Read Online Rose 3: Rose and the Magician's Mask by Holly Webb - Free Book Online

insolently. ‘The man is an inconsiderate idiot, with no respect for his betters.’
    ‘You can’t say that about the king!’ Rose told him, feeling quite shocked.
    ‘He isn’t my king,’ Gus snarled.
    ‘Stop it!’ Mr Fountain sank into a chair. ‘We don’t have time to bicker. I must make a list of the travel arrangements. And it’s highly likely that I need to find Bella a new governess.’ He twisted his moustache fretfully, and frowned at Bella, who wasleaning against his shoulder and gazing up at him, trying to look charmingly innocent. ‘Why does everything happen at once? Perhaps I could offer Miss Anstruther a raise? I can’t search for the right person to replace her now, I must set off as soon as possible – and yet I simply cannot leave you behindwithout someone to look after you.’ He looked thoughtfully from Freddie to Rose. ‘No, not even with you two.’
    Freddie gasped. ‘But sir! We’re coming with you!’
    ‘You most certainly are not!’ Mr Fountain snapped. ‘Do you think I’m mad?’
    Rose’s eyes filled suddenly with tears. She shouldn’t have let Freddie convince her. But he had sounded so sure. Strange images of a watery city had been gathering in the back of her mind – without her realising, until they were abruptly snatched away.
    ‘Sir, if you don’t take us, I shall – I shall leave!’ Freddiestood with his arms folded, glaring at his master.
    ‘You can’t,’ Mr Fountain reminded him irritably. ‘You’re bound as my apprentice.’
    ‘I don’t care. I shall break the binding. You can’t leave us behind. That would be desertion, and – and betrayal. Sir, it would be just plain mean!’
    ‘I can’t drag you across Europe on the trail of a pair of crazed murderers!’ Mr Fountain yelled.
    ‘You won’t be dragging us, we’ll chase you!’
    ‘They haven’t actually murdered anyone. Yet,’ Gus pointed out helpfully, his sulks forgotten.
    Mr Fountain shot him a disdainful look. ‘Not that we know of.’
    ‘Only that poor bird,’ Rose put in. She still dreamed of it sometimes, the tiny racing heartbeat shaking her hands as she broke apart the shattered golden casing. And the fury that had filled her as that heartbeat died away.
    Gus looked away, and Rose realised that he had probably killed rather a lot of birds. But that was different somehow. Cats were meant to hunt. Men were not meant to imprison living creatures inside jewels.
    ‘We could help, sir,’ Freddie pleaded. ‘We’d be useful. It would be educational, as well! Think how much foreign travel broadens the mind. Rose needs a lot of broadening.’
    ‘And I can solve the governess problem ever so easily, Papa,’ Bella told him, her voice honey-sweet, but underlain with steel. ‘You can take me, too.’
    Bella’s father pretended not to hear this. Instead he stalked out of the room, snarling at them all to follow him. Rose and Freddie exchanged a hopeful glance. Did this mean they were going?
    Down in the study, Mr Fountain was spreading out a map on his desk, and muttering to himself. ‘I’ll need at least two days to pack everything I need. But I don’t know what I need! This is impossible…’
    ‘Which port will we sail from, sir?’ Freddie asked, and only Rose could see that he had his fingers crossed behind his back.
    Oh, please … she thought to herself, quickly crossing her own fingers inside her apron pocket. She was sure she felt the Rose-doll, who was pressed up against her fingers, give a little shiver of hope.
    The master eyed them, and sighed, rather grudgingly.‘Dover. His Majesty seems to think there’s a vessel due to sail on the twenty-seventh.’
    ‘The day after tomorrow!’ Rose cried. ‘And – and we’re all to go?’
    Freddie glared at her – Don’t! – but she couldn’t bear not to know for real, not with all those floating churches and watery towers swimming around in herhead. Was she really going to see them? Would she walk alongside them, be part of