Ever so carefully Chummy shut the window to her room, the catch creaking as she pushed it down, making sure it was tight closed for the night. She felt the cool evening breeze brush over her arms, making her shiver for a moment as she checked the catch again; just to be sure it was shut.
Pulling the curtains across, plunging the room into a semi-darkness only illuminated by her dressing table light, she ran her hand down the flowery brown material, neatening it but also contemplating that tonight was her last night at Nonnatus. Her last night. No more nights after this very one. Forever it would seem.
Chummy was sad to some extent, but who wouldn't be? This building had been the first place she truly felt as though she had a home and people that cared for her and it tied her perhaps more than she realised. Still though, once tomorrow was over, she would finally have a proper home of her own; one she could build tentatively towards the family that had eluded her for all of these thirty two years.
Her and Peter. Peter and her and even if it just stayed like that, she'd be quite happy as they would be that stability she craved. Chummy ran her hand down the curtains one last time anchoring her thoughts as she took a deep breath and picked up her coat from the back of her chair and slipped it over her shoulders. At her feet was her suitcase ready for honeymoon; the remainder of her belongings already up at Empson Street ready for their return that he had kindly helped her with just yesterday.
Chummy, for some reason and just to be neat, leaned down and turned the handle of her suitcase over so it was facing her bed. A memory suddenly struck her and a smile form quickly on her lips.
"Is that everything?" Peter had asked, standing in the middle of her room just yesterday. He'd only been allowed up by Sister Julienne on the premise that there were bags to carry and the promise of 'no more than five minutes'. Chummy had almost insisted that she was perfectly capable of carrying her belongings downstairs, but the Sister was having not a word of it.
So, he had followed her upstairs to do his duty. Her bags were already packed and were ready and waiting and her whole life - in three suitcases and a borrowed hold-all - stood before them both. She didn't know whether to be sad or not but she was never one for possessions and symbols of your wealth and if this was all she had in the world, then so be it.
"Yes, that's all" she had smiled back at him as he, in error, picked up the one bag that was staying. "Except that one. That one's coming to Ramsgate".
Peter had nodded and for a moment bitten his bottom lip. "I am looking forward to that you know".
"Me too", Chummy replied, seeing him just gently push the door behind him closed with his foot and take a step towards her. "What are you….?"
The end of the question had been lost in the kiss that followed, walking them around so she now had her back to the door; too quickly for her to plead that he stop for fear of discovery. How their relationship had escalated these past few weeks was beyond her current comprehension so she indulged for the moment, pushing aside worry for now.
She'd felt his hand creep down her hip, pulling her closer to him and then the gentle shift of the heavy material of her skirt start to climb up her leg and his hand slip underneath. Chummy had freely rested her head against the door, exposing more of the skin on her neck that he was currently investigating rather intently. She knew she was not by any means vocal; too self-conscious to even let him know that she did so very much enjoy him, but she might just hope he could feel the pulse in her neck or that her body was responding to the fact that his fingertips had dipped inside her elastics. It would have been so easy to take a few steps to her left if there wasn't a Nun downstairs watching the clock.
That said, she had not wanted him to stop but with the footsteps she'd heard coming along the corridor, Chummy had tapped away his hand. He had whispered three words to her as she straightened her skirt. "Unfinished business, Camilla…."
She had a smile on her face though when he went about his porter duties and with a nod to Sister Monica Joan, whose feet had been the ones walking, they had both departed.
Chummy shook her head quickly; part ashamed and part….well…you know... from the rather pleasant memory that decided to interrupt her preparations for her night out.
She collected up her handbag from the end of her bed, checking quickly inside for her purse and handkerchief and found herself ready to go. Pausing for a moment as she was about to switch off the light she was sure she heard someone outside her room again; just the scratch of feet on the polished floor or at least it sounded like that and it had caused her ears to prick up. Chummy thought she was just hearing things or it was perhaps Fred in the yard and her hearing had deceived her. The brass light switch depressed she went for the door handle.
"And where on earth do you think you are going at this time of night young lady?" Trixie asked, arms folded and flanked by Jenny and Cynthia as the three formed what they believed was a rather efficient obstruction to Chummy's exit from her room. So those three where what she heard and her ears hadn't tricked her.
The three girls had heard her scrabbling around, drawers closing and her dressing table chair creaking and had hoped maybe that they could have an evening of gossip in anticipation of the days to come. It might be there last 'girl's night' for a while particularly as of tomorrow Chummy would have a husband to contend with. All three had freely admitted to each other that they would miss her company even though she wasn't going very far and they were a little sad.
"Out?" the tall nurse replied, doing up her last button and hoping her hair was as straight as it could be ahead of the slight breeze she had felt when she closed the window. She thought it fairly obvious where she was going bearing in mind she had her coat on and her bag over her arm so she was trying not to sound too sarcastic.
"And who with?" Trixie questioned, frowning at her knowing she sounded like one of her old school teachers but needs must.
"Peter", Chummy responded catching the eye of all three of them. Again a rather obvious answer when you thought about it. Who else would she be going out with of a Friday evening apart from him? In fact, she was meeting him at the end of Lodore Street in five minutes so she had better get a wiggle on before he started wondering if she had forgotten.
"You can't!" Cynthia exclaimed shaking her head as the three continued to line up in front of her. They had not factored in she had plans already; assuming she didn't bearing in mind tomorrow. "It's bad luck for the groom to see the bride, you know that".
"Oh don't be such a silly billy" Chummy responded walking past them. "Besides I promised I would go out for supper with him tonight". The 'last supper' as he had termed it had been planned for over a week even though they had been to the dining rooms on countless occasions, there was something particular about this Friday night. "One can't just not turn up!" she concluded with an affectionate smile.
He'd truly think she had suffered from cold feet if that happened and that was that last thing she wanted with all the troubles that had been going on recently. No, the risk of 'bad luck' aside she was going come what may. It would ease her nerves to see him; wondering if he was anxious too about tomorrow save them both sitting a mile apart worrying how the other might be feeling.
The three chased after her still. "Chummy you're getting married in the morning" Jenny continued, conscious too as to what had gone on before. "We know it's an old tradition, but we don't want anything to go wrong for you. Or for him". She paused for a moment. "For both of you because it's such a special day".
Chummy smiled indulgently at her friends knowing underneath it all that that was the root cause of it - nothing but wanting the best for their friends. "Nothing's going to go wrong. It'll be perfect because you've all been telling me it will be for the past five weeks! Incessantly one might say!" she added with a knowing grin before she turned back and continued walking towards the staircase, thinking she'd have to get a move on even more now as the minutes were swiftly ticking by.
"We know we have" Cynthia said as the three, arm in arm, scuttled behind her, "and it will be perfect regardless but you need to get a good night's sleep too! You can't walk up the aisle with suitcases under your eyes!"
"It's a supper" Chummy replied, spinning around to face them again and taking another glance at her watch; it now being dangerously close to six o'clock and she knew he'd already be there. "One has to go. I promised him".
So with that she sped off down the stairs hearing her friends and colleagues sigh behind her, realising there was no way at all they were going to be able to persuade her to stay in tonight regardless of what day it might be tomorrow.
Carefully closing the heavy wooden door to Nonnatus behind her, glad nobody else impeded her swift exit, Chummy straightened her coat again, took a quick look at the sky as the wind was picking up even more. With long strides she set off down the steps and towards where she knew Peter would be waiting for her just a street away - probably checking his watch.
She might just have to apologise to him for her tardiness. Repeatedly.
