forward, their heads nearly touchingin the flickering candlelight. Rose held her breath. The seconds ticked by with agonizing slowness.
“She’s right,” Madge whispered, sitting back on her heels. “It actually kind of makes sense now. That’s why everyone turns the other way. If they mess up they lose everything.” She smiled, a glint in her eyes. “This could work.”
“Well, I don’t know,” Rose said. She chewed her lip. “It might be kind of hard to get them disinherited. This is a whole new level.” The image of James weeks ago at the pool house flashed in her mind. He didn’t seem like a murderer then. As if they sensed her inner turmoil, the girls all began talking at once.
“This will be nothing compared to what he did to Willa,” Sloane chirped.
Lina nodded sagely. “To a Gregory, the only thing worse than being dead is being poor.”
“You’re a genius, Rose.” Madge grabbed Rose’s hand, pressing something small and hard into her palm. When she pulled away and opened her fingers, she saw a long gold chain with a tiny key attached. Her heart began to pound.
“What the hell, Madge?” Lina barked. “We talked about this. You can’t give her that key. We don’t know anything about her.”
Rose should have been used to being talked about like she wasn’t in the room, but she wasn’t. Maybe that was one of those things you never got used to.
“She’s proven herself.” Madge narrowed her eyes at Lina. “I trust her.”
Rose’s head was spinning. She had proved herself worthy of the War. She might not have money, but she had information, and Rose was beginning to believe that real power came with knowledge, not a checking account.
July 4th, 9:57 P.M.
Rose had never been on a boat so big that you didn’t even notice the gentle rocking of the water. The deck floor gleamed in the clear moonlight, waxed and shiny. A low mumble of voices mixed with the thump of distant music poured from every direction. Clusters of people hung along the perimeter, chatting, sipping, laughing. If they noticed her, she probably would have just turned around and left. She was sure if anyone actually looked at her they would have laughed at her outfit or feigned sympathy for the lost expression permanently creasing her brow
.
But as usual, Rose was invisible, and tonight, she was glad for it
.
Tonight invisibility gave her a chance to figure out which direction to go. Up, down, around? The yacht was so large that the options seemed endless. In truth, she was terrified. She’d lied to her parents about going to some lame churchfestival with school acquaintances because she knew they’d never let her within twenty thousand feet of the
S.S. Gregory.
Yes, the Gregorys actually named their yacht after themselves without even the slightest hint of irony. Well, all of them except James anyway
.
Wasn’t that what brought her here? The thrill of James, and the time they’d spent together in secret? The way they’d laughed about how ridiculous his self-involved family really was? The look on his face when Rose told him about her parents’ fights? The way his lips grazed hers lightly whenever he said goodbye, a whisper against hers, like a promise he intended to keep? James had begged her to come. His family’s annual Fourth of July bash was his own personal hell. Last year he’d fallen off the wagon. It was almost impossible to avoid the temptations aboard the ship. But if he had someone to escape with, someone like Rose, then maybe this year would be different
.
Rose yanked her dress down to cover her butt as she climbed the stairs to the main deck. She was deeply appreciative of Willa’s impromptu makeover, but she was also 99% sure that it was going to result in another massive, ass-baring wardrobe malfunction
.
Maybe the generous expanse of leg on display tonight would finally be enough to tempt James into doing more than just kissing her. They’d snuck off into hidden corners of the Club every
“She’s right,” Madge whispered, sitting back on her heels. “It actually kind of makes sense now. That’s why everyone turns the other way. If they mess up they lose everything.” She smiled, a glint in her eyes. “This could work.”
“Well, I don’t know,” Rose said. She chewed her lip. “It might be kind of hard to get them disinherited. This is a whole new level.” The image of James weeks ago at the pool house flashed in her mind. He didn’t seem like a murderer then. As if they sensed her inner turmoil, the girls all began talking at once.
“This will be nothing compared to what he did to Willa,” Sloane chirped.
Lina nodded sagely. “To a Gregory, the only thing worse than being dead is being poor.”
“You’re a genius, Rose.” Madge grabbed Rose’s hand, pressing something small and hard into her palm. When she pulled away and opened her fingers, she saw a long gold chain with a tiny key attached. Her heart began to pound.
“What the hell, Madge?” Lina barked. “We talked about this. You can’t give her that key. We don’t know anything about her.”
Rose should have been used to being talked about like she wasn’t in the room, but she wasn’t. Maybe that was one of those things you never got used to.
“She’s proven herself.” Madge narrowed her eyes at Lina. “I trust her.”
Rose’s head was spinning. She had proved herself worthy of the War. She might not have money, but she had information, and Rose was beginning to believe that real power came with knowledge, not a checking account.
July 4th, 9:57 P.M.
Rose had never been on a boat so big that you didn’t even notice the gentle rocking of the water. The deck floor gleamed in the clear moonlight, waxed and shiny. A low mumble of voices mixed with the thump of distant music poured from every direction. Clusters of people hung along the perimeter, chatting, sipping, laughing. If they noticed her, she probably would have just turned around and left. She was sure if anyone actually looked at her they would have laughed at her outfit or feigned sympathy for the lost expression permanently creasing her brow
.
But as usual, Rose was invisible, and tonight, she was glad for it
.
Tonight invisibility gave her a chance to figure out which direction to go. Up, down, around? The yacht was so large that the options seemed endless. In truth, she was terrified. She’d lied to her parents about going to some lame churchfestival with school acquaintances because she knew they’d never let her within twenty thousand feet of the
S.S. Gregory.
Yes, the Gregorys actually named their yacht after themselves without even the slightest hint of irony. Well, all of them except James anyway
.
Wasn’t that what brought her here? The thrill of James, and the time they’d spent together in secret? The way they’d laughed about how ridiculous his self-involved family really was? The look on his face when Rose told him about her parents’ fights? The way his lips grazed hers lightly whenever he said goodbye, a whisper against hers, like a promise he intended to keep? James had begged her to come. His family’s annual Fourth of July bash was his own personal hell. Last year he’d fallen off the wagon. It was almost impossible to avoid the temptations aboard the ship. But if he had someone to escape with, someone like Rose, then maybe this year would be different
.
Rose yanked her dress down to cover her butt as she climbed the stairs to the main deck. She was deeply appreciative of Willa’s impromptu makeover, but she was also 99% sure that it was going to result in another massive, ass-baring wardrobe malfunction
.
Maybe the generous expanse of leg on display tonight would finally be enough to tempt James into doing more than just kissing her. They’d snuck off into hidden corners of the Club every
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