Rose Rivers Read online

  ‘Of course, you’re such a serious bluestocking that you’d tire of an uncouth young lad in five minutes. No, you’d go for a mature gentleman … one with a certain standing and excellent manners. It’s obvious! You’ve got a pash on Mr Hodgson!’

  I rolled my eyes and yawned, but perhaps Rupert had seen me tense when he said the words ‘mature gentleman’.

  ‘Or maybe … maybe it’s one of Papa’s friends,’ he said.

  I tried hard to keep my expression blank, my breathing even.

  ‘It’s dear old Mr Rossetti! You’ll have to grow a lot taller and sprout a massive head of hair if you want him to paint you, but I’m sure he’s not too fussy in his fuddled old age,’ said Rupert.

  ‘You’re the one who’s fuddled, because he’s been dead for years! And don’t talk about him like that! He was a genius. Really, Rupert, you can be so crass sometimes.’

  ‘So are you, fancying yourself in love when you’re still a little stay-at-home ignoramus. I expect the mystery man in your life is having a good laugh at you,’ he said.

  Rupert has always had a streak of cruelty running through him. When I was little he tormented me, making me play Hide-and-Seek at night and then running off into the pitch-black attics, even though he knew I was scared of the dark. He hid the little pink velvet pig I used to take to bed with me, and only ‘find’ him when I was frantic. He pushed me over and pretended I’d tripped, he stole my lucky sixpence and scribbled all over my best drawings. He could be every bit as maddening as Algie – and yet he could also be so sweet and gentle that I was willing to forgive him anything.

  I’m not going to forgive him now.

  IF PARIS HAD come to the house as usual, Rupert would have guessed that I loved him. Luckily the portrait painting had been abandoned for a few days as Mama wanted to spend as much time as possible with Rupert.

  All Sunday he behaved like a dutiful son, attending church so that Mama could show him off to the entire congregation.

  ‘What shall we do for your last day at home, darling?’ she asked him at breakfast on Monday morning.

  ‘I rather thought I’d take myself off for a trip to the Kensington museums,’ said Rupert.

  Mama’s face fell.

  ‘Why don’t we all take a little trip?’ Papa suggested. ‘Yes, let’s go on a family outing.’

  ‘All of us?’ said Mama.

  ‘Why not?’

  ‘But where would we go?’

  ‘We could all go to the Kensington museums – or perhaps go to see the Egyptian mummies in the British Museum,’ said Papa.

  ‘Algie and Clarrie would run amok!’ said Rupert quickly. ‘And I dare say the mummies would frighten Sebastian and give him nightmares. No, I think it’s better if I simply slope off for the morning. I’ve taken a fancy to seeing the stuffed animals in the Natural History Museum.’

  Rupert had told me that those stuffed animals with their sad eyes made him shudder. I looked at him sharply.

  ‘I wonder if the Feynsham-Jones girls are going there with their governess this morning,’ I said.

  ‘Why on earth would you think that?’ Rupert said, glaring at me.

  But he’d given Papa an idea. ‘Bother the stuffed animals! Why don’t we go and see some real ones? Let’s all go to the Zoological Gardens! We haven’t been there since you were a little boy, Rupert, but remember how you loved it, especially the elephant ride!’

  ‘I’m a bit old for elephant riding now, Pa,’ said Rupert.

  ‘Nonsense! I intend to ride the great beast,’ said Papa. ‘Think how the little ones would enjoy the zoo, especially Sebastian. And if Algie misbehaves, we can always put him in a cage with the monkeys.’ He put his arm round me. ‘We’ll sketch, Rose, and make sure we get all the creatures’ legs the right way round.’

  Papa was so persuasive that we all decided it was a good idea. If Rupert really had suggested meeting Pamela in the Natural History Museum, he seemed happy now to change his plans. I thought of her wandering mournfully round and round the glass cases looking for him. Poor Pamela!

  Sebastian, Algie and Clarrie were wild with excitement. Nurse was less keen, especially when she was told she must come too, with little Phoebe. This meant carrying her, as there was no way she could get a perambulator into a cab.

  ‘It’ll scare her senseless anyway, seeing all them wild creatures marauding around and biting each other,’ Nurse protested.

  But Phoebe adored the animals, especially the bears. She peered down into the bear pit and stretched out her arms, whimpering urgently, wanting to be lowered down to play with them.

  Algie and Clarrie liked the lions best, because they roared in a thrilling fashion when their meat was thrust into their cages.

  ‘Thank the Lord Beth isn’t here,’ Papa murmured to me. ‘She’d likely start roaring too.’

  He sounded heartless, but earlier that morning he had wanted Beth to join us.

  ‘Beth’s behaviour has improved a good deal since I employed Nurse Budd, but I don’t think she’s reliable enough to trust on a family outing,’ said Mama.

  ‘Then Nurse Budd can accompany us too, and ensure that Beth behaves. Beth is family too, my dear. Rose, go and tell Nurse Budd to get Beth ready.’

  I ran upstairs eagerly, but Nurse Budd stopped me at the door.

  ‘Ssh now! You can’t just burst in here, Miss Rose. I’ll thank you to remember to knock,’ she whispered. ‘Now, I’m afraid I’m going to have to send you away. Your sister isn’t ready for visitors right at this moment.’

  ‘Why can’t I see her?’ I asked. Had she done something cruel to Beth? I imagined her tied to the chair, a gag about her mouth. I took a deep breath. ‘You might be trained as a nurse but you are still our servant. So just jolly well let me see my sister.’

  I pushed past her into the room. Beth was lying in bed, quite still.

  ‘Beth! Beth!’ I cried, rushing over to her. ‘What’s the matter? Are you ill? What has she done to you?’

  ‘Oh dear, Miss Rose, there’s no need to get yourself into such a silly state. My little Beth’s simply staying in bed this morning because she had a disturbed night,’ said Nurse Budd, shaking her head at me. ‘Don’t raise your voice, dear, she needs to catch up on her sleep. She had a nightmare, and then when she woke she was too scared to get out of bed onto her pot so she had a little accident, naughty girl. But I wouldn’t dream of punishing her. I know the poor soul can’t help it.’

  ‘But Papa wants Beth to come with us to the Zoological Gardens.’ I shook Beth gently. ‘Come on, Beth, wake up. You must come and see the lions and the bears and the elephant with us.’

  Beth murmured something crossly, and pulled the sheet over her head.

  ‘I don’t think she wants to, Miss Rose, do you?’ said Nurse Budd.

  ‘Papa will be upset,’ I said.

  ‘I’m sorry about that, but I do know what’s best for your sister.’

  ‘But you never want her to have any treats!’

  ‘Oh, it’s easy enough to spoil the poor child and get her over-stimulated. You’re all very good at doing that. But you’re not the ones who have to soothe her during the day and stay up with her half the night. You seem to upset Miss Beth every time you come near her, Miss Rose. I know you’re full of good intentions, but it is a little trying at times. Do you really think that you could care for her better than me?’

  I didn’t have an answer for Nurse Budd, and she knew it. I had to give up. Beth stayed at home.

  Afterwards I felt unsettled, and couldn’t stop thinking about Beth as I wandered around the zoo. Nurse Budd is right: Papa loves Beth and makes a fuss of her sometimes, but he’s certainly not prepared to look after her.

  Mama rarely goes near Beth, even when she’s quiet and docile. She doesn’t seem to have time for any of her children, apart from Rupert, though when we’re out on show she acts as if she adores us. She was especially animated at the Zoological Gardens, hanging onto Rupert’s arm, forever fussing over the