Skulduggery dipped China and brought her back up and she pressed close to him.
"I've missed this song," she said, "We haven't danced to it for nearly a hundred years."
"It's still as lovely as the last time I heard it," Skulduggery replied, looking at her.
"Do you remember the last time we danced?" she asked as he twirled her, "It was the night when the First World War ended."
"The entirety of the magical world was celebrating. We were at Meritorious's ball," he continued.
"It wasn't as grand a spectacle as this evening's ball. Meritorious only invited a privileged few and we had to cram ourselves into Big Ben. We could see all of London from that clock."
"Clock towers don't make for good ballrooms," Skulduggery concluded.
"But the view was simply breathtaking," China said. She remembered how the evening light had played across Skulduggery's skull on that night. Not quite as it was now, as the hall was lit up with extravagant chandeliers. Skulduggery had been unusually happy for the time and they had laughed and talked all evening.
Things were different now; Skulduggery was no longer the haunted man China had known, and they were close again once more.
She gave a fond smile to the man before her. Yes, he was a skeleton, but he was her closest friend.
"I do have to say," China said, "Gordon outdid himself with this house. From what I've seen of it, it shows impeccable taste."
The music stopped but the pair remained close together.
"You haven't seen the whole house?" Skulduggery asked, tilting his head.
"My knowledge is limited to this room and the living room," China replied.
"I think we have to fix that," Skulduggery said and he held out his arm. China took it and they began walking away from the hustle and bustle, into the quieter halls of the mansion.
"They won't be missing us?" China queried.
"No," Skulduggery said, "The Dead Men could entertain Valkyrie all evening. God knows what they're saying about me."
China smirked up at him.
"So, where are we going?"
Skulduggery looked down at her.
"It's a surprise," he replied and left it at that. He led her down the hall towards and up a staircase. They approached a door just down the hall and Skulduggery told her to close her eyes. She did as he said and she heard the door open and then Skulduggery led her through.
"Open," he said softly in her ear.
China opened her blue eyes and in an instant a smile of joy broke out upon her face.
The walls of the room were stacked floor to ceiling with books. From the arrangement of the tomes, China could just tell that they were rare and valuable.
Gordon's collection.
She sauntered over to the far wall. China Sorrows, even though she was bursting at the seams with her excitement, did not betray her feelings to anyone.
"Skulduggery," She breathed as she ran her fingers over the spines affectionately. He joined her at her side as she brought a book down to inspect, flipping through the pages.
"This is amazing," she continued. Skulduggery nodded.
"Of course," he said, "I trust that you won't tell Valkyrie I brought you here. She would still be suspicious of your ambitions. I, on the other hand, trust you."
China turned to look at him "Five years ago you would have said something very different."
"Things change."
China looked at him for a moment and before she could stop herself, she was on her toes, grabbing his tie to reach her lips to his skull. She felt Skulduggery stiffen and she panicked that she had done the wrong thing but then he put his hands on her waist, forcing her back onto flat feet. China's hand still clutching the book to her chest, she reached up with her other to cup the side of his skull. Her thumbs brushed over his harsh cheekbones as her lips began to move against him.
It finally sank in what she was doing and she pulled back, trying to hide how flustered she was. She shouldn't be doing this; it was wrong beyond words. But it had just felt so… right.
Skulduggery looked down at her and rubbed the back of his head.
"That was… nice," he said, "That was very nice. Good, even. Fantastic."
China smiled at him even though every inch of her body told her to shut him out, to turn him away.
"I quite enjoyed it too," she said, "Oh darling you're so flustered."
That got him. Skulduggery stared at her and brought his hand to his side. China leant sideways against the bookcase.
"Am not," he protested.
She smirked up at him. "Skulduggery Pleasant, flustered. Never thought I'd see the day," she teased.
"If I was so flustered," he said, ambling over to her. She leant back against the bookshelves. "How could I do this so well?" he continued.
His hand went to her shoulder.
She shouldn't be doing this.
His thumb brushed her collar bones with slow strokes.
She shouldn't be doing this.
He leaned in, brushing his teeth ever so gently across her jawline.
She shouldn't be doing this.
But she was going to anyway.
China turned her head to kiss the side of his mouth. She closed her eyes and was almost shocked when she felt full lips kiss her back. Skulduggery must have activated the façade. China sighed into the kiss, her hand coming up his jawline, touching it softly. Skulduggery unfortunately pulled back and before China could open her eyes, he had already deactivated the façade. They looked at each other for a moment.
"What now?" he asked.
China blinked.
"Excuse me?" she asked.
"I mean," he said, titling his head, "What is this? Is it a onetime thing or..?"
She panicked.
China Sorrows didn't know what to do. She loved this man, she really did, but if he ever found out her secret there would be no mercy. Maybe things had changed between them, but if Skulduggery ever found out that she was responsible for the death of his wife and child, he would end her. The threat of Eliza Scorn was looming over her more menacing than ever and the chances of Skulduggery finding out were growing by the day. As much as she wanted to, she couldn't lead him on until she was discovered.
Or could she?
Those kisses had been so wonderful and he had even implied that there was a possibility of more. To be with the man she loved, even if it were only for a while; would that be enough for her? She was China Sorrows and how dare Eliza Scorn dictate what she could and couldn't do.
She came to a compromise within herself and she smiled.
"I certainly hope not my darling man," she replied. China knew him well enough to know when he would have been smiling.
China Sorrows would get what she wanted, but only for a short time. She would have to end things before he found out. If there was the slightest chance of her secret being revealed, she was gone.
"I certainly hope not too," he repeated, "Shall we go back?" he held out his arm to her.
"Do we have to?" and she was kissing his jawline delicately.
"I don't know?" He said, "Do we?"
He pressed his teeth to her lips again but she pulled back and sighed.
"Yes we do," she said, "They'll be missing us.
He kissed her again and she smiled.
China took Skulduggery's arm and stood a little closer to him. He led her back down the stairs, re-joining the chatter and the laughter and she tried to keep the waves of guilt at bay.