Babies and burglaries had prevented him on three occasions now from speaking to Sister Julienne and for that, from seeing Camilla for longer than he cared for too. The lady herself, as each day rolled by, had become increasingly agitated at the thought of this conversation still to come but there had never seemed to be an opportunity for it to take place, each moment snatched by a seemingly more pressing event.
Friday had rolled around and as the girls prepared for the dance, Chummy slipped out to the hallway to seek the letters that she had been meaning all day to collect. Instead however, she found Sister Monica Joan standing in the hallway with the front door slightly ajar as she peered out into darkening evening. Although she only saw her from the back, Chummy could almost feel the terror that seemed to be pervading from her very bones.
"Sister?" she asked quietly to no response, before the Sister must have realised her presence and turned her head.
"I am afraid you must be most careful my dear", the Sister said, whispering, closing the door quietly behind her. "There are some ruffians standing at the bottom of the steps. I do feel very much that we must telephone the Police".
"Ruffians?" Chummy replied, having not seen anybody in the brief glimpse she had from the doorway before it was closed. She had also not heard the word 'ruffians' for years.
"Yes. Four young men" the Sister replied, still her voice so quiet, her back leaning against the door hands clasped to her chest. "I must telephone the Police! It is an utmost urgent occurrence!"
"Sister, stay there. I will look", Chummy replied, seeing the elderly lady's eyes dart from side to side in increasing panic, churning over in her mind what was the most tormenting of sights. Each and every Nun and Nurse were quite used to children and teenagers playing football so if it was any of the usual suspects Chummy knew she would have no hesitation in asking them to be quiet.
"I do not know who they are!" the Sister continued, moving away to stand behind Chummy. "Only the Lord will help us if they decide to besiege the ramparts! I did tell them that the battlements were simply too vulnerable but would they listen to me? No they will never listen to me!" Chummy could see out of the corner of her eye that the Sister was shaking her head.
"It will be fine and dandy Sister", she replied, moving towards the door. "Let me see".
The Sister stood aside with a 'please be most careful' falling from her mouth.
Carefully Chummy opened the door a crack, now seeing the four figures standing by the advertising hoarding with their backs to the building. She closed the door quietly.
"It's quite alright Sister. It's Jimmy and Peter", she said not actually knowing the names of the two others, both Police Officers, who were with them. "They are just waiting for us".
"Us? Us? Why would they be waiting for you and me?" she asked curiously, brow furrowing voice increasing in haste at this situation unfolding before her eyes.
"I meant they are waiting for me and the girls", Chummy replied realising her choice of word might not have necessarily been the most suitable. "We are going to the dance".
"You are going to a ball?" the Sister asked, face suddenly lighting up.
"Yes Sister" Chummy replied, not being the slightest bit inclined to explain the difference.
"Oh how wonderful!" she replied, her face having changed from fear to almost childish joyfulness in a trice. "I always thought going to the dance was an awful imposition but oh, the music! The dresses!" she continued swirling the hem of her habit as though it was some delicate silk.
"Did you know that he would always escort me?"
Chummy was just about to ask who 'he' was when Trixie, Jenny and Cynthia appeared.
"Are we early or are they late?" Trixie asked, skirt swinging as she tucked her bag underneath her arm.
"They are early and outside" Chummy said, nodding her head behind herself about to direct Sister Monica Joan back into the kitchen as Jenny and Trixie walked past. She noticed that Jenny had kindly collected her handbag too.
Chummy placed a hand quietly on Cynthia's arm to ask her to wait.
"Could you help me find one of the Sisters? One doesn't think Sister Monica Joan is feeling too tip top".
"Of course", Cynthia whispered, seeing herself how agitated the sister seemed to be, the brief exchange regarding their destination having done little to change her obvious state.
Once they had carefully installed Sister Monica Joan under the care of Sister Bernadette, Cynthia and Chummy said no more about her situation as they walked swiftly to catch up with the rest of their party.
By the time they reached the Parish Hall, the dance was already in full swing and the girls slipped quietly to the seats at the back as Peter, Jimmy, and the two other officers were assigned to the bar.
Cynthia had been quite looking forward to this particular birthday. It was her third at Nonnatus but the first where she had truly felt at home, now with Jenny, Trixie and Chummy by her side. The dance, even though she would be more than happy to sit on the side lines and watch, seemed to be the perfect opportunity to unwind and enjoy themselves as winter set in. It was an early celebration through as the day itself was not until Sunday.
The table was fuelled by the men of the party and the first event of the evening had to be a toast.
"Happy Birthday!" they all chorused as glasses were clinked and kisses exchanged under the din of 'Twenty Flight Rock' and a low level of cigarette smoke that had already clung to the ceiling.
"Did you get your parcel?" Jenny asked knowing that the postman had delivered a rather interesting looking package just that morning.
"Yes. It's from my brother and sister in law, with strict instructions not to be opened until Sunday!" Cynthia replied, voice raised to allow the group to hear her speak. "It will be perfume", she continued. "They always send perfume".
The group smiled as the music swelled and the first sips of their drinks were taken and for a moment they seemed content to swop small talk about birthday presents of the past, particularly those that were rather useless or just plain odd. There had been sympathy and laughter and gasps of horror at the increasingly ridiculous presents they were all recalling as memories were triggered and the birthday girl herself had found she was enjoying this dance perhaps more than any other.
As the evening wore on, Trixie was attracting rather a lot of attention as the group had lost count of the seemingly endless list on her dance card, barely a moment to sit and take a drink before her next suitor for the evening arrived at the side of the table.
"Is she off again?" Jimmy noted, having taken his turn to collect further drinks from the table that in this life acted as a bar.
"She is!" Jenny replied, smiling, seeing Trixie wind herself across the dance floor.
"Well are you too?" Jimmy asked, leaning close so Jenny could hear him. "Come on!" he continued, holding out a hand. With a reluctant smile she stood up thankfully hearing the band had now begun to sing in slightly less enthusiastic strains and she would not find herself flying across the dance floor.
Cynthia too found herself, under enormous protest, being hauled onto the dance floor by a friend of Peter's, leaving him and Chummy; glued to each other's sides at they had been for the majority of the evening.
"Fresh air?" he whispered to her.
She nodded at him and took his hand as they walked through the dance floor, out of the Parish Hall to a quiet corner.
He shut the door, locking out the strains of 'All Shook Up' as it began to reverberate around the walls.
"I know we are meant to be enjoying ourselves," he stated, slipping into the space where she had taken herself leaning against a wall. "But do you think it might be convenient for me to speak to Sister Julienne tomorrow? The sergeant is pressing me to speak to her quickly".
Chummy nodded.
"Yes of course. Saturday is Sister's day she prepares the rotas so she will be in at Nonnatus all day".
He nodded. "Can you arrange for me to see them both at noon?"
"I can", she replied, seeing him smile in thanks. "Peter?" she asked, toying with the sleeve of his jacket. "She is ill you know".
"Who?"
"Sister Monica Joan. She didn't mean to hit him", she said, trying to extract a note of pleading from her voice. The last thing she wanted him to think was that she was trying to use her position as his bride to be to persuade him not to have that dreaded conversation.
"I know she didn't, but I have to do my job Camilla".
"I know", she replied. "But, she is so frightened Peter. There are some days where she barely knows who we are".
"She assaulted him Camilla and she has no recognised defence to it".
"She isn't well…."
"That's mitigation", he continued, before he paused. "I am sorry, Camilla. I know what you all feel for her but I can't not speak to her".
"No, I know". He could hear the resignation in her voice, knowing deep down that she was far too honest to be trying to persuade him to overlook it. It was an odd quandary though. He would always try to do his level best to ensure she was happy but here he was, knowingly making her sad and it did not sit.
"Do you want to go back in?" she asked.
"Not really" he replied, leaning over and giving her a kiss on the cheek, trying to let her know that he felt just as horrific about this as she did.
"I'd rather be sitting in Empson Street with you. If it wasn't Cynthia's birthday I might have suggested it instead".
He saw her smile, but still seeing her miles away, a worried look still on her face.
"If I didn't have to, I wouldn't Camilla". She could tell from his face how genuine the words were.
"No, I do know that. Really I do". This time she leant across and kissed him, knowing they were tucked out of the way behind a wall, so she could linger longer as she felt his hand slide up her cheek.
To their side, however, they heard a throat being cleared loudly. Turning, they saw Trixie standing with her hands on her hips and an eyebrow raised.
"I do very much hope that I did not see what I just saw! I had thought I had brought you up better than that Camilla Browne!"
"Sorry Mater!" Chummy replied, her hand how having slid down to join his.
"And so you ought to be!" Trixie continued, smiling knowing that both would take her comments in nothing less than the utmost affection. "Shameful behaviour if ever I saw it!"
Chummy felt Trixie's arm slide into hers, squeezing with genuine affection.
"You do realise you two are going on that dance floor right now?"
"Trixie, no!" Chummy replied, hearing Peter laugh by her side.
"I am not taking no for an answer you know" she continued opening up the door to the main room again, the music suddenly so loud that Chummy's further protest was well and truly lost as she felt Peter tug at her hand.
"Come on" he whispered as they slipped into the crowd for the one and only time that night, their conversation outside left in its place until tomorrow at noon.