The Benefits of Passion by Catherine Fox

Miss Brown kept fixing her with stern glares, but Miss Brown had always been weak on discipline. Eventually the lights came on and they were gathering their things and heading towards the exit.
    â€˜What did you make of that, Annie?’ murmured Ingram.
    She pretended to think. ‘A performance that will remain with me for a long time,’ she replied.
    â€˜Would you like to “unpack” that a little?’ He picked out the word by making two little bunny ear gestures with his fingers, so that she knew he was being ironic.
    â€˜I think I’ll need time to sort through my reactions first, Ingram. To ponder.’
    â€˜Of course. How wise.’ He began to give his own reactions without any attempt at pondering. The crowds streamed down the stairs. Annie could just see Edward and William a flight below.
    â€˜Why don’t we head back to your place for coffee, William?’ came Edward’s voice. They were just turning a corner and Annie glimpsed William’s expression. He looked as if he could think of several reasons why not. By the time they had all gathered – with Ingram still in mid-disquisition – William appeared to have allowed himself to be persuaded. They went out into the snow again.
    â€˜Right. William, you go with Ingram,’ ordered Edward. ‘And we –’
    â€˜No,’ interrupted William. ‘I’d better go in the other car so that I can give directions. You follow us,’ he said to Ingram.
    â€˜All righty,’ replied Ingram.
    Annie trudged through the snow with Muriel. Edward came skidding along behind them with his friend. After a moment she heard him point out, as though he had been toiling with the problem, ‘You could have gone in the other car and given directions.’
    â€˜What, with that cunt drivelling on about the Elizabethan Weltanschauung ?’ Annie flinched in shock. Muriel seemed to be pretending she hadn’t heard.
    â€˜ Will you watch that foul mouth of yours, Penn-Eddis?’ barked Edward. ‘I don’t see why my friends should have to put up with that kind of language.’ Annie and Muriel glanced at each other. Edward knew he wasn’t supposed to protest that there were Ladies Present, but both could tell that this was what he meant.
    â€˜Well, you invited them, not me.’
    Annie winced.
    â€˜Oh dear,’ whispered Muriel. ‘Perhaps we should . . .’ Think up some excuse. We’d better be pressing on. The snow. Another time, maybe . . . But it was beyond the social guile of either of them.
    They reached the car and got in with William in the front. Muriel started the engine and they set off.
    â€˜There’s Ingram now,’ said Edward. The other car began to follow them.
    â€˜What a wankmobile,’ said William.
    Edward chuckled. There was clearly some male prejudice against spoilers which had passed Annie by. ‘You’re just jealous, Penn-Eddis.’
    â€˜It wouldn’t last five minutes in Bishopside,’ remarked William. ‘Take the next left. So where were you a nurse, then?’ And he began to talk quite civilly to Muriel about midwifery and hospitals. Before long they lapsed into silence. The snow was still falling as they crossed the river. Annie glimpsed lights reflected in the water and the outline of the other bridges. William turned to Edward. ‘Well, Teddy. Looks like the Government’s pissing on the last embers of the welfare state, doesn’t it?’ This was definitely a red rag.
    The bull swished his horns. ‘I’m not going to argue with you, Penn-Eddis.’
    â€˜Thought you wouldn’t.’
    â€˜What’s that supposed to mean?’
    â€˜That you realize your position’s untenable.’
    â€˜It is not!’ A few more expert picador-like gibes had Edward rampaging into the political bullring after William’s blood. Not that he stood a chance. William had one of those analytical