He had always been there, the cheerful neighbour with the winning smile. Always ready with a friendly, "Good day to you" or "Keepin' alright?"
She knew about his tragic loss during the blitz and had admired the way he had kept his family together after the war.
Those 2 girls could be a right handful, everyone knew that, but no-one said anything of the sort within earshot of Fred Buckle.
When they chose to move out of London and start lives of their own, he had made sure everyone knew how proud he was of his daughters.
Violet Gee wasn't fooled, she knew he was hurting, but the cheery Nonnatus handyman would never let it show.
She watched the way he took care of things over at Nonnatus House. It annoyed her how folk didn't take him seriously. Like he was just one big joke. So what? If he was a bit of a laugh and some of his get rich quick schemes were comical at best, criminal at worst. But this was a man who had served in the war, who was brave and resourceful, a skilled man.
He served the parish, leading the Cubs and the Civil Defence Corp. She hadn't any interest in the Cold War, she didn't fear the bomb. She knew how to read a map the right way up, her Bert had always said she was a good navigator on their frequent Sunday jaunts and trips to Smithfield Market to buy his tripe. She enlisted in the volunteer service only to get to know its jovial but deceptively shy warden.
She saw the way he cared for the sisters and the young nurses. He maintained their bicycles, with as much care and dedication as he would a tank before going into battle.
He knew all their names and personalities, their peculiar quirks and idiosyncrasies. Nurse Franklin was good for a giggle, but don't tease her too much, she wasn't as confident as she would like people to believe. Nurse Lee had always been pleasant before she had moved on, but sometimes needed a fatherly hug or to feel she made a difference. Nurse Miller or Sister Mary Cynthia as she was now, was quiet and thoughtful, but probably recognised and appreciated the work he put in more than most.
He knew Nurse Gilbert was very close to her father and was often homesick. Nurse Crane he treated with the same respect he had for the sisters and helped her maintain her car, he admired her independence.
Violet knew he had become very fond of Nurse Noakes and felt her absence keenly. After her departure Fred had struck up a good working relationship with Nurse Mount. She had watched them when she supervised the Girls Brigade. The tall redhead had helped Fred get the Cub Pack back in-line. Patsy was a caring, conscientious girl, but Violet felt Fred hadn't been able to get to know her like the others. It was as if she couldn't quite let her guard down. Almost as if she was harbouring a secret and didn't want anyone to get too close.
The nice little Welsh nurse who worked for the St. John's Ambulance seemed to have been able to befriend Patsy, in a way the others hadn't and Violet was glad about that.
The nuns had a deep respect for Fred, Sister Evangelina would never admit it, but Mrs Gee reckoned she loved him like a brother. Sister Julienne trusted her handyman implicitly and routinely turned a blind eye to his shenanigans.
If Violet was asked by one of her many friends, what had attracted her to the crafty cockney, she would have said she liked a man's man. She wanted a man about the place again, but that wasn't really the case.
It had been Fred's gentleness that had first attracted her to him. Along with maintaining the bicycle shed and it's contents, ensuring the convent was warm, well lit and safe. Fred's other unofficial duty was to keep a close eye on the orders oldest member. It was this unrewarded self imposed task, that had brought Fred Buckle to Violet Gee's notice. His care of Sister Monica Joan revealed to Vi, a man with endless patience and unlimited compassion.
Later, he had also revealed to her, how concerned he had been about that business with Sister Bernadette. He had known the sister since she had first arrived as a postulant and had looked out for the young Scot, so far from home.
He knew the doctor was a good man. He had attended Mrs Turner's funeral, as had Vi and paid their respects like everyone else. He had afforded particular close attention to Timothy Turner at Cubs, not remaking on the boys tardiness and occasional moodiness. He had been a widowed father himself, he knew how hard it was.
He wondered, if he was not so much to blame, but the truth was,he had been supposed to collect the nun from the sanatorium. The morning his daughter Dolly had gone into labour. He was supposed to take her to Chichester, but he never got.
He later found out Dr Turner had fetched her back. Dr Turner was a good man,he knew that. Violet was now aware Fred had initially struggled to accept the changes. Something had happened on his watch and he couldn't entirely come to terms with it.
He had looked after the woman of Nonnatus since the end of the war. He too was a widower, he too knew loneliness. He also worked and sometimes ate alongside the nuns. He couldn't help wondering if the people of Poplar would have been so forgiving, if one of the sisters had left the order and their vocation for him?
Although he had too much respect for Dr Turner and affection for the woman, who was now Mrs Turner, to ever reveal even a hint of his self-reprimanding,Violet knew. She reassured him everyone deserves the benefit of the doubt, when it comes to love. He had nothing to reproach himself for and neither had the doctor. As his cousin, Tommy Mills had once said, it is love that makes us perfect.
When Sister Evangelina had come in for some fresh elastic to hold up her wool stockings. Mrs Gee had been nervous serving the forthright nun. It was common Poplar gossip by then, that the widow who owned the haberdashery was stepping out with the Nonnatus handyman. She was sure the sisters of Nonnatus did not indulge in parish gossip, but she also knew they took a keen interest in everything that happened within the wider community and especially the smaller inner community of Nonnatus House.
Violet had felt she had been slightly defensive when the nun had asked about the whereabouts of Mr Buckle. Requesting that if Mrs Gee, just happened to be fortunate enough to have the pleasure of his company, could she duly direct him in the way of the unruly Nonnatus fireplace.
She had responded by attempting to reassure Sister Evangelina, that her association with the convent caretaker was completely above censure and that her and Mr Buckle were old enough and far too experienced in the ways of the world, not to know how to conduct themselves appropriately and without reproach.
Sister Evangelina had smiled in a way that had reassured Violet. Informing Mrs Gee that the Order of Raymond Nonnatus were not strangers to the ways of the world either. No one would have expected that the kind but awkward Camilla Fortescue Cholmeley Browne would find love by assaulting a policeman with a deadly bicycle.
She went on to tell Vi, that no-one would have predicted that Nurse Lee's tragic loss would eventually lead her to a new vocation with a new love to support her. The Nonnatus family had been bewildered by Nurse Franklin releasing Mr Hereward from his promise, she may be cocky, but never flighty the old nun had added, Violet had been unable to hide a slight smile, at this.
As for the Turner's, the wise sage assured the shopkeeper, well in the end,we just can't choose where we love and neither can we predict what His path for us will be. Apparently for every old sock, the Lord did indeed provide an old slipper.
She also repeated a request from Sister Julienne, the pleasure of Mrs Gee and her fiancé's company was eagerly anticipated at Nonnatus House this Sunday for a celebratory High Tea. Fred's extended family were looking forward to becoming more intimately acquainted with it's newest member.
God had padlocked Violet Gee's heart to that of Fred Buckle and thrown away the key.