Rose stepped out of the shower ten minutes later, gradually feeling more alive. She wrapped herself in the grey towel and realised that she had forgotten to take her clothes into the bathroom with her.
She was frightened out of her skin and nearly out of her towel when someone knocked into her on the landing. "Oh I am sorry" she said spinning round to see a shocked looking Elizabeth.
"Rose? What are you doing here?"
"Well, it's sort of a long story." Liz raised an eyebrow.
"Oh it's not like that, I can assure you." Rose said with a touch of regret in her voice.
"Go on" Emmet's sister replied, already envisaging in her mind an image of her brother and her neighbour's sister in her head, which she really didn't want to be there.
"Well you see, I was on my way to see our Hyacinth but I got myself into a bit of a state and I bumped into Emmet and rather foolishly embarrassed not only myself but your poor brother. I think he was worried about me getting home or what our Hyacinth would say so he brought me here. And the next thing I know I am waking up in his bed and he slept on the chair."
"Oh." Was all Liz could muster.
"You can't tell our Hyacinth though, about me spending the night here, you know what she is like, always jumping to the wrong conclusion."
Liz smiled awkwardly, she could never keep promises when it came to withholding information from Hyacinth, she always seemed to become tongue-tied and then loose lipped when it came to converging with her neighbour. Why this was the case was something she had spent years trying to figure out. "I'll certainly try, but I can't promise anything. I don't know why but I can't seem to keep anything to myself. I get so nervous in that house."
"Oh don't worry that happens to everyone, even Richard, just try your best. Now I would love to stand out here and chat all day but I really must find my clothes." She smiled to herself and muttered jut loudly enough so Liz could hear, "I never thought I would be saying that sentence in a situation like this."
Rose opened Emmet's bedroom door a crack and put her head round. "I seem to have forgotten my clothes." She laughed slightly flirtatiously, something Rose seemed to do a lot without thinking.
"Yes you have."
"Well will you pass me them please, so I can get dressed and you can get to work." The blonde replied.
"Oh, of course" he said passing the small bundle through the door. "Um, I'll wait for you downstairs and then we can check the coast is clear."
"Ta." She said taking the dress and French knickers from him.
Once dressed she teetered down the stairs, hoping that her loose stiletto wouldn't snap off until she was almost home.
She ventured into the living room to find both Liz and Emmet peering out of the window; Rose cleared her throat to announce her arrival.
"I'm going to have to take the bull by the horns" he cried. "Rose, while you sneak out round the back I'll head out of the front door on my way to work and have to distract her from seeing you, then Liz you are going to have to come out and speak to her so I can get to work. But remember, keep your lips sealed."
"You make it sound like we are entering the Battle of Britain, it's only Hyacinth, how hard can it be to leave the house without her seeing, I mean she won't exactly be glued to the window watching you leave." Rose laughed hollowly, knowing that perhaps her sister was cable of just that.
"Ha! You want a bet? She always seems to know when I leave for work, no matter how often I change the time I leave. She's always there singing at me!"
"It's true" Liz nodded.