Page 29 of On Circus Lane

He hands over the various plasters, and then sits sipping his tea while I administer my own first aid.

“What are you watching?” I ask.

He doesn’t respond and I shoot a glance at him. His gaze is fixed on me. He startles and quickly shifts his attention to the TV.Interesting.

“Oh, it’sThe Prince and the Pauper.” He winks. “Oliver Reed is rather attractive.”

I eye the burly, dark-haired man. “He looks like he could pick you up in one hand and squeeze.”

“I wouldn’t complain. Especially if he kept that doublet on.”

I snort. “Where are the others?”

“Sal texted a while back to say they’ll be round in a minute.” I hear a knock on the door, and he grins. “That’s good timing, which is an odd concept for Sal. She was late for her own graduation service because she went to Starbucks. It was probably just as well because my dad was stoned and kept clapping for other people. He was like a one-man cheering squad.”

“I’ll get it,” Freddy shouts, and we sit, listening to the others enter on a wall of noise.

Ivy immediately comes over to me. “Shit, was that because of your Converse?” she asks, looking at my feet, which are more sticking plaster than skin now.

I nod. “I think I’ve got a shopping trip in my future, Ives.”

She ruffles my hair. “Poor baby. You’ll get over it.”

I look around. “What’s everyone up to today?”

“I’m out with the girls from next door,” Freddy announces.

Georgina rolls her eyes. “The girls who aren’t in our holiday party?”

He grins at her. “Are any of you likely to shag me?”

“Not fucking likely,” she says. Sal and Ivy nod in agreement.

He shrugs good-naturedly. “Well then.”

“You’re an animal,” Georgina informs him disapprovingly, but he just smiles.

Tom chuckles. “Let’s hope none of them are as high maintenance as all your past girlfriends. My nerves can’t take it.”

“They weren’tthatbad,” Freddy says.

“What a ringing endorsement,” Georgina says tartly.

Tom shakes his head. “Not bad? Didn’t your last one have a meltdown for over an hour because you didn’t tell the takeaway place to leave the peppers off her pizza? We haven’t been able to go in there since.”

“Shame. They made nice pizza,” Freddy says sadly.

“We’re going to walk down to the Grassmarket,” Georgina says as Steven and Jack walk into the room. “There are some lovely little shops down there, and the Christmas decorations are pretty, apparently. We’re doing culture later on in the week.”

“That sounds good,” Steven says. “I need to get a present for Jack’s parents.”

“I just usually get them arsenic,” Sal says, and Freddy elbows her.

Luckily, Steven hasn’t heard her. “Are you coming, Bee?” he asks.

I look at my feet. “I think I’ll have to take a pass on that.”

Georgina exclaims and comes to sit next to me. “They look terrible. Poor you.” She smiles at me. “We’ll stay with you instead. You don’t want to be on your own on the first day here.”

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