Read Online Rose by Holly Webb - Free Book Online Page B

maybe. The odd one. But only basic stuff. The kind of thing Mr. Fountain does, no shop could afford it.”
    Rose grasped at the thread of hope. She hadn’t seen much magic at the house yet—it was all hidden away in the workroom, and she only went in there to clean—and she couldn’t help being fascinated by it. She’d never seen anything magical, apart from her strange pictures. She was hoping they’d stopped now, but she would love to see some real magic. Maybe even touch it. What did magic feel like? she wondered, idling down the street after Bill. Like sparks, running over her fingers…or perhaps like trying to walk through a puddle of treacle…Rose frowned. Treacle? Where had that come from?
    â€œOy! Rose! Watch that horse!”
    Rose whirled around in horror, realizing that she had accidentally strayed too close to the edge of the pavement, and now an enormous white horse was bearing down on her, ridden by a gentleman in an even taller hat than Bill’s.
    â€œOut of the way, girl!” the man shouted, cutting at her with his whip.
    Rose cried out as it hit her across the face. She dropped the basket, and Bill hauled her away, cursing. Rose was vaguely aware of being quite impressed. He knew a lot of words.
    Then she realized that not all of them were coming from Bill. The man who had hit her was still yelling—because he was covered in treacle.
    â€œDid you do that?” Bill whispered, staring.
    â€œI don’t know!” Rose assured him. “Not on purpose!” Her face burned, but she couldn’t help smiling. The horse was gazing at her helplessly, treacle dripping down its long white nose. It looked particularly foolish.
    â€œWas this you, girl? Did you throw this stuff at me?” The man was leaning down out of the saddle now, reaching to grab her, and Rose squeaked in dismay.
    â€œCome on!” Bill grabbed the basket—the paper-wrapped crab had been trying to make a getaway, and one claw was sticking out of the parcel—and dragged Rose down an alley.
    â€œWhere does this go?” Rose gasped as they raced along.
    â€œNo idea!” Bill panted. “Away from him! Honestly, Rose, I knew there was something odd about you, but I didn’t think you were one of them .”
    â€œI’m not!” Rose wailed. “I don’t know anything about magic. Stuff just happens to me!”
    Bill slowed down, looking behind them anxiously.
    â€œI don’t think he followed us.” He sniggered, almost reluctantly. “He looked like a swamp monster from the Black Lagoon.”
    Rose gave him a sharp look. It sounded as though Bill and Freddie had the same taste in comics, despite being as different as they possibly could be in everything else.
    â€œI really don’t do it on purpose,” she pleaded. “Maybe I’m cursed? It doesn’t happen very often,” she promised him earnestly.
    Bill sniffed. “It’d better not. You’ll get in a sight of trouble if it does.” He grabbed her chin and turned her face this way and that. “He didn’t hit you, then?” he muttered, and Rose realized gratefully that he hadn’t wanted her to be hurt, even if she was a strange one.
    They walked silently back to the house, Bill giving her worried, almost resentful looks every so often. Rose felt no desire to look about her at the beautiful houses and grand squares they were passing. All she could think was that it was just as she had feared. Bill had found out what she was like and now he hated her. He’d called her one of them . She didn’t want to be one of them! He thought she was like Mr. Freddie, that stuck-up white mouse of a boy. And Miss Isabella, a horrid, spoiled little princess, who kept the house in an uproar with her tantrums and demands. Rose wasn’t like that! As soon as she possibly could, Rose resolved, she was going to get into the workroom and read that Prendergast