Page 37 of Infamous

‘Mrs Morris will show you to the second floor,’ Liza said, when the inhabitants of the floor that Eddie was already beginning to think of as ‘the dry floor’ went to find their lodgings.

Mrs Morris, the elderly cook, seemed put out by them being there at all. She showed Eddie and Rose to their doorway – it was directly adjacent to the stairs, so did not really require much in the way of showing – and then exited immediately with Albert in tow. He gave Rose a cheerful, frilly wave farewell, which made Eddie want to chop his hand off so he might never do it again.

Eddie wasn’t sure which had come first – the decor or the name – but the Ivy Chamber certainly lived up to expectations. It was decorated in shades of green and brown – floral green paper on the walls that had gone dark and started to curl in the corners; a matching walnut bed, wardrobe and dressing table with chipped gold detailing – and there actually seemed to be ivy pushing through the gaps in the window frame, although somebody had recently pruned it. There was a fire lit in the grate, but Eddie could still smell that particular odour that accompanied damp – a gently fetid greenish hum that could not be entirely overruled by the much more pleasant scent of woodsmoke.

‘This is nice,’ Rose said, tentatively sitting down on the edge of the stool at the dressing table.

‘You didn’t have to volunteer us so willingly for the mouldy rooms,’ Eddie said, marching over to the dresser beside the bed and opening the top drawer suspiciously. The liner was stained, but otherwise it contained nothing offensive.

‘Oh, don’t gripe at me,’ said Rose. ‘Although .?.?. I must say, this isn’t quite what I pictured when I accepted this invitation.’

‘Don’t be a snob. It’s an adventure.’

‘Of course –I’mthe snob, at your new friend’s ancient family estate in the country.’

This once could have passed as nothing more than gentle banter between them, but given that Eddie had been struggling to meet Rose’s eye with a genuine smile since she heard the news of the engagement, it instead came across as a little barbed.

‘Look,’ Rose said hesitantly, talking into her lap. ‘This is your scene, not mine. I’m glad of the chance to spend time with Albert, but .?.?. you and I had better make this trip worthwhile together, too, because I nearly went overboard when Mr Nicholson pulled on the wrong rope.’

‘I thought you were here to keep an eye on me and to giggle with Albert,’ Eddie said bitterly. ‘Not to make fond memories with me before you become the mistress of Rabbit Manor.’

‘I’d like to do both,’ Rose said, with more edge to her voice, ‘but you’re certainly not making me feel very fond of you so far.’

The jut of her lip as she pouted was strangely distracting; Eddie was assailed, suddenly, with the memory of running her tongue over it that night in the treehouse. It had felt as soft as it looked.

‘One last hurrah, then, is it? Before your life is over.’

Rose rolled her eyes. ‘I can assure you that your disapproval has been duly noted. Now will you please stop sulking? It makes me sad.’

She really did look quite downcast. It made Eddie feel somewhat monstrous.

‘I reserve my right to sulk, but .?.?. you know I never wish to cause you pain.’

‘Good,’ said Rose. ‘You will remember what I said about being careful, won’t you, Ed? I mean .?.?. I know you never are, but—’

There was a rap at the door. It opened a crack, and a small portion of Nash’s face became visible.

‘Are you decent?’

‘Never,’ said Eddie, making him laugh. She thought she saw Rose roll her eyes again in her periphery, but decided it must have been a trick of the light.

‘Well. True enough. Coming for the house tour?’

‘We need to freshen up before dinner,’ Rose hissed to Eddie, who had immediately jumped up. ‘And you really shouldn’t goalonewith him, Ed.’

‘You look plenty fresh to me,’ Nash said, opening the door fully. ‘Come on, I’ll show you all the ghost’s favourite haunts.’

Eddie had felt briefly torn, but all was lost at the mention of a ghost.

Chapter Fifteen

‘Brace yourself. I haven’t looked in here for years, and I’m told it’s frightful. You’re not going to faint in horror, are you?’

‘No,’ said Eddie. They were starting their tour at the end of the second floor corridor, outside an ominously dark door. ‘Are you?’

‘I might. Be ready to catch me,’ Nash said as he turned the handle.

It was very stiff, and he had to shoulder the door hard to get it to move at all. Once it was open, the cloying, damp smell intensified, and Eddie covered her face with her hand as they stepped over the threshold.