When Rose returned home later she was quite surprised to see her mother and stepfather already there. It can't be that late already, she thought blearily.
"WHERE ON EARTH HAVE YOU BEEN?" Mr. Kingsley stormed.
Rose decided to play innocent, staring at him like she had no idea what he was talking about. "I was only out for a walk in the garden," she lied sweetly.
"Dressed like that?" her mother asked sceptically.
"Of course," she said as innocently as possible. "So I wouldn't get my nice dress dirty in the garden."
Her mother pursed her lips.
Rose hiccupped loudly.
"My heavens!" cried Scarlett, "You've been drinking!"
Rose saw no point in trying to convince them otherwise, so she just halfway lied this time. "Oh, that." She put on a fake laugh. "I only had a bit of wine from the kitchen." She hoped that excuse would pacify them.
"I know for a fact that that is an untruth," her mother said angrily. "There is no more wine in the kitchen, it is all stored in the must have brought some up while you were gone," she covered quickly.
"That is impossible," said Amos furiously "Cook wasn't feeling well so we let her have the evening off."
"Fine!" Rose yelled, the rum finally getting the better of her. "I admit I went out for a drink, and I met a man. He was very nice." She grinned inwardly at the shock on both faces.
"Go to your room until your mother and I can figure out how we're going to deal with this."
"No," Rose said quite simply.
"Up to your room this instant!" Amos was beginning to turn a rather lovely shade of purple.
"How dare you order me around?" Rose said, her anger boiling like a teapot left too long on the stove. "You can't talk to me like that, you're not even my real father!"
Scarlett had had enough. "QUIET!" She exclaimed, "Amos, darling, if you please, I'd like to speak with my daughter in private."
Amos nodded soberly, and excused himself.
Scarlett glared at her daughter. "Rose," she said through clenched teeth, "I'd like a thorough explanation please."
Rose told her mother every single detail that she could remember without any hesitation.
"What was the man's name again?" asked her mother faintly, when she was done.
"Jack," she told Scarlett. "Why?"
"Um, no reason." Scarlett said sounding preoccupied. She walked over to the window and stared out. Rose knew that their conversation was over, so she tiptoed quietly up the stairs and retired for the night.
"WHERE ON EARTH HAVE YOU BEEN?" Mr. Kingsley stormed.
Rose decided to play innocent, staring at him like she had no idea what he was talking about. "I was only out for a walk in the garden," she lied sweetly.
"Dressed like that?" her mother asked sceptically.
"Of course," she said as innocently as possible. "So I wouldn't get my nice dress dirty in the garden."
Her mother pursed her lips.
Rose hiccupped loudly.
"My heavens!" cried Scarlett, "You've been drinking!"
Rose saw no point in trying to convince them otherwise, so she just halfway lied this time. "Oh, that." She put on a fake laugh. "I only had a bit of wine from the kitchen." She hoped that excuse would pacify them.
"I know for a fact that that is an untruth," her mother said angrily. "There is no more wine in the kitchen, it is all stored in the must have brought some up while you were gone," she covered quickly.
"That is impossible," said Amos furiously "Cook wasn't feeling well so we let her have the evening off."
"Fine!" Rose yelled, the rum finally getting the better of her. "I admit I went out for a drink, and I met a man. He was very nice." She grinned inwardly at the shock on both faces.
"Go to your room until your mother and I can figure out how we're going to deal with this."
"No," Rose said quite simply.
"Up to your room this instant!" Amos was beginning to turn a rather lovely shade of purple.
"How dare you order me around?" Rose said, her anger boiling like a teapot left too long on the stove. "You can't talk to me like that, you're not even my real father!"
Scarlett had had enough. "QUIET!" She exclaimed, "Amos, darling, if you please, I'd like to speak with my daughter in private."
Amos nodded soberly, and excused himself.
Scarlett glared at her daughter. "Rose," she said through clenched teeth, "I'd like a thorough explanation please."
Rose told her mother every single detail that she could remember without any hesitation.
"What was the man's name again?" asked her mother faintly, when she was done.
"Jack," she told Scarlett. "Why?"
"Um, no reason." Scarlett said sounding preoccupied. She walked over to the window and stared out. Rose knew that their conversation was over, so she tiptoed quietly up the stairs and retired for the night.
