Sister Evangelina had a quandary.
One delivery pack to, well, deliver and not a single nurse in blessed sight to do it. She couldn't go herself – she was the last one in and Lord knows would happen if there was a call now. There would be words to be had with Nurse Franklin for leaving it behind the moment she dared show her face for tea. The Sister sighed loudly as the pack stared at her from the treatment room table. What to do?
That pack had to go today as in the alternative their otherwise exemplary standards would marred by tardiness and that would simply not do by any means whatsoever! Quickly the Sister glanced over the rota on the sheet of paper in her hands. No, nobody. She could only hope that there may be a call up that way and Mrs Myles would get her delivery pack as promised.
Sister Evangelina picked up the box, deciding to leave it in a prominent place that someone somewhere might receive the rather broad hint and take it up there for her if they were nearby on a call. Either that or Nurse Franklin might actually remember that she had left it behind and take it upon herself to account for her forgetfulness. Placing the pack down in her chosen spot Sister Evangelina shook her head despairing, and annoyed, and she walked towards the kitchen, placing her hand on her throat. She was sure she was developing a cough too and perhaps, honey and lemon might attend to that awful sensation when she swallowed. That wasn't helping her mood by any means to pick up a Summer cold and she was close to the edge.
As the water in the kettle boiled away she heard someone come downstairs and into the kitchen.
"Sister?" Chummy asked as she walked in; a curious look on her face if ever the Sister had seen one.
"Nurse Browne!" Sister Evangelina exclaimed, taking the kettle off the ring. "To what do I owe your company?"
"There a delivery pack on the hall table" Chummy announced; unusual to find it there as she walked past on her way for a glass of water wondering if anything if someone had rushed out on a call and left it behind by accident.
"Well would you ever know it?" Sister Evangelina replied, resting her hands down on the edge of the worktop, patience with life currently wearing rather thin and not being afraid to hide it. "And before you make any further silly statements, I am the one who left it there and before you ask why, perhaps you would care to take that up with Nurse Franklin once she decides to grace us with her presence again".
"Sorry Sister?" Chummy asked, floating around, really quite unsure why the Sister seemed to be in a temper with her for a simple question.
"Mary Myles. She was intended to have that delivery pack by twelve noon today. It transpires it remains here at gone four!" Sister Evangelina replied, taking up the kettle and pouring it into a waiting mug.
"She's Empson Street isn't' she? " Chummy asked. "Number 3? The room on the bottom floor at the back?"
"I do believe she is" Sister Evangelina replied suspiciously, looking across and wondering why the Nurse seemed to be interested.
"Would you like me to take it?" Chummy offered seeing the Sister obviously hesitate at the question.
"Take it?" she replied. "It's your day off".
"I know but if it helps and one is rather at a loose end" Chummy replied. All her jobs for today had been done and she had thought about some fresh air. She may as well kill two birds with one stone as it were; take the pack and take in the air.
The Sister shrugged as she stirred in a teaspoon of honey. "If you insist…."
The sky was getting greyer by the second and by the time she crossed over the river, Chummy was starting regret not cycling. Walking had seemed to be a good idea as she departed Nonnatus with the pack under her arm, but now she had made it to the main road, it was almost certainly going to rain and do it sooner rather than later. There was a respectable little café on the bottom end of Devons Road. Perhaps she could slip in there if it started to look like it was going to pour down if it caught her on the way up. She picked up her pace slightly as the darkening clouds moved in.
The parcel delivered she stepped out of the old Victorian house and the sky was still that grim shade of grey as it overshadowed Poplar, obscuring what sun there was and looking fit to burst. Chummy stared heavenward for a second sending up a quiet prayer, just enough time to get her back to Nonnatus would be most acceptable thank you very much if you could. As she raised her eyes again, just to make sure, she felt a single drop of water land with a splatter on her cheek.
"Blast it!" she cursed under her breath, seeing more drops mar the cobbles in front of her. "Bally typical!" She had a coat on, but it wasn't really suitable for the rain as she took a step back under the doorway. Looks like it is that café after all she thought even though wasn't the way she envisaged spending the rest of her day off, sitting whilst she waited for the rain to go off. Still standing, under the lip of the door frame she heard her name.
"Camilla?"
She looked down quickly seeing Peter standing at the foot of the steps. "Hello" he smiled, having spotted her from the other side of the road; nicely surprised to see her as he walked up the four steps to her side.
She couldn't stop returning his smile. There was something about it that was contagious. "I thought you were on nights this week" she noted. She hadn't volunteered for the off chance that she might see him knowing where he lived – although it might have been nice and it seemed that someone was listening to her.
"I am" Peter replied, coming to stand with her under the door frame as that handful of spots of rain were now certainly more. "I couldn't sleep so I went for a walk".
"Couldn't sleep?" she asked, worried, probably unnecessarily, but still. He was hovering beside her, six inches between their elbows not wanting to stand too close; hands clamped behind his back.
"Nothing new" he replied, squinting up at the ominous sky too. "Just gets like that sometimes. Last night was busy with that accident down in the docks and two shifts were out trying to sort out the mess". Mess it had been as well and what he had witnessed had haunted what little sleep he did have; his mind still on telling that far too young wife with a baby on her hip and a tired toddler at her feet that he was ever so sorry but the accident had been fatal.
Chummy nodded. She had heard something had gone on but not too many details and knew he couldn't really tell her. "So are you on your way for your walk or coming back?"
"Coming back" Peter replied. "Quite glad really with all this!" he responded, gesturing upwards. "Walking usually helps". How many miles around Poplar he had covered, both on duty and off, he daren't add up.
All of a sudden she seemed lost for words, just wishing he might budge closer to her as she was getting chilly. "Are you going back to Nonnatus?" he asked, not really wanting her to right now.
"I was thinking of going to that café - Lewis'? - to wait for the rain to go off" she replied, examining the sky again.
"It's shut" Peter replied bluntly as she turned with a questioning look on her face. "The chap that owns it – his wife died last Sunday. It's shut for the funeral today". He'd walked past it not just ten minutes ago and saw the scruffily handwritten sign attached to the door.
"Oh" she responded. She didn't know them, only said hello when they had been in there that one time. "Well if that is the case, one supposes one best get back to Nonnatus. Rain or shine!"
"Would you…?" he began. "Would you like to come up with me? I make better tea than that café…" he concluded, trying to make a joke out of his hesitance but not wanting to bring a close to this opportune meeting.
"Up to your lodgings?"
"You don't have to…" he replied, realising he had probably just blown it; jumped head first too quick. "I mean….you can come up if you want to but I don't mind if you don't and I could walk you back now if you'd rather.…"
"Isn't your Landlady there?" she asked, knowing certain visitors were strictly not allowed but he had got her thinking.
"In Margate, visiting her sister apparently" Peter offered. "Went on Sunday; back this Sunday".
"Oh" she replied. To him it sounded like a rather hesitant puff of breath.
"But its fine if you don't want to…." he concluded, eyebrows raised hoping to impress the point that she could say 'no' even though he would very much like it if she said 'yes'.
"No…" Chummy responded, deciding for once that she'd do something for herself. After all, it's the middle of the day; no landlady about and she really had no cause to question him otherwise. "I'd like to".
Peter smiled widely. "Come on then" he said, far too brief the gentle tap on her hand, "if we walk quickly we can probably miss the rain before it really starts".
The pair shot up the road, one eye on the sky and with her heart hammering.
"You can sit down you know…." Peter smiled, leaning around the kitchen door frame as she lingered in the sitting room. She had already floated up all four flights of stairs behind him as he led the way and opened up the door. She knew he wouldn't jump on her underneath but her nerves were not listening. Anyone else might have done except him although what was that lingering in the back of her mind? She might like it if he did? Chummy blinked quickly and walked across the thinning carpet to the settee; sitting and sinking down, clamping her hands between her knees as her eyes wandered over the sparse decoration, tired furniture and the rain now battering the small window.
Peter arrived by her side again, cup of tea for her in hand, which she took, breathing in the steam as it rose towards her. She noticed he sat on the armchair to her left rather than next to her on the settee. "Thank you" she whispered.
"Pleasure". Did she see he was nervy too? She'd seen that face when he'd asked her out - well when Sister Evangelina broadly suggested that he take her to the cinema - but she'd assumed then it was due to his audience. Here there was no congregation except her and the look, she was sure, was still there.
"What time are you back on shift tonight?" she asked, thinking for a moment that despite how plain the place looked that brief sight of the roofs of Poplar out of the window, attracted her no end and she was starting to feel inexplicably comfortable; even if the settee was a little saggy under her behind. A thought encroached that she might have to do something about that one of these days until she shoved it firmly away. Talk about getting ahead of yourself!
"Seven until seven and then next week I'm doing the same" Peter replied, interrupting her wandering mind and taking a sip of his own tea. He didn't have entertain much so it was mugs and no saucers.
"Next week?" she inquired, remembering something that he had told her a date or two past. "I though you only did one week of nights a time".
"Yes, that's the way its mean to be but I do it once in a while" he responded. He didn't tell her why really. It was a combination of time and half that should give his little pot of savings a boost to pay for that present he had spotted to give her for Christmas and, perhaps more pressing, sadly having no-one to come home to. Neither she needed to know quite yet, particularly the latter and how much he might like it if there were.
Chummy nodded and took a sip of her tea too. "This is much better than that café" she smiled. "Much better company…."
Peter smiled. "I'll take that as a compliment for my hospitality services".
"Well it is" she whispered pleased he hadn't said anything that would mortally embarrass her. It was very strange to be handing out compliments and indeed for that taking them too. This time though it didn't feel forced and he hadn't given her a withering look in response at her attempt to be friendly.
"Peter?" she asked, seeing him look up and expect a question. "Please don't take this the wrong way, but please don't tell anyone I've been up here with you. Alone".
He looked at her inquiring for second. "I won't".
Chummy felt as though she should explain further. "Our….friendship. I don't want my mother to…" she was about to say 'know', but she replaced with it 'interfere'. "I don't want her to interfere". She knew deep down why she was about to say she needed to keep him a secret from her family, but it would hurt him so she kept her counsel. When she had the strength and dug up some confidence, perhaps that would change.
"So you want me for yourself?" he asked, realising immediately he had put his foot in it. Shush, Noakes, you absolute flaming idiot! Stupid thing to say! Do you want to scare her off? It was only him thinking how rather right it felt to have her sitting under his roof and he hauled himself back from the precipice so his brain could regain control over his mouth.
Chummy didn't react though. She didn't know how to react but he knew he had to rescue himself.
"Camilla I do understand that it's not the done thing for a single girl to be alone in a chap's lodging, but I will keep whatever secrets you want me to keep. I won't do anything that will hurt you", he concluded, trying to impress on her that he meant it, watching her circle the mug in her hands. She raised her eyes from the swirling tea in front of her and wondered whether she could believe him. "I honestly won't" he continued.
She smiled tightly. "Thank you".
The walk with its combination of tea and company seemed to have done the trick with the tired Constable and as they talked of minor and incidental things, she saw him suppress a yawn and although unintentional, she took it has her cue to leave. "I must get back. Sister Evangelina will wonder if I've been kidnapped" she said suddenly, tea cup dry and having refused a second.
"Do you want me to walk you back?" he asked.
"No" she replied, shaking her head quickly; saying no too quickly too. "You need to rest. Get your sleep".
Chummy could still feel his hand in hers as she walked along the road, stepping over puddles after the short spurt of heavy rain that had crashed down on Poplar just minutes before, the last droplets falling as he squeezed her hand as they stood in the doorway saying goodbye.
Secrets to be kept from her family; those who could claim they were meant to love her. Now from her friends too of her visit today.
As much as it pained her, yes, they were secrets and she had no choice.