not exactly a disaster, my dear.’ Adele laid her hand on his sleeve. ‘As I just told you, Rose has come to ask our advice.’
Festus went to stand with his back to the fire. ‘You are a well-educated young lady, Rose.’
‘I think so, sir.’
‘Living on your own in a big city is not to be recommended.’ Festus stroked his chin, something he did when he was thinking deeply, which was a habit that Rose had noticed during their time at sea. ‘If you want my honest opinion,’ he said at length, ‘I think you ought to go home and wait there for your young man.’
Rose knew that this was good advice and probably the most logical thing to do, but somehow logic and common sense seemed to have flown out of the window, and a stubborn streak that she had not known she possessed had taken hold of her.
‘Thank you both, but it isn’t as easy as that. As I explained to your wife, I haven’t enough money to pay for a passage home.’
Adele glanced anxiously at her husband. ‘We would lend it to you if it were possible.’
‘Which I’m afraid it is not,’ Festus added quickly. ‘Our means are limited, Rose. But your young man is related to the owners of the largest shipping line in the country, isn’t that so?’
‘It is, but Mr and Mrs Colville are away on a business trip. There is no one in London who could help me, and, if I’m honest, I don’t want to return home, not yet anyway. What I need is a job so that I can support myself until Max returns from Egypt.’
‘Young ladies do not go out to work.’ Adele’s eyes widened and she pursed her lips. ‘What would your sainted papa say if he knew?’
‘My pa was a practical man, Mrs Parker. He worked hard for his living and he would expect me to do the same.’
Adele raised a hanky to her eyes. ‘Oh dear, this is very distressing. I wish we could help.’
‘You must get away from that place of ill repute,’ Festus said firmly. ‘We would offer you sanctuary here, but this house is quite small and it belongs to my mother. We have to respect her wants and needs.’
Rose jumped to her feet. ‘Thank you, but all I wanted was some advice as to what sort of work I might do. I didn’t mean to put you in a difficult position. I think it best if I go now.’
‘Festus, we can’t allow Rose to leave without at least trying to help her.’ Adele clutched her husband’s arm, gazing up at him with imploring eyes.
‘My dear, we’ve been out of the country for five years. I expect things have changed significantly since we left.’
‘I really should leave now,’ Rose said hastily. ‘It’s a long walk back to Black Raven Court and I left my things there.’
‘Oh dear.’ Adele’s eyes filled with tears and she pulled a crumpled handkerchief from her sleeve. ‘Don’t let her go like this, Festus. There must be something we can do to help poor Rose.’
‘I was planning to visit the office of the London Leader today. It’s owned by a friend of mine, and he might be in a position to give you advice. They used to run a Situations Vacant column, unless things have changed greatly.’ Festus fixed Rose with a meaningful stare. ‘Will you come with me?’
Rose nodded emphatically. ‘Yes, gladly.’
Adele clapped her hands. ‘Splendid. Do have some more cake before you go, Rose. I made it myself.’
‘There’s no time for that.’ Festus opened the door. ‘Come along, Rose, best foot forward. We’ll see if Cosmo has anything helpful to say.’
The cab dropped them off outside the London Leader offices in Fleet Street and Rose alighted to the pavement while Festus paid the cabby. This was a part of the city that Rose barely knew, but immediately it felt like the beating heart of London. The traffic was so dense that it hardly seemed to be moving and the coachmen, cabbies, draymen and carters shouted and bellowed at each other, flicking their whips in seemingly useless displays of bad temper and impatience. The pavements were equally crowded, and people pushed and jostled as if reaching their destinations was a matter of life and death. Festus hurried Rose into the building, stopping at the desk where a harassed-looking man was dealing with an irate person who was complaining bitterly about the size and positioning of his advertisement. Eventually the bald, bespectacled clerk held up his hand.
‘If you will give me a moment, sir, I’ll see if I can find someone to deal with your query.’
‘Query? It ain’t a query, my good man. I want my money back. I paid in good faith for—’
Festus cleared his throat noisily. ‘If you will excuse me for interrupting, might I suggest that you allow this man to do his job, sir?’
The irate advertiser turned on Festus with an angry snarl. ‘And who are you, mate? Did I ask you to interfere?’
Rose had had enough of this senseless arguing and she stepped forward. ‘I suggest you sit down, mister. We’ve all got business here and you’re not helping anyone, least of all yourself.’
The man stared at her, shocked into silence.
‘Precisely,’ Festus said firmly. ‘And I wish to see Mr Cosmo Radley.’
‘I’m sorry to say that Mr Radley senior passed away four years ago, and his son, Mr Arthur Radley, took over the editorship.’
‘That’s all very fine.’ The angry man spoke up again. ‘I want to see Mr Radley and put my complaint in person.’
‘Even if he’s in the office I can’t guarantee that he’ll see you, sir. Mr Radley is a very busy man.’ The clerk edged out from behind the desk and scuttled across the tiled floor.
‘I’m not leaving until I’ve had words with him,’ the man said huffily. ‘I’ve got a genuine case.’
Rose had to curb the sudden desire to laugh. There was a childishness about him that made him look like an overgrown schoolboy, but he was still grumbling when one of the office doors opened and a tall man emerged into the foyer. At first sight, with his dark hair and neatly trimmed beard and moustache, he reminded Rose of a pirate or a dashing musketeer, and there was certainly a hint of a swagger in the way he strolled over to the desk.
‘May I be of any assistance?’
‘This man is being attended to,’ Festus said quickly. ‘I came to see Mr Cosmo Radley, but I’ve been told he’s no longer with us.’
‘Yes, sadly that is the case, but I’m his nephew, Eugene Sheldon. How may I be of service?’
‘Festus Parker, and this is Miss Rose Munday. Might we talk in private?’
Eugene’s gaze rested on Rose for the briefest of moments and she noticed that his eyes were the colour of amber rimmed with jet. ‘Of course,’ he said smiling. ‘Come this way.’
Rose followed them into a small office where a large desk dominated the room. Piles of newspapers were scattered in seemingly random heaps on the floor, and the walls were
