Rose

By Holly Webb

How would you know if you were special?

Mr. Fountain's grand mansion is a world away from the dark orphanage Rose had left behind. The gleaming, golden house is practically overflowing with sparkling magic—she can feel it. And though Rose had always wanted to be an ordinary girl with an ordinary life, she realizes she may possess a little bit of magic herself.

Discover the Spellbinding Bestselling UK Series

"Warm and sparkling and magical and fun."—Hilary McKay, bestselling author of Saffy's Angel

"A skillfully spun, spell-binding mystery that will catch you up in a web of wonder."—Junior Education Plus

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sourcebooks
• Release date: Sep 3, 2013
• ISBN: 9781402285820

Holly Webb

HOLLY WEBB is a former children's book editor who has authored over ninety books for children published in the UK. Besides Maisie Hitchins, other series that have crossed the pond include My Naughty Little Puppy, the Rose books, the Lily books, and Animal Magic. Webb lives in Berkshire, England, with her husband, three boys, and Milly, her cat. Visit her website at www.holly-webb.com.

Book preview

Copyright © 2013 by Holly Webb

Cover and internal design © 2013 by Sourcebooks, Inc.

Cover design by Jane Archer

Cover illustration © Kevin Keele

Sourcebooks and the colophon are registered trademarks of Sourcebooks, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews—without permission in writing from its publisher, Sourcebooks, Inc.

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

Published by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc.

P.O. Box 4410, Naperville, Illinois 60567-4410

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Fax: [phone]

www.jabberwockykids.com

Originally published in Great Britain by Orchard Books.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication data is on file with the publisher.

Source of Production: Versa Press, East Peoria, Illinois, USA

Date of Production: July 2013

Run Number: 20781

Contents

Front Cover

Title Page

Copyright

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

Fourteen

Fifteen

Sixteen

Seventeen

Eighteen

About the Author

Back Cover

For Jon

One

Rose peered out the corner of the window at the street below, watching interestedly as two little girls walked past with their nursemaid. They were beautifully dressed in matching pale pink coats, and she found them fascinating. How could anyone keep a pink coat clean? She supposed they just weren’t allowed to see dirt, ever. The little girls strolled sedately down the street, and Rose stretched up on tiptoe to get one last look as they turned the corner. The bucket she was standing on rocked and clattered alarmingly, and she jumped down in a hurry, hoping no one had heard. The tiny, leaded windows at St. Bridget’s Home for Abandoned Girls were all very high up, so that the girls were not tempted to look out of them. If any of the matrons realized that Rose had discovered a way to see out, they would do their utmost to stop her—in case her virtue was put at risk by the view of the street. Perhaps they would even outlaw buckets, just in case.

Rose straightened her brown cotton pinafore and trotted briskly along the deserted passageway to the storeroom to return the bucket. She stowed it carefully on one of the racks of wooden shelves, which was covered in more buckets, brushes, and cloths. If anyone saw her, she was planning to say that she had been polishing it.

Pssst! Rose! A whisper caught her as she headed for the storeroom door, and Rose shot around, her back against the wall.

A small, grayish hand beckoned to her from under the bottom shelf, behind a large tin bath. Come and see!

Rose took a deep breath, her heartbeat slowing again. No one had seen her unauthorized use of the bucket. It was only Maisie.

"What are you doing under there? she asked, casting a worried look at the door. You’ll get in trouble. Come on out."

Look, the whispery voice pleaded, and the grayish fingers dangled something tempting out from under the shelf.

Oh, Maisie. Rose sighed. I’ve seen it before, you know. You showed it to me last week. But she still crouched down and wriggled herself under the shelf with her friend.

It was Sunday afternoon. At St. Bridget’s, that meant many of the girls had been in Miss Lockwood’s parlor, viewing the relics, the tiny, sad little things that had been left with them when they were abandoned. Rose didn’t have any relics, which was why it was a good time for borrowing buckets. Even if anyone saw her, they would probably be too full of silly dreams to care.

Do you think it’s meant to hold a lock of hair? Maisie asked wistfully. Or perhaps a likeness?

Rose stared thoughtfully at the battered tin locket. It looked as though it had been trodden on and possibly buried in something nasty, but it was Maisie’s most treasured possession—her only possession, for even her clothes were only borrowed.

Oh, a likeness, I’m sure, she told Maisie firmly, wrapping an arm around her friend’s bony shoulder. Really she had no idea, but she knew Maisie dreamed about that locket all week, and the hour on Sunday when she got to hold it was her most special time, and Rose couldn’t spoil it for her.

Maybe of my mother. Or perhaps it was hers, and she had my father’s picture in it. Yes, that would have been it. I bet he was handsome, Maisie said dreamily.

Mmmm, Rose murmured diplomatically. Maisie wasn’t ugly exactly, but she was very skinny, and no one looked beautiful with their hair cropped short in case of lice. It was hard to imagine either of her parents as handsome.

All Rose’s friends spent Sundays in a dream world, where they were the long-lost daughters of dukes who would one day sweep them away in a coach-and-four to reclaim their rightful inheritance.

Strangely though, unlike all the other girls, Rose did not dream. She had no relic to hang her dreams on, but that wasn’t the main reason. Quite a few of the others didn’t either, and it didn’t hold them back at all. Rose just wanted to get out of St. Bridget’s as soon as she possibly could. It wasn’t that it was a bad place—the schoolmistress read them lots of improving books about children who weren’t lucky enough to have a home. They lived on the streets and always went from bad to worse in ways that were never very clearly explained. Girls at St. Bridget’s were fed, even though there was never enough food to actually feel full, only just enough to keep them going. They had clothes, even a set of Sunday best for church and the yearly photograph. The important thing was, they were trained for domestic service, so that when they were old enough, they could earn their own living. If Rose dreamed at all, that was what she dreamed of. She didn’t want to be a lady in a big house. She’d settle for being allowed to clean one and be paid for it. And perhaps have an afternoon off, once a month, although she had no idea what she would do.

Occasionally, girls who’d left St. Bridget’s came back to show themselves off. They told giggly tales of being admired by the second footman, and they had smart outfits that hadn’t been worn by six other girls before them, like Rose’s black Sunday dress and coat. She knew because the other girls’ names had been sewn in at the top. Two of them even had surnames, which was very grand. Rose was only Rose, and that was because the yellow rose in Miss Lockwood’s tiny garden had started to flower on the day she’d been brought to St. Bridget’s by the vicar. He’d found her in the churchyard, sitting on the war memorial in a fish basket and howling. If Rose had been given to dreaming like the others, she might have thought that it meant her father had been a brave soldier, killed in a heroic charge, and that her dying mother couldn’t look after her and had left her on the war memorial, hoping that someone would care for a poor soldier’s child. As it was, she’d decided her family probably had something to do with fish.

Rose hated fish. Although of course in an orphanage, you ate what there was, and anyone else’s if you got half a chance. She knew no grand lady was going to sweep into the orphanage and claim her as a long-lost daughter. It must have been a bad year for fish, that was all. It didn’t bother her—just made her all the more determined to make a life for herself outside.

What do you think they were like? Maisie asked pleadingly. Rose was good at storytelling. Somehow her stories lit up the dark corners of the orphanage where they hid to tell them.

Rose sighed. She was tired, but Maisie looked so hopeful. She settled herself as comfortably as she could under the shelf, tucking her dress under her feet to keep warm. The storeroom was damp and chilly, and smelled of wet cleaning cloths. She stared dreamily at the side of the tin bath, glistening in the shadows. You were two, weren’t you, when you came to St. Bridget’s? she murmured. So you were old enough to be running about everywhere…Yes. It was a Sunday, and your parents had taken you to the park to sail your boat in the fountain.

A boat! Maisie agreed blissfully.

Yes, with white sails, and ropes so you could make the sails work, just like real ones. Rose was remembering the illustrations from Morally Instructive Tales for the Nursery, which was one of the books in the schoolroom. The two little boys who owned the boat in the original story fought about who got to sail it first, which obviously meant that one of them drowned in the fountain. Most of the books in the schoolroom had endings like that. Rose quite enjoyed working out the exact point when the characters were beyond hope. It was usually when they lied to get more jam.

You were wearing your best pink coat, but your mother didn’t mind if you got it wet. Rose’s voice became rather doubtful here. She hadn’t been able to resist putting in the pink coat, but really, it was too silly…Suddenly she realized that Maisie was gazing longingly at the side of the tin bath.

Yes, look, it’s got flower-shaped buttons! Are they roses, Rose?

Rose gulped. I’m not sure, she murmured, staring wide-eyed at the picture flickering on the metal.

Daisies, I think… Had she done that? She knew her stories were good—she was always being bothered for them, so they must be—but none of them had ever come with pictures. Pictures that moved. A tiny, plump, pretty Maisie was jumping and clapping as a nattily dressed gentleman blew her boat across a sparkling fountain. White trousers! Rose’s matter-of-fact side thought disgustedly. Has this family no sense?

Oh, the picture’s fading! No, no, bring it back, Rose! I want to see my mother! Maisie wailed.

Ssssh! We aren’t meant to be here, Maisie, we’ll be caught.

Maisie wasn’t listening. Oh, Rose, it was so pretty! I was so pretty! I want to see it again—

Girls! A sharp voice cut her off. What are you doing in here? Come out at once!

Rose jumped and hit her head on the shelf. The picture promptly disappeared altogether, and Maisie burst into tears.

Come out of there! Who is that? Rose? And you, Maisie! What on earth are you doing?

Rose struggled out, trying not to cry herself. Her head really hurt, a horrible sharp throbbing that made her feel sick. Of all the stupid things to do! This was what happened when you started making pictures on baths. Miss Lockwood looked irritable. Maisie, you know you’re not supposed to take that out of my office, she snapped, reaching down and seizing the locket. The flimsy chain broke, and Maisie howled even louder, tugging at the trailing end.

Rose could tell that Miss Lockwood was horrified. She really hadn’t meant to snap the locket, and she knew how Maisie treasured it. But she couldn’t back down now. Silly girl! Now you’ve broken it. Well, it’s just what you deserve. Red in the face, she stuffed it into the little hanging pocket she wore on her belt and swept out. Go to bed at once! There will be no supper for either of you! she announced grandly at the door.

Well, that’s no great loss, Rose muttered, putting an arm around Maisie, who was crying in great heaving gulps.

She—broke—my—locket!

Yes, Rose admitted gently. Yes, she did. But I’m sure we can mend it. Next Sunday. I’ll help, Maisie, I promise. And I don’t think she meant to. I think she was sorry, Maisie. She could have made us stand in the schoolroom with books on our heads all evening, like she did to Florence last week. No supper’s not that bad. It would only be bread and milk.

It might not be, sniffed Maisie, who seemed determined to look on the black side of things. It might be cake.

Rose took her hand as they trailed dismally back to their dormitory. "Maisie, it’s always bread and milk! The last time we had cake was for the coronation, nearly three years ago!" Rose sighed. She couldn’t help feeling cross with Maisie for getting her into trouble—but not very cross. After all, she’d been tempting fate with the windows anyway. Maisie was so tiny and fragile that Rose always felt sorry for her. Do you want me to tell you a story? she asked resignedly, as they changed into their nightclothes.

Will you make the pictures come again? Maisie asked, her eyes lighting up.

I don’t know, Rose told her honestly. It’s never happened before. And there might be trouble if we get caught. I’m sure it’s not allowed.

It isn’t in the Rules, Maisie said, pouting. I know it isn’t.

Miss Lockwood read the Rules on Sundays before church, so they’d heard them that morning. Rose had to admit that Maisie was right; she didn’t remember a rule about making pictures on baths. Which was odd. It must mean that it wasn’t a very common thing to do because the Rules covered everything—even the exact length of an orphan’s fingernails.

It just feels like something that wouldn’t be allowed… Rose said. Which is why it’s such fun, part of her wanted to add. Oh, all right. But I think it needs something shiny for it to work. She looked around thoughtfully. The dormitory was long and narrow, high up in the attics of the old house. Everything was very clean, but shiny was in short supply. There was hardly room for the girls to move between the narrow, gray-blanketed beds, let alone space for polished furniture.

Maisie followed her, craning her neck to peer into corners. My boots are shiny! she suggested brightly.

Rose was about to say they couldn’t be, then realized that Maisie was right. All the girls’ shoes were made and mended by the boys from St. Bartholomew’s orphanage over the wall. They had a cobblers’ workshop where the girls had a laundry, so that they could be trained up for a useful trade. Maisie’s boots had just come back from being mended, and they were black and shiny, even if they’d been patched so often that there was nothing left of the original boot. If she could make pictures on a bath, why not a boot?

The two girls sat huddled together under Rose’s blankets, staring at the polished leather. It’ll be a lot smaller, if it even works, Rose warned.

I don’t mind. Maisie didn’t take her eyes off the boot. I want to see what happened.

It isn’t really what happened… Rose reminded her. Just a story I’m making up, you know that, don’t you?

Yes, yes. Maisie flapped her hand at Rose irritably, but Rose didn’t think she was really listening. Show me!

***

Long after Maisie had cried herself to sleep that night—heartbroken by the flickering image of her tiny self running through the park and crying for her mother—and the other girls had come chattering to bed, Rose lay awake.

Had she made it all up? It had seemed so real somehow. What if I’ve turned into a fortune-teller? Rose worried to herself. She didn’t believe in fortune-tellers. But of course she’d invented it—she’d put in that pink coat, from the little girls she’d seen out the window. So if it wasn’t real, why had it upset Maisie so much? Why had she believed it more than all Rose’s other stories? The pictures, Rose told

Reviews for Rose

[sszkutak_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

After requesting Rose and the Lost Princess from Netgalley and contacting the publisher about a blog tour for it, I realized that there was a book before it -- and I am normally so good about sleuthing this before requesting titles. The cover for the Lost Princess was adorable so I could not resist. Upon learning there was a book before it, I got Rose (book 1) from the publisher in anticipation for the Lost Princess tour, and I am so glad that I did. Rose and her story are beautifully written, they peaked every emotion a Middle Grade book should, even so far as being terrifying at some points.Book one of the Rose series begins with Rose at an orphanage and she realizes that she may have strange powers. As she tries to suppress them, she is adopted as a housemaid at a prominent magician's home and learns more about what magic is and how it can be used. While adjusting to her new home and life, Rose learns that there are children going missing, and upon returning to the orphanage she learn her friends have been mysterious found by their parents.The plot continues as Rose and other children learn who is behind the kidnappings and try to rescue them. But what was really fun about this book was all the magic. In Rose's world magic is real and people use it, some are afraid and some are ok with it. The plot is both fanciful but deep in that magic can be used for evil, and very evil at that. The book brought on anxiety, dread, and disgust as you learned the back story of the kidnapper and their purposes.I really enjoyed this book very much, I am sad that I may have overlooked it if not for Rose and the Lost Princess appearing in my Netgalley list. I am so happy to have found the series and all of its adorable, playfulness

[thelibraryhag · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Rose knows nothing of the world except the orphanage where she lives and is training to be a domestic. And that is fine with her. She is anxious to get a job so she can make her own way in the world. When she is hired to train as a maid at the house of Mr. Fountain, a powerful magician, all she cares about is that she will be employed. But she soon finds that the house of a magician is a challenge to navigate. Funny how none of the other workers seem to notice.This was a wonderful book. The world Rose lives in is a mix if magic and mundane. I like the concept that magic is reserved for the rich and is basically a commodity. I like the cast of characters and I love the magical cat, Gus. Rose is a darling who cares for others more than herself, although she can be a bit catty at times. I am going to read the next in the series right away.

[bduke_15 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a little gem of a book. It is a short, quick read that is delightfully creative. I have read other reviews that said it is Downton Abbey meets Harry Potter , which is a total win-win for me. I was immediately drawn to pragmatic Rose, the main character. Surrounded in the orphanage by dreamers who are waiting for unknown parents to show up and claim them, Rose just wants to leave the orphanage and make her own way in the world. She is spunky but knows her place and doesn't bemoan her circumstances. She is hard-working, loyal, and just wants to do her job well. She didn't ask for her magic, and doesn't want her magic. It sets her apart from the other servants and makes her feel strange. In this book, magic is just for the rich, and the servants distrust it. Because of her magic, she is drawn into some very scary situations and realizes that she had better learn how to control it.The secondary characters in the book are also very well drawn. I love how the author portrays Isabella as such a spoiled brat, but then lets us see who she could really be. Interaction with different characters are woven seamlessly into the story. This book draws you into it's magical world and holds you spellbound.Areas of concern:There is a very evil villain who does very evil things to little children. There are a couple of mild cuss words.

[lemurkat · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Webb loves adverbs. And uses them when she really shouldn't - and the use of the words "... watched interestedly..." was enough to make my internal editor cringe. Once I got past the edit-as-I-read, I found a quite delightful tale with a heroine who doesn't want to be special, doesn't want to have magic, just wants to have an ordinary life and an ordinary job and be independent. Alas, Rose has magical tendencies, which become evident when she leaves the orphanage and becomes a servant in the house of an alchemist. Then orphans from around the city start vanishing and Rose is the only one who seems to care - so she resolves to find them and rescue them. A well paced story with an interesting plot and nifty characters, but a few darker moments as well.

[inky_fingers · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Absolutely charming world of cozy magic that reminded me strongly of Diana Wynne Jones.

[roses7184_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's no secret that my absolute favorite part of books is falling in love with the characters. It's actually why I tend to read so much Middle Grade fiction. Characters like Rose make me smile. Vibrant, witty, and much braver than I could ever be, she stole my heart and made this book fly by for me! Even if the story hadn't been absolutely stellar, which it was of course, I would have read on just to follow dear Rose. Holly Webb's brilliantly showcases why MG fiction isn't just for one age group.

The real draw for me was that Rose had such big, and yet so simple dreams. While other girls dreamed of being adopted and fawned over, all she wanted as to make something respectable of herself. Despite her young age, Rose has a definite understanding of how the world around her functions. She's hardworking, intelligent, and polite. Even when faced with the possibility of magic, her level head keeps her calm. Who better to navigate a world filled with magic, both good and bad? I loved Rose.

Better still, she has a wonderful cast of characters surrounding her. Freddie, the boy apprentice with just a bit too much ego. Isabella, her master's daughter and a definite spoiled child. Even Gus, a cat a first glance and yet so much more than that, is fleshed out and fun to read about. It was these children that kept the story moving. Their interactions, the lessons learned, and of course the battle against the ultimate baddie at the end. Oh no, you won't get more from me. The synopsis doesn't spoil it, and neither shall I. You'll have to read Holly Webb's gorgeous book to find out what happens to Rose and her friends.

I honestly wish I had better words to describe how much I was enamored with this book. There's something about the old world charm of it that held me under its spell. Even at the ending, which I was satisfied with but made me want so much more, I couldn't stop smiling. Rose is a stellar start to the series. I simply cannot wait for the rest of her story, so I can devour it all over again. If you're a fan of magic, mixed with a bit of mystery, this is a book you'll adore.

[tldegray-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Rose is An Orphan. An Orphan with a Mysterious Background, if you will. But an orphan, nonetheless, and she dreams of leaving the orphanage and going Into Service. When she's taken at age 10 (or maybe 11 or 12, she isn't really sure) to become a maid, she's thrilled. She gets a room of her own, a new dress, and payment for her work. It's all she's ever wanted and she couldn't be happier. She finds that the master of her household is not only an alchemist, but a very famous one, close to the court and the King, and that the house is drenched in magic.

Rose and her friends--Bill the footman in training, Isabella the alchemist's spoiled and powerful seven year old daughter, and the alchemist's apprentice--discover children all over London are going missing. When Rose discovers that her dearest friend from the orphanage has gone missing she uses her own newly-discovered magical powers, and the help of her friends, to find her and all the other missing children.

This book is cute. So cute. I would have loved it as a kid and as an adult I'm already figuring out which kids I can buy it for.

[krau0098 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I got a copy of this book to review through NetGalley(dot)com. It looks like these books were originally released in the UK with the first book, this one, being released in 2009. There are three additional books out featuring Rose in the UK...I am not sure on the release date schedule for these in the US. This was a very cute rags to riches type of story with some magic in it.Rose is an orphan who is hired on as a maid at a famous magician’s house. Rose is determined to do a good job so she can keep her new job. But Rose seems to have a bit of magic herself. That’s when she starts to hear rumors about kids disappearing. When friends of hers at the orphanage start to disappear Rose wants to help solve the mystery.This was a cute read that involved disappearances of children and Rose teaming up with a talking cat and amagician's apprentice to find them. The book is an easy read and fairly predictable, but it was still very entertaining. It’s one of those books where nothing all that awful happens and when you are done with it you feel happy.Rose is an admirable character. She is a hard worker and does her best to help everyone get along. It’s just when her dreadful magic causes trouble that she causes a stir. She is definitely stubborn and wants to ignore the existence of her magic as long as she can. It was fun to watch her find her place in the household and adjust to magic that she has.Freddy is the Magician’s apprentice and at first he comes off as very cruel and standoffish. It was fun to watch him and Rose interact.The best character of the book is the talking cat, Gustavus. He adds a lot of humor and mystery to the book and I enjoyed him thoroughly.This book was a quick read and decently written. You can definitely tell there will be more books in this series, since most, but not all of the issues are resolved. As mentioned above the plot is pretty predictable. This read is appropriate for all ages.Overall a cute and fun read about an orphan who finds a magical life for herself as the maid at a magician’s house. Rose is an admirable character and I loved Gus the talking cat. There’s lot in here about working hard and learning about friendship. Additionally there is a lot of magic and mystery solving. The plot is very predictable for an adult reader, but I think younger readers will enjoy it. I would recommend to younger readers who enjoy reads about magic and fantasy; especially young girls.

[leov_81 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Rose from the orphanage is selected to become a housekeeper at the house of Mr Fountain a very important magician. The problem is she shows signs of magic which is not approved of by the kitchen staff. But when children start going missing, and Mr Fountain becomes besotted by a strange lady, Rose finds her magic to be pretty useful.I loved this book and would recommend it to children who like a bit of magic in their lives. If you loved Harry Potter this will be good for you

[larissabookgirl_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Rose was an orphan who lived at St Bridget's Home for Abandoned Girls. She had been abandoned as a baby with nothing to show of where she came from; except possibly an unusual talent. But even her name was borrowed from the rose bush at the orphanage.While other girls daydreamed of one day finding loving, and wealthy, parents who would one day return for them, Rose was imagining more practical dreams. All she wanted was employment as a maid, her own wages and freedom from the orphanage. One day her dream came true.Rose had found employment as a maid at the home of Mr Fountain, a magician. Rose is initially unsure about magic, but it's something she can not ignore. Rose has a new home and new friends, but when her old friend disappears Rose is determined to find her. But she is not the only one; children have started disappearing all over London.Rose is a magical and mysterious story that is endearing and instantly appealing. Rose is practical and thoughtful, but also funny and very enchanting. It is an exciting and inventive story of magicians and witches, talking cats, mist-monsters, treacle and friendships.