Page 8 of Infamous

Rose looked unimpressed. ‘You realise thatyouare the outlier here? Everybody else manages to follow the rules of decorum perfectly well without looking as if they have one foot trapped in a mangle all the while. It’s not that difficult, Ed – just try to imagine that other people are actually worth your attention and respect, as a starting point, and the rest follows.’

‘I was being perfectly polite to Jacob,’ Eddie said, crossing her arms.

‘Before you tried to set his house on fire.’

‘Yes, before that.’

Rose sighed. ‘I wish you would just allow yourself to have the tiniest bit of fun.’

‘Fun begins at home,’ said Eddie. ‘And it ends there, too.’

‘You don’t want to make new friends at all, now that you’re supposedly grown up?’

‘Not with any ofthesepeople.’

Rose folded her arms crossly, glancing towards the door to the party. The music was in full swing, accompanied by the sounds of shuffling feet, laughter and off-beat clapping. She worked her lip between her teeth for a moment and then looked back at Eddie.

‘Would you like to dance?’

It was so far from anything Eddie might have expected her to say that she just laughed.

Rose raised her eyebrows. ‘Well? Or have you promised the first dance to Jacob?’

‘Nobody ever asks me to dance,’ Eddie said. ‘Nobody would dare.’

Rose shrugged, uncrossing her arms and then prising Eddie’s apart, too.

‘I’m asking. I dare.’

‘Are you trying towaltzwith me, you brazen harlot?’

Rose laughed quietly, one hand coming to rest on Eddie’s shoulder blade.

‘It’s theonlydance for the discerning ne’er-do-well.’

It wasn’t much of a waltz; neither of them was particularly good at it or knew how to lead, so they just swayed in lazy circles, Eddie feeling a little disarmed by their proximity and almost tripping over herself despite their slow progress. The music in the drawing room came to an end and the next song started up, leaving them hopelessly out of step. Rose sighed and let her head fall forwards onto Eddie’s shoulder.

‘I suppose .?.?. we should leave soon. I don’t want to be late for Mr Rednock’s.’

‘I suppose so,’ Eddie said into Rose’s hair, closing her eyes. The party suddenly felt very far away, where it belonged.

‘Not just yet, though,’ said Rose.

‘No,’ Eddie agreed. ‘Not just yet.’

Chapter Five

‘Idon’t like him.’

‘Oh, come off it, Ed. You’ve hardly given him a chance.’

‘Five minutes is more than enough time to make an impression. Do you remember the first five minutes of our acquaintance?’

Rose sighed. ‘Yes, but .?.?. we were children.’

‘Precisely! He’s had his entire,verylong life so far to work on his personality, and this is all he can come up with!’

‘Hm,’ said Albert Rednock, who was standing right next to them, peering into his wineglass. ‘For some reason, I find I quite urgently need another drink. Miss Li?’