"Hello, you devilishly handsome creature!" Chummy whispered as Peter's parent's dog trotted up to her with his usual enthusiastic greeting, paws all over the place as he slobbered on her hands as she stepped over the threshold into the Noakes' modest house.
"I thought you were talking about me then…." Peter quipped co-incidentally walking down the stairs as his mother opened the door to Chummy. She couldn't look him in the eye in front of his Ma for a comment like that even though he was wearing one of his irrepressible smiles tonight it seemed.
"You can live in 'ope son" his mother retorted flatly, Peter walking past towards the back kitchen. "Out of ve way, you 'airy mongrel" she carried on pulling the dog away. "Camilla 'ere don't want your muddy feet all over 'er nice coat!"
"Its quite alright Mrs Noakes" she smiled down the dog, undoing her buttons as the disgruntled animal turned tailed and followed Peter into the kitchen, clearly knowing his presence wasn't welcome.
"Less of vat!" his mother interrupted. "It's Irene".
"Sorry" Chummy smiled, folding her coat over her arm as his mother took hers off the hook to put on. "Irene"
"Now will you to be alright you two?" Irene asked, loud enough for her son even though she didn't really give him the opportunity to respond as he reappeared from the kitchen with two mugs of tea in his hands and the dog at his heels. "Now I'll be back by ten, half ten at least" Irene carried on. "Ver's a cottage pie warming in ve oven an' don' worry about savin' any for me, workin' in vat place puts me off eatin' meat for days!" Chummy smiled and nodded. "And you son" she said pointing at Peter. "No mischief!"
For once in her life Chummy actually knew what his mother meant and after saying their goodbyes she locked the front door as his hands were full, feeling her heart flicker as she briefly caught his eye."Has your Mum got a new job?" Chummy asked, changing the subject as she hung her coat up on the peg in the hallway; the one vacated by his mother and receiving her tea to her hand.
"Another job…" he replied, gesturing for her to follow him into the sitting room."Number three I think it is now".
"I'm exhausted with one!" she exclaimed, sitting down on the settee by him side by side.
"She's always been like that" Peter replied. "When Dad couldn't work she just took on more jobs. Abattoir this time".
"Abattoir?"
Peter nodded. "Cleaning up the shop floor!" he exclaimed as Chummy grimaced. She knew that her own job had its moments, but carcasses and rotting cast off meat? "Dad didn't want her to do it, but its good money for the hours so he really didn't have a choice in it if they wanted to keep paying the rent". It had been with heavy heart that he had learned just this evening that their landlord had put the rent up even more and how he wished he could help rather than have his mother take on yet another job but it was near on impossible; particularly if...
"One supposes you could do a lot of things to keep a roof over your head" Chummy replied sympathetically, interrupting his thoughts and talking through a yawn. "Sorry" she apologised waving a hand at how rude she was being. Two minutes inside the warm house and she was ready to drop off.
"How much sleep did you get last night?" Peter asked. He'd seen her the odd time far too early in the morning; sometimes too far ahead of him to catch her up, but he'd often wondered how long she had been up but had never asked the question.
Chummy thought for a second as they sat, a respectable distance apart even though there was no-one to tell them off. "A couple of hours, three, four at most. I think". Days were blending into each other now, sometimes not knowing what hour it was from the next as daylight rolled endlessly into night and night into day. She had found herself wondering twice today if it was Friday after all.
"You could've cancelled tonight you know. I wouldn't have minded" he insisted, meaning it quite genuinely. He could house-sit with the dog easily on his own rather than make her trek all the way up here.
"No" she replied, shaking her head, entirely intent on seeing him even if she had wobbled on her bicycle on the way up as her eyes had closed for a blissful second. "We haven't said a word to each other for a week".
Peter smiled, seeing her suppress another yawn. "Come here" he said, putting his arm around her and pressing his lips to her temple as she moved across, passing him her mug to put down before she managed to spill it over his knee. "I've got comfy shoulders if you want to….?"
Without second thought she slipped her arm across his middle to make herself comfortable. Another kiss was pressed to her hairline as she settled in, seeing the dog give her a cursory glance, watching the flames in the fire crackle for a moment before Peter had to ask a question that had been burning in the back of his mind for over a day now.
"Did Sister Julienne speak to you the other night? About Saturday?" he asked after a moment's pause. Peter had been in two minds whether to bring the subject up but finally decided that perhaps he should if only to warn her or pre-empt what could well be a rather uneasy conversation between employer and employee one of these days.
"No why?" she asked, not really thinking it was anything serious; perhaps something about work so she wasn't really all that concerned as nothing had been said to her.
Peter suddenly had second thoughts and pulled a face that she did not see. "No, it doesn't matter".
"It does, tell me" Chummy replied, brushing her palm unconsciously over his belly. She felt so much better this past week or so about touching him; cuddling up thinking he wouldn't be pushing her away. He breathed in gently, knowing he was backed into a metaphorical corner now he had started the thread of his bothersome encounter with the Sister as he walked up towards All Saints and saw the Sister cycling towards him. The Sister had obviously not gone looking for him but took the moment to express her feelings on a certain subject.
"I was late bringing you back to Nonnatus" he stated, resting his cheek on the top of her head as the dog wandered back out.
"Ten minutes" Chummy responded, settling tighter to his shoulder, as though it was nothing in the world. No-one had said anything to her.
"Ten minutes too long" Peter replied, until she realised exactly what he was talking about and that Sister Julienne must have had a quiet word with him over her. "She spoke to me yesterday afternoon" he stated.
"What did she say?" Chummy asked anxiously her mind spinning ten to the dozen now wondering what on earth had been said to him to make him think he had to tell her so solemnly.
"Just to make absolutely sure I kept an eye on the clock next time" Peter replied. That was fundamentally it, even though it felt as though – as nice as Sister Julienne was about it – that he was truly being told off for keeping her away. "I should have brought you back in time, but I suppose we got carried away".
"It was ten minutes" she protested. It was a late bus that did it. A trip further afield to Whitechapel for a change and a late bus; nothing more nothing less. "Besides she is hardly Mater and well, one is slightly over the age of eighteen".
"She just cares about you" he responded, noting that was particularly true. "Wants you to be safe".
Chummy sighed, resting her palm flat on his chest. "Yes, but its you Peter. She knows you'll look after me; won't do anything…." She trailed off, she supposed she did realise that all the Sisters and the girls cared but it was something to wrap her sensibilities around that they were bothered if she was upset or hurt. She didn't want to think about that though, wonder about it, as if anything as she was far too comfortable and thoughts of Mater and Pa and their ambivalence to her wants and needs were not going to ruin it now. Speaking of parents…..
"Are you sure your Mum doesn't mind me being here?" she asked, twirling one of his shirt buttons around absently, conscious she was once again alone in a place where she shouldn't be with a man.
"Not at all" Peter replied. "Besides it's us doing her a favour with Dad not being here. She doesn't like the house being left empty and the neighbours couldn't take the dog tonight".
Peter was too relaxed to move, eyes distracted from the little pulls he felt of the button on his shirt, watching the said dog stroll back in again and flop down on the hearth rug right on cue. Taking little steps closer to her, he pulled her tighter intent on just sitting and resting, shutting his eyes until he felt - before he could stop it - a rumble of a burp.
"Peter. William. Noakes." she responded, face like thunder, shooting up from his arms as she enunciated his full name. "That is…just...just…outrageous!"
"You're laughing" he stated as a matter of fact, seeing her bolt upright and a sparkle in her eyes. She knew it was uncouth to laugh but perhaps it was more the fact that he'd not felt the remote need to excuse himself. Audacious, if she had to make further comment.
"I'm not!" she responded, consciously pulling the sides of her mouth down to not give herself away; hands primly on her lap.
"Besides it's a sign of appreciation" Peter protested putting his arm back out towards her to suggest gently she lay down again.
"For your own tea-making?" she asked slowly through heavily lidded eyes; skeptical.
Peter just shrugged and smiled. "You'll get a lot worse out of me in the next few years believe me!" He was starting to feel more secure in making comments like that around her and really didn't think twice about it anymore; and that included the churnings of his stomach. For once, Chummy didn't panic when he said it either but didn't really know what to say in response so she rested her head again and wondered for a second what she was actually meant to think now. He was at ease; that was obvious to act so casual and indeed not care about it, her suddenly realising it too that she too was starting to feel those embers of her mind opening to possibility and familiarity.
You'll get a lot worse out of me in the next few years believe me. She was quite looking forward to that in a perverse way if it was at all possible that he could be right.
Utterly ignoring what some may describe as an indiscretion, and indeed her mock indignation, Peter could see she was sitting twisted. "Put your feet up if you want" he offered. "Mum won't mind".
She was sitting awkwardly that way she would admit and settled closer with her legs up on the settee, leaning in closer to him. Peter saw the hem of her dress was turned over at the knee and reached across; his only intention to fold it back down again to cover her up. Instead, just as he was about to lift his hand away, her palm rested keeping him where he was.
"If we didn't have company", she began glancing sideways at the dog who was stretched out full length on the hearth rug. "I don't object". She saw a very brief frown as he worked out what she was implying. "We are getting closer to each other Peter" she stated, feeling daring even though she was stating a fact.
"I want to be close to you" he replied quietly thinking, rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand.
"You are" she replied, still studiously twisting his shirt button again.
"In every which way imaginable Camilla but at the moment that's just not possible" he whispered in response, pressing his lips to the top of her head again in reassurance if only for himself.
She wished it was possible and meant it and if he hadn't interrupted her with talk of their supper warming away in the kitchen, she might have just had to kiss him, dog or no dog and see if her courage would fail her. Instead though, she followed him into the kitchen where they sat at the table and ate, so deep in thought at what had transpired in those few short words that they ate quickly and barely exchanging a word Their dinner eaten they resumed residence on the settee, but both their eyes were closing and she sighed heavily, ready to fall firmly asleep.
"Why don't we go upstairs?" Peter said suddenly. It was intended as an innocent question, but Chummy quickly felt the palpitations in her chest, wondering if he was about to pick up the previous conversation from where he left off before dinner.
"What?" she peeped, not daring to look up.
"I'll set the alarm. I have to get you back for 10 sharp after all" he continued, not catching the tone of her voice. It was awkward being spoken to by Sister Julienne even though she was being more than nice about it Peter really didn't want that repeated any time soon and he had to deliver her back in time. "We both need a nap".
She gave in easily when she realised, feeling her heart ease back into rhythm and took his hand as they walked up the narrow staircase, turning to a room that overlooked the small back garden. "It's a bit of a squeeze" he said as he opened the door to his childhood sanctuary and letting her walk in first.
"Is this your bedroom?" she asked, eyes wandering around what was little more than a box room, a single bed jammed against one wall, bright blue curtains adorning the window and the tartan blanket slung across the bed.
"Was" he replied. "When I actually fitted in it" he concluded with a laugh as he kicked off his shoes. "Sit down. Lie down".
Chummy had left her shoes downstairs and sat, swinging her legs up so she was closest to the wall before Peter squeezed in after he set the alarm; just about fitting the pair of them under the red and green checked blanket.
"Settled?!" he joked. He hadn't been in that bed for years and it was no place for one adult let alone two.
"Completely", Chummy responded, not caring that there wasn't enough room at all, it was more ease of the heart than limbs.
"Good" he replied, holding onto her tight again. Her eyes were closing again, and she unconsciously hooked her ankle over his breathing in his warmth. Peter closed his eyes too, more to try and block out the fact he could feel every inch of her pressed into his side and there was some element of him regretting what had been a genuine thought.
"Is that alarm definitely set?" she asked quietly. He was so warm.
"Half past nine" Peter replied, breathing slowing. "Enough time for me to get you back".
Relaxed, comfortable, happy, at ease, all of those words were spinning around her as she closed her eyes again too.
Maybe staying here forever could be contemplated seriously after all.