look. ‘You might have good people waiting for you, but some of us ain’t so lucky. My pa is in the clink and Ma only wants to see me if I give her money for gin. Go on, kid. Grab your things and make a run for it before his nibs turns up. Flossie says he’s got his eye on you, so don’t hang about.’

‘I will, and thanks, Cora. I’ll miss you and Flossie, will you tell her that for me?’

Cora nodded emphatically. ‘Good luck, kid.’ She retreated into her room, and closed the door.

Rose hurried up the second flight of stairs and collected her things, but as she made her way downstairs she heard a door open and Regan’s loud voice berating one of the girls. It was dark on the landing, but peering through the banisters she could see him standing in a shaft of light. He was shaking his fist and using foul language that would have made the toughest gold prospector blush. Rose shrank into the shadows, hoping that he would visit another of the rooms on the ground floor, and she sighed with relief when she heard the sound of his booted feet stamping towards the back of the house. She hurtled down the remaining stairs and out into the cold night, almost falling into Eugene’s arms as he waited for her.

‘You’d think the devil was after you,’ he said, relieving her of the heavy valise. ‘Come on Rose, let’s go home.’

Cecilia was not over-effusive, but she made Rose welcome and sent a maid to light a fire in one of the many bedrooms. Giddings relieved Rose of her outer garments and she could feel his silent disapproval, but she smiled and nodded graciously, taking Cecilia as her model for ladylike behaviour as she handed him her valise. If this was how a lady was expected to behave she could do it with ease, even if she had to resist the temptation to tell the footman that she might be poor, but she was just as good as him, and she did not judge people by outward appearances.

‘I’ve got some correspondence to deal with. I’ll be in the study.’ Eugene hurried off without giving his sister a chance to object.

‘Come with me, Rose,’ Cecilia said calmly. ‘We’ll wait for Gene in the drawing room.’ She led the way up the gracefully curving sweep of the staircase to the crimson and gold drawing room, where she motioned Rose to take a seat.

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