As Time Goes By
Hello playmates! Here we are in late 1944. We left the last story, 'I'll Be Seeing You' as the landings were taking place; everyone praying this would bring peace to war-torn Europe, but Mr. Hitler had another ace up his sleeve. This time, a deadly weapon of surprise! S&L xx
Chapter 1
"You must remember this, a kiss is just a kiss, a sigh is just a sigh. The fundamental things apply as time goes by. And when two lovers woo, they still say "I love you" on that you can rely. No matter what the future brings as Time Goes By." ~ Herman Hupfeld
***
'...it remains to be seen. Mean while our attacks have continued without a pause since June the fifteenth and laid much of the Capital in ruins. As the desperate Churchill lies to save face, London and the Home Counties are reeling under the incessant fire of our terrible V1. This is Germany calling... This is Germany calling...'
"Turn that bleedin' thing off!" Alf Stewart called out to his sister Colleen who was helping out behind the bar. "Lord, bloody Haw Haw!"
'Lord Haw Haw' was the nickname of several announcers on the English language propaganda radio program 'Germany Calling', broadcastedby Nazi German radio to audiences in Great Britain on the medium wave station, Reichssender
"Right you are, Alfie."
Colleen Smart bustled over to the wireless and twiddled the knob and found some dance band music.
"Ah, that's better!" She smiled.
"Can I have half of Mild, a Port and Lemon and a packet of Pork Scratchings, please Misses." Ordered a man in a trilby hat, scarf and a long overcoat.
"'Ere! Not so much of the 'Misses', either!" Colleen ranted, mortally offended.
"Sorry, Misses - I mean..."
"Oh! Never mind. Good evening Constable Buckton and how are you this evening?" Colleen asked the young Police Woman as she stepped into The Old Neptune public house.
"Good evening Mrs. Smart." Charlie Buckton answered, glancing around the bar.
"Are you here socially or are you looking for a suspect?" Colleen whispered, narrowing her eyes.
Charlie tried to suppress a smile.
"Neither. I was looking for Mr. Stewart."
"Oh! He's in the back, Constable, if you'd like to go straight through." Colleen said, directing Charlie to the back room.
***
Charlie tapped on the door and stepped into the room. It was the first time she'd been there for over two years, not since she'd followed a very distressed young barmaid, who subsequently changed Charlie's life.
"Good evening, love!" Alf said as he rose from his arm chair. "Can I help you with anything?"
"Good evening, Alf. Sorry to disturb you. The Detective Chief Inspector asked me to pop by and request that you, in your capacity as Captain of the Whitstable Home Guard, and your men, attend a meeting tomorrow evening about V1 Rockets. The St. John's Ambulance, WRVS and Civil Defence are all attending." Charlie explained.
"I'll be there, love. What time?"
"Nineteen hundred hours, in the village hall.
"Right oh."
Charlie bid him goodnight and left via the back door; Charlie had little intention of encountering Colleen Smart again, who would undoubtedly cross examine her for details of Charlie's 'interview' with her brother.
***
A blast of cold air gusted off the sea and made Charlie shiver as she walked back towards town. She wrapped her 'great coat' around her and put her head down, battling against the elements. At least there would be a nice hot cup of tea waiting for her when she got home.
***
"You'll never know just how much I miss you; you'll never know just how much I care!" Ruby Buckton sang at the top of her voice in the tin bath. "And if I tried, I still couldn't hide, my love for you. You ought to know, for haven't I told you so, a million or more times?"
"Shut up, Ruby!" Vince Leah, the son of Charlie and her sister Ruby's land lady, yelled.
"Shut up, yourself! You should be honoured to be listening to me sing!" Ruby yelled back.
"She's got a voice like a band saw!"
"That's quite enough, Vince." His mother, Janet warned as she washed up. "Ruby's got a beautiful singing voice."
"That's a matter of opinion." The young boy scoffed.
"You won't be saying that when I'm singing with Jack Hylton's Band!" Ruby called as she walked to her bedroom, wrapped in a towel.
Vince poked his tongue out.
"Is she really going to sing with a dance band?" Vince asked, looking up at his mother with a frown.
"Not as long as Charlie has any say in it, love." Janet Leah answered hanging tea cups on the hooks of her Welsh dresser.
"Evening all!" Charlie said as she entered the warm kitchen. "Gosh! It's cold out there tonight!"
Charlie's cheeks were rosy red and her blue eyes, bright. She took off her coat and removed her uniform cap.
"The forecast doesn't fare any better." Janet said, taking one of the freshly washed tea cups from a hook on the dresser and pouring Charlie a hot cup of tea. "Irene Roberts told me that we're in for a hard winter."
"How does she know?" Vince asked, looking up at his mother. "Is she a witch?"
"She's been studying nature, Vince!" Janet chuckled and glanced at Charlie.
"What, the birds and the bees?" Vince enquired; his eyes widening.
Charlie and Janet laughed.
"No, sweetheart! You can tell by certain signs, like bushes being loaded with berries and when the birds started to flock and leave for warmer climes." Janet smiled.
"Where's Ruby?" Charlie asked.
"She's in her room; she's just had a bath. She'll probably want you to help her empty out the tin bath in a minute."
"Ooh! I wonder if the water's still warm. I think I'll have a quick dip first!" Charlie said, trotting towards the bathroom with her tea cup.
"Yuck! I wouldn't, not after Ruby's been in there!" Vince called after her.
"Vince!" His mother Chastised.
***
Charlie knocked at her sister's bedroom door.
"Evening, Ruby!"
"Hi Sis. Had a good day?" Ruby enquired, dusting herself with talcum powder.
"Not bad. Cold out tonight. You going out?"
"No, but I am on Saturday afternoon! Gotta date!" Ruby announced, proudly.
"Oh yes!" Charlie said, her eyes widening with curiosity. "Anyone I know?"
"Geoffrey Campbell."
"What, Annie's brother?"
"Yes. You don't mind do you?" Ruby asked tentatively.
"Well, no. Geoffrey seems a nice enough boy, but don't forget he's a couple of years older than you." Charlie warned, leaning her shoulder against the bedroom door architrave.
"What difference does that make?"
"Two years counts as ten at your age. Mark my words!" Charlie grinned. "Gonna jump in that tin bath to see if you've left me any hot water!"
"I've just put a kettle of boiling water in it for you, Charlie! Might pep it up a tad." Janet called as she walked away from the bathroom.
"Ooh ta, Jan. You're an angel!"
"You keep your soft talk for the Navy!" Janet grinned.
"Hey Charlie! Guess what I've got you for your birthday?" Ruby teased.
"Well, I hope it sparkles!" Charlie grinned.
"What would you like more than anything else in the whole, wide world?" Ruby asked through narrowed eyes.
Charlie smiled shyly and walked into the bathroom, her face blushing.
Ruby smirked.
***
Charlie took off her Police uniform and draped it over the chair. She dipped her toe in the tin bath; the water was just about bearable. She sat down and looked over at the enamel bath, with the black line painted around it to indicate the water level, and sighed.
It will be wonderful when Janet allows us to use it again. A proper lay-in bath and hot, steamy water to wallow in! And soap by 'Yardley'. Hummm.
"Oh Charlie! Did you see your letter?" Ruby asked, popping her head around the door.
"No! Is it from...?"
"You bet!" Ruby grinned. "I removed it to a place of safety. Vince was eyeing it. Think he wants the stamp. I thought you might like to read it before he starts decimating it!"
"Thanks, sweetheart." Charlie smiled appreciatively at her sister.
"It's on your bedroom mantle piece!" Ruby added before she closed the bathroom door.
Charlie stretched out as far as the tin bath would allow; her heart giving a little whoop of delight. A letter! What better birthday present!
It was the first in a week! The main Sorting Office in Canterbury had taken a direct hit from a V1 Rocket eight days previously and had terribly disrupted mail deliveries, which of course included letters from love ones at a distance.
Charlie splashed water over her body and began to soap herself with the bar of red carbolic which was on the side.
Horrible stuff! Only fit for the kitchen! Charlie thought to herself. Then she smiled.
A letter, at long last!
***
Charlie made short work of her ablutions; the water chilling very quickly and the bathroom temperature dropping rapidly as the evening drew on. She jumped out, wrapped a towel around herself, picked up her uniform and made for her room.
She closed the door and immediately, her eyes fell upon the envelope perched on the mantel piece. The familiar writing on the envelope made her heart leap with excitement. Charlie carelessly tossed her uniform onto a chair and reached for the letter. Her index finger slowly traced along the first line of the address and she smiled, knowing that her lover's hand had lovingly penned it. Unable to contain herself any longer, she reached for her letter opener and carefully slit it open, under and along the flap at the back. She placed the letter opener back onto the bedside cabinet and gently removed the letter. She lifted it to her face and breathed in the scent which she knew Joey would have dabbed on before sealing the envelope. The scent was precious. Charlie had managed to purchase a small bottle of Bourjois 'Evening in Paris', with some difficulty, and presented it to Joey on her last leave home.
Charlie pulled on her dressing gown and lay back on her bed, prepared to be happy and lose herself in her lover's words for at least the rest of the evening.