[Content warning: Reference to child marriage]

Rose took a deep breath before entering the drawing room. She carried a tray of tea, which she set down next to Mr. Meijer. Usually, she would retreat as quickly as possible, afraid that she might irritate him and cause him to yell at her again. Rose had been particularly tense since Mr. Meijer had caught her sister in the kitchen. She had tried everything in her power to get back on his good side - or rather, just get on his good side, since she didn't believe she had ever been there in the first place. This mostly involved staying out of Mr. Meijer's way as much as possible. 

But this evening, she folded her sweaty hands in front of her skirt and nervously said: "Erm, pardon me, Mr. Meijer, but I have a request..."

Indeed, his good side came with many a prohibition that Rose coincidentally possessed, including but not limited to: redhead, assumed harlot, cabbage thrower, sister-annoyance (of the bad sort, not the good sort), fisher family, and the last name, 'Ward'.

There was that time she clubbed his worst brother - but then she called Zechariah a grumpy goat! The nerve.

Zechariah looked from his pre-printed bill form (God, did his client spell it with an 'a' or an 'e'? Did he truly have to go through the filing cabinet again?) to Rose with an unamused look.

"Yes?" he deadpanned.

Rose tried to swallow, but her mouth was too dry. "My sister is getting married on Saturday, ser. And I was wonderin' if I could have a few hours off on Saturday mornin', unpaid of course, so I can attend t' wedding."

Was it Heyes? Hayes? Heyes? His eyes started to drift back down to the form. They shot back up at the askance.

"A wedding, you say."

He stared with narrowed eyes. A Ward! Married! Hilarious.

"Where is it being held?"

"Wha-?" Rose quickly stopped herself and blushed. What sort of question was that? "T' Methodist chapel, ser."

He let out a huff of a breath through his nose.

"Have a cold breakfast set out and be back for lunch, then. Give me a week's notice in the future, Miss Ward."

For he doubted the marriage would last long, and there were so many young, Wards.

That would mean she would not be there for the lunch afterwards. But Rose didn't mind. She only attended the ceremony because Alice was her sister and it was expected of her, but she would grit through it and be glad not to have to grit through lunch as well. "Aye ser, I'm so sorry. I only heard today." She quickly turned to leave, before Mr. Meijer changed his mind.

"Shotgun wedding. Of course."

It sounded incredibly smug.

Rose stopped in her tracks, turned red, but then quickly left the room.