Finally at the top of the hill, Patsy and Delia looked over the rolling green hills.
"Y'know Deels, I could almost be angry with you" Patsy smirked. "Keeping all this to yourself" she laughed teasingly as she gestured toward the countryside.
"But you won't be" Delia laughed back.
"Oh and why is that?" Patsy questioned.
"Because you love me" she tossed over her shoulder with a mischievous grin.
It was in these moments that Patsy knew so many things to be true. Her rational mind separated out the things that she knew she could prove with empirical evidence. In boarding school she had excelled at Biology because everything was in front of you. Once you cut open the frog you can see all the working parts. (Patsy had never been one of those squeamish girls for she had seen far worse than they could ever imagine. Animal parts was nothing to her.) In the same way she had dissected emotions in such a way that all she saw was causes & effects.
Love had come to equal loss. Desire led to torment. Fear overcome by courage.
These were indisputable in Patsy's mind, until one woman had smashed through all these preconceptions. And now while the redhead was surrounded by the sublime Welsh countryside, it was only Delia Busby that she could see. Or even wanted to see.
Startled out of her thoughts she felt another hand entangling in her own.
"Are you alright Pats?" She whispered in your ear leaning in closely.
You turn your head towards her and smile. She brushed a piece of hair behind her lover's ear.
"I know that we probably won't ever marry properly. But really you are my wife y'know?" She said genuinely.
"Of course you are Pats. After 15 years I bloody well better be" she smiled cheekily. Delia seemed intent on keeping things light so as not to be overwhelmed herself. Patsy could read her like a book.
"However, I'll never be Patsy Busby" she shook her head laughingly.
"Then Delia Mount it is?" She nodded her head disapprovingly. "Nope, not happening" Delia continued as they walked hand in hand over the rolling hills back toward Busby farm.
It looked as if they had arrived at the pub early. Plenty of blokes were ready to make an early start of it, but no sign of Gerald. Wordlessly the two women communicated with each other who would grab a table and who would go to the bar. This pantomime had been perfected over the years to the point where it only required the minimal amount of movement. The bartender seemed quite impressed, as did some men at the bar.
"A gin and tonic for me and some Bourbon for her" Patsy ordered as she reached into her purse.
"You're not from around here are you?" She heard a male voice ask from the bar. She forced herself to hold in a groan. When would men just give it rest? She asked herself sighing.
"What gave me away?" She smirked looking toward him. To be honest he wasn't so bad a chap. Young, strong chin, big broad Welsh shoulders. She briefly thought about putting him down softly.
"Charlie, you've got no chance with this one" she heard from behind her. It was Gerald's jovial tone that made her chuckle as she took the drinks from the bar. Heading towards where Delia had grabbed a table she heard him dispatch the lad.
"Now back to your wife Charlie! She's waiting at home" he shooed him away.
Patsy & Delia giggled over their drinks as Gerald sat down with his own.
Delia had the next round so she headed toward the bar. Business had started to pick up and yet she didn't like the idea of Patsy being left alone with her brother. Who knows what mortifying tale he was going to tell next? She had to save herself as well as Pats.
"Can I get another round please?" She shouted over the juke box. Normally she loved being in such a place where gaiety was a requirement. However, she hated having to leave Patsy feeling socially awkward. It was always difficult to know how much to say to family and she hated putting Patsy in an awkward position.
The bartender nodded at her order and Delia waited.
"Y'know your dad was a man among men" she heard from down the bar.
"I know" she nodded. Looking down the bar it was the usual crowd of Welsh men. All who most likely worked in farming or mining. Really there was only two jobs for men in Wales.
"He was in here every weekend telling us about a new medial procedural his daughter was involved in. Believed you hung the moon that one" she heard another measured voice.
It overfilled her heart to hear so even from strangers. She had settled herself long ago with the thought that she was the Busby disgrace. Never married, no children, no real settled home. All her childhood it had been drummed into her that all she needed could be claimed with the acquisition of "the right man". Even at sixteen she had known that wasn't in her future. Around pretty girls, well, she was all stutters and the fumbling of hands. That was until Janice Dyer had kissed her behind the gymnasium and she knew that men were not in her future. Still, she felt as if she'd lost any chance of her father's admiration. As much of a daddy's girl as she was...well her father was a traditional Welsh man. Her father wasn't built in such a way to understand what Patience Mount meant to her.
"So have you really seen a heart beating in someone's chest?" A man shouted down the bar.
Delia looked his way playfully.
"Yes, and Brit Ekland wasn't even in the room. Apparently a man can live without her" she smirked. They laughed back at her as she collected their drinks.
She looked toward where Delia seemed hung up at the bar. Of course, the brunette could deal with whatever these fellows had to throw at her. The years had taught each of them how to take care of themselves. It was more that Patsy was worried about being alone with her lover's brother. She wasn't great where family was concerned. It brought out an awkwardness that she supposed came from having no practice in dealing with in-laws. Still, Gerald was a fine person. He clearly came from the more merry side of the Busby tree. Which is what made the sudden serious look in his eyes all the more disconcerting.
"Delia told me about what happened to you in the war" he said solemnly.
A flash of irritation with Delia was tempered by a practiced brave face that Patsy flipped on.
"We all lost things in the war, I'm no different from so many others" she said taking a sip from her drink.
"Still, it's a cruel thing to walk thru life seemingly alone" he said solemnly.
"Yes, but I'm not alone. I have Delia" she looked over to where her girlfriend stood at the bar with a group of older gentleman.
"I just want to say, I know what people say about my sister. But as long as she's hurting no one, then I don't see why it's anyone's business who she builds a like with" he paused for moment considering his words. "As long as she's happy then the world can have it's opinions" he finished his pint.
Patsy could only nod at this sudden sign of solidarity. Over the years as they had been living and working in Poplar, they had become less afraid of exposure. They had celebrated the overturning of the sodomy laws and watched with horror the riots in America. Delia had been such a calming effect whenever she fell back on old behaviors. She had loosened up considerably in public and her paranoia lessened. Still, she knew that if they were caught out their careers would be over.
"What I mean to say, is that" he paused for an age and a broad smile broke out across Gerald's face. "You are family" he said sincerely. He raised his glass toward her. "Just don't hurt my sister or I'll be coming for you" he said with a laugh and a wink.
"It's not something I plan to ever do" Patsy drank the rest of her drink.
Gerald turned back towards the bar.
"Dee! Are you ever going to make it back here with my drink?!" He shouted over his shoulder.
Patsy gave a sigh of relief as her love made her way back toward the table.
"Simmer down you! He hasn't been an intolerable beast has he? My brother can be such a bore" Delia smirked as she slid in beside her girlfriend. Patsy instantly relaxed as she felt their hands interlock below the table.
"Well, it's only because my sister thinks she knows it all" he teased right back.
"Somebody had to in this family and it was Elin who got the birthing hips" she took a sip of her drink. "Speaking of Elin, is she coming tonight? I really want to see her and the boys" Delia asked.
"Dee, I wouldn't expect her. Sorry to say but our sister has taken a turn toward conservatism" Gerald explained.
"Oh god! She's not a Tory is she?" Delia scoffed in mock disgust.
"Worse. She's started a chapter of the GFW here in town. Thinks herself a savior of our Welsh values" he smirked.
Patsy sighed. These GFW ladies had become quite the epidemic across the country.
"Hopefully, she'll keep that rhetoric to herself tomorrow" Delia hoped.
"Delia, I don't think that she's coming to mam's dinner tomorrow" he replied.
"Why?" Delia asked exasperatedly.
And while Gerald didn't have to say it. Patsy could see the answer in his eyes. She squeezed Delia's hand as a response. The disappointment in the brunette's face broke her heart.
"So Gerald tell me more about…" she began to paper over the uncomfortable pause. It was a practiced response and the group returned to more jovial subjects.
Yet, as they walked home Patsy sought to console her girlfriend's obvious despondency. That night, as they lay, Delia found solace in the crook between her neck and shoulder. Settling there she sighed contently as the red head kissed the top of her head in return. Patsy resolved to make this up to Delia somehow even if it meant a bit of groveling was in order.
A/N: Thank you so much for your responses. I thrive off them so keep them coming.