Rose was up early the next morning, hopefully for the last time and went to knock on his door, she took the tray over to him and after kissing her said good morning to her.

''I'm really sorry this will be the last time but don't worry, you can still come and join me for afternoon tea, I'll have whoever takes over from you bring enough for two but I won't let on who will be joining me, let them think it's the matron eh?''

Rose smiled and sat on the bed beside him. ''I'll come back in a while, matron already said I'd to report to her when I've finished collecting your tray. I'll just go get my own breakfast and come back. Are you still planning on going out later?''

''Oh yes Rose but maybe not to the town. Would you still meet me?''

''Yes, I know another village just across the town, stay on the bus and get off three stops later, just asked for the white cross pub, then walk down the lane. There are a few shops and a tea rooms, I'll meet you there at say two?''

''Yes, brilliant, is there somewhere we can go afterwards?''

''Yeah, there's a park by a stream, we can take a walk. No-one knows me there so we won't be spotted. The buses are every hour though, we'll have to go back on the same one but sit apart, in case anyone gets on in the town that's going back to the village.''

''Don't worry so much Rose, we could have accidentally met on the bus and if it's crowded, no-one will bother. It won't matter after next week anyway, will it?''

''No, I guess not. I'll leave you to get your breakfast before it goes cold, see ya later.''

He caught her arm and she leaned over to kiss him, then handed him the tray.

''Don't get crumbs in your bed John, I don't want to have to explain them when your sheets get laundered, do I now?''

He loved the way she spoke, loved even more the way she stuck her tongue out when she laughed. He was falling hopelessly for her and was surely a doomed man.

Martha had also been up early, gone to get her breakfast, seeing Rose coming in as she was leaving but since she was going to see the housekeeper before getting the Doctor involved, decided not to ask her what had delayed her. Martha found the housekeeper and made her request.

''I've not been informed yet Miss Jones, I'm sure if Rose is being elevated to matron's assistant, the headmaster or Doctor Smith will be the ones to inform me. You came to the school with him did you not?''

''Yes, I worked for his family, I'm fully qualified to be his personal maid, I don't know why I wasn't given the job when I arrived.''

''You were told the reason, we can't have someone coming in and taking the more important positions but I will bare you in mind when I'm told officially Rose is leaving to help the matron.''

Martha was just going to report to the kitchen when she saw Rose going back upstairs to collect John's tray.

''Rose, can you ask Doctor Smith to put in a word for me to get your job once it's been confirmed?''

Rose wasn't so sure that was a good idea, since John had make it clear he wasn't that keen on her but who else was there to take her place?

''Sure Martha, if he doesn't think I'm talking out of term.''

''I'm sure he won't. Where did you get to last night?''

''Does it matter? I went to get a drink and sat in the hallway, under the stairs. I didn't feel much like company, I was still upset.''

''About what? You were ok last night when we were out though you were off a bit before that, biting my head off, just because I warned you not to flirt with him. I told you it wouldn't end well. He's a teacher Rose, he does it everywhere he goes, trust me.''

Rose didn't believe her, how would she know? Surely even being his maid at his last school didn't make her an expert.

''Well it doesn't matter now, does it? I have to get his tray and report to matron, I'll ask him for you.''

She knocked on his door and on being told to enter, he was still in his pyjamas, his dressing gown loosely fastened as he stepped up to her, putting his arms around her.

''I thought you'd forgotten me Rose?'' he asked as he moved her collar and kissed her neck lightly.

''Don't you go making a mark, I'll be under matron's scrutiny all morning in case you've forgotten. I should be finished by lunchtime, then I'll catch the bus and meet you. Are you going earlier?''

''I may go to the village first and get a few things, including something nice for you, maybe some nice chocolates or something sweet smelling for my lovely flower?''

''Don't you go spoiling me, I told Martha last night I'd made that man up I was talking about, I was a bit mad with you.''

''Oh, then you'll just have to say you have another secret admirer then, won't you? Now one more kiss before you have to go and when we meet in that village, we can take a walk and hold hands with no-one spying on us.''

''I look forward to it.''

They kissed for a few minutes, Rose with her hands under his dressing gown, his pyjama top loose as she put her hands up the back, making him smile. He kissed her neck as she rested her head on his chest as she tried to look up at him. For the first time in her life she felt content and a man was holding her like she had always dreamt of.

He kissed her forehead and tried to move away. ''Later my love, when we've been out and tomorrow, we'll meet somewhere and spend the day together, I think I know a place we can go.''

As Rose was reporting to the matron, Martha was being informed from Monday morning she would have the responsibility of being Doctor Smith's maid until such times Rose returned, a condition John had made as he had spoken to the housekeeper after catching the headmaster in the hallway and asking if his maid's position as matron's assistant was official.

Rose found it easy to pay attention to what Joan was saying, telling her of the few rules and what was expected of her and never to overstep her position or to challenge any decision, Joan saying she never expected Rose to but she had to be told. Rose figured she knew how to behave and wasn't intending challenging the matron's authority, especially since John had told her he was not going to use matron to cover the fact he was interested in her, something that may not go down too well once the matron discovered the fact, which may get Rose back to scrubbing floors if she wasn't careful and she may have to depend on John defending his decision to associate with her.

He had briefly told her of his plan tomorrow, to meet in the village and get the midday bus to town and go to the piano recital at the town hall at 2pm he had seen a notice for in the village pub, hoping Joan hadn't already seen it. Then he planned to take her somewhere for afternoon tea or maybe a drink and get the bus back. Rose knew it was risky but being on the same bus wasn't a crime.

So as Rose got on with matron's instructions and Martha went to join some of the other servants changing bedclothes in the dorms, cursing the boys and them being untidy and wishing she could give them all a good smack and teach them some manners when they had to pull one or two out of bed at ten in the morning, John was counting the minutes until he could walk down to the village and catch the bus to the other side of town and wait for Rose's arrival.

He had decided to call in the village store and buy Rose a small box of chocolates to give her once she arrived at the tea rooms for a late lunch, maybe next time he would buy her a gift of sweet smelling toiletries but maybe that may be too intimate just yet. By ten, he was climbing the wall so he put his coat on, thinking he'd leave the hat and he made his mind up to go catch the next bus into town, go get his hair cut then catch the same bus Rose would be getting, giving her a pleasant surprise as surely anyone from the village who knew her would be getting off.

Joan had decided to leave Rose with the tasks she'd been given and bumped into John, who was trying to sneak out of the front door without anyone, especially matron seeing him.

''Going out Doctor Smith? Have you decided on a visit to the barber's in town after all?''

''Ah, yes, I have actually and I thought if I got there early enough I wouldn't have long to wait. I was going to take my time walking down to the village so I wouldn't miss the bus. Don't let me keep you from your duties matron.''

''I've left some tasks for Rose to do, she's quite competent. Did you get Martha back as your maid or hasn't that been decided yet?''

''Well actually, Rose asked me if I would put in a good word for Martha and she has been with me for a number of years, I'll have to wait and see but I did stress if things don't work out for Rose in the infirmary she was to get her old job back.''

''Why wouldn't she get on in the infirmary John?''

''Please matron, Doctor Smith if you don't mind, well I was only thinking that it wouldn't be fair if things went wrong if Rose were to be relegated back to the cleaning staff.''

''You must get on well with her then, Rose has been very popular in her short tenure here in the school and I know one of the teachers from the old school, she worked very hard there, that was why she got one of the better jobs here. Anyway, I'll be in the village myself later to go visit my friend, around two, maybe if you are back from town then you may have tea with me before my visit?''

John was busy thinking up excuses. ''Ah, well, I will more than likely be back later than that since there is only one bus every hour, if I have to wait in the barber's shop.'' He thought he had got away with it for now.

He made his escape and made his way slowly down to the village and went into the store, looking at all the nice things he'd like to be able to buy for Rose but not daring, well not yet until they had established a few things such as what she liked and disliked and if they were going to be seen together in public. He had seen the notice for the village dance in a few weeks time, well matron had pointed it out which he thought she had already known about it if it was an annual event and hoping again she hadn't seen the piano recital one he intended to take Rose to the next day otherwise that could take some getting out of to say the least.

Joan had got back to the infirmary, seeing Rose was busy and went to make her morning tea, wondering why John Smith was always so keen to get away from her or any female for that matter, what made him so uncomfortable around her? She sat drinking her tea and looked at Rose, who smiled back at her and never asking if she could go get a drink herself, it didn't do to offer staff cups of tea as it was seen as being too familiar with them and gave them ideas they could get away with things but she doubted Rose was like that.

''Rose, when you've finished that, go take a short break and get yourself a drink from the kitchen, you should still get finished for one.''

Rose was hoping to catch the bus at one or she would be late meeting John and if she hurried, she could get changed, walking briskly to the village and be in time to catch the bus otherwise she would make John think she had changed her mind. Would he sit waiting for her an hour?

''Matron, if it's all the same I'd rather work through and finish at half past twelve, I planned going out later.''

''Yes, very well then, I thought you may want to have a break, I don't want you thinking I'm being too hard on you. Are you meeting someone?''

Rose had to think fast. ''One of the girls I used to work with, we keep in touch, we were going to town to look around the shops, no harm in window shopping.''

''Yes, indeed, no harm, you go ahead then. Did you find your other friend, the girl you used to share a room with?''

''No matron, I don't know where she got to, I'm quite worried about her, maybe she just went home though I thought she would have told me she was leaving, maybe she'll write to me.''

Rose finally got finished, said goodbye to the matron, ran upstairs to find Martha wasn't there thankfully and was out of the front door fifteen minutes later, trying not to run to the village that was a ten minute walk, well by the time she had walked down the driveway, avoiding the boys messing around and got out of the gate it was and they were tossing rugby balls at each other across the driveway and she was trying to dodge them, she was dreading winter when she would be dodging snowballs, she might have to retaliate like she had done at the other school.