Free My Name Is Rose by Sally Grindley

of speech.’ Mrs Luca blushed when she realised her impropriety.
    There were numerous petty rules as well. Rose was to refrain from running in the hallways and she wasn’t allowed to play ball games in the gardens. At all times, she was to use the back door rather than the front, unless she was with other members of the family. At mealtimes, she would remember, please, to keep her elbows off the table, to use her napkin and to speak only when she was spoken to. Again, Mrs Luca added that she was meaning in the future, of course.
    Rose was to have lessons for four hours a day, five days a week. Other than that, she was free to spend her time as she wished.
    â€˜You’re still so very young,’ said Mrs Luca. ‘I want your childhood to be a happy one. We have so much to offer and I can see you’ll thrive here.’
    Finally, one of Rose’s duties would be to take the dog for a walk every morning before breakfast. ‘A little bit of exercise first thing will set you up well for your lessons,’ Mrs Luca remarked.
    Rose thought she would hate it. She wasn’t keen on dogs and had taken an instant dislike to Crumble, a small, wiry dog, who seemed to yap incessantly and who kept jumping up at people. However, she discovered that once she had got into a routine, she enjoyed setting out on her own with just the dog for company. She began to form a strong bond with Crumble, who stood eagerly by the door, head cocked, ears perked up, as she changed into her boots. Once they were away from the confines of the gardens and off down the road, he scampered ahead, waited for her to catch up, scampered ahead, waited for her to catch up, until they reached the stile that led into the fields. Crumble squeezed his way under while Rose clambered over, then she picked up a stick and hurled it for him to collect. Crumble never tired of collecting sticks, or conkers, or rose hips, or the ball Rose sometimes took with her. She learnt to stop him from barking by tapping him on the nose whenever he did so, and refusing to throw anything for him to fetch until he was quiet. And he quickly learnt not to jump up at her as soon as he understood that she wouldn’t be his playmate if he didn’t obey.
    It took Rose a while to accept that Crumble was allowed to live indoors. None of the Roma families she knew would have allowed it. But once he had earned her affection she was happy for him to sit on her feet, which he insisted upon much to Victoria’s disgust, while she sat in the television room in the evening.
    â€˜You’re obviously spoiling him,’ Victoria said. ‘He doesn’t do that with anyone else, stupid animal.’
    Victoria watched television a lot, Rose discovered, especially if her parents were out – and not just during the evening. She even invited Rose to watch with her one afternoon when Mr and Mrs Luca had gone into town. But what’s the point , Rose thought, when I can’t understand what anyone’s saying?
    â€˜Come on,’ Victoria persisted. ‘Mummy and Daddy won’t know. There’s a really good film on.’
    Rose hovered in the doorway, unsure what to do.
    â€˜You’re such a goody-goody,’ Victoria said. ‘I won’t tell if you don’t, and you’ll be bored stiff if you don’t break the rules sometimes.’
    Rose slowly shook her head. She didn’t trust Victoria not to tell, and certainly didn’t want to get into trouble when she had only been there a few weeks.
    â€˜You’ll have more fun here if you make friends with me,’ Victoria said another time. ‘But if I take against you, I can make your life hell.’
    Rose didn’t doubt it, and knew that if she weren’t careful Victoria would make trouble for her. The girl took delight in baiting her, then all of a sudden would transform herself into a model of amiability, acting as though she were Rose’s best friend in the whole