"Excuse me?" came the voice from the body of the Parish Hall, bedecked in chairs and examination tables ready for the morning clinic.
Sister Bernadette and Trixie, from their place behind one of the curtains, heard the voice and stepped out, not expecting anybody for at least another twenty or so minutes.
"This is the Nonnatus clinic?" she asked, walking across the floor, tucking her handbag under her arm.
"Yes, it is" Trixie replied, disconcerted at this rather well dressed figure arriving in the middle of Poplar. "Although we are not strictly taking patients at the moment".
"But, if it is an emergency?" Sister Bernadette interrupted, ever so careful that the reason for the visit could be some worry or concern regarding the life that was clearly growing inside this visitor.
"Well, it is in a way", she replied. "Peter did say I could come and I know I am awfully early".
"Peter?" Trixie replied, knowing only one. "Chummy's Peter?"
"Yes," the woman replied, flustered. "I am sorry! One always forgets one should introduce oneself first before bursting into song! Veronica Browne" she smiled stretching her hand elegantly towards Trixie and then Sister Bernadette. "Chummy's sister in law"
"Yes of course!", Sister Bernadette replied smiling "She has talked about you so much. She is not going to be in clinic though. In fact I do believe she may be at home".
"Oh" Veronica replied, disappointment obvious in her voice. smoothing a hand over her stomach. "I was hoping to see her and well ask her a favour".
"Is it anything we could help with?" Sister Bernadette asked.
"No, well, yes" she replied. "I was hoping that one could an quick once over. I have felt simply rotten since our journey and I'd would just like to know baby is fit and well."
"Well I can attend to that" Sister Bernadette replied, "if you would like me to?"
"Would you? How wonderful! Thank you" Veronica replied, relieved.
"Hop up onto the bed and I can have a listen to Baby whilst its quiet". She felt Sister Bernadette take her by the elbow and guide her into one of the cubicles as Trixie went to fold sheets next door.
"So how far along are you?" The Sister asked.
"22 just before we left Australia, so 25 now", Veronica replied, taking off her coat and lying on the examination table, exposing her rapidly growing stomach.
"I would say that was most correct" Sister Bernadette continued as she rolled the tape measure away. "Measuring exactly 25 on the dot".
She saw her patient smile as the pinard was placed on her stomach. "I have just felt simply terrible, but I do wonder if it was the boat journey that was the culprit. I never sleep well away from home and I am rather tired I feel".
"Well Baby seems most happy where he or she is", Sister Bernadette continued, listening intently to the regular and very audible rhythm of the child's heartbeat.
"One supposes" Veronica continued, as the gentle hands of the Sister palpated her stomach, feeling for Baby's lie, "that I ought to be used to it by now - this pregnancy lark - but this one has been so very different".
"You have girls?"
"Yes. Three. I have photographs at the flat that I was going to bring Chummy but I shall bring them for you all when I finally catch up with her!" She paused. "I think this one might be a young chap at last even though Bob wants another girl".
"Sit up for me please" Sister Bernadette continued, slipping into Nurse mode, as she took up the blood pressure monitor. "How has your blood pressure been?"
"Low. But then again it has always been low; even before my girls".
"Dizziness?"
"None" Veronica replied, hearing the hiss of air from the blood pressure cuff.
"90 over 60" Sister Bernadette noted. "That is low, but if you do say it was low before your pregnancies, I very much doubt it is much to be concerned about now".
"Thank you Sister. You have no idea how much you have put my mind at rest", she continued straightening her dress. "I do wish Chummy was here. She has no idea about the baby and I wanted to surprise her. I might telephone her if she is at home".
"She is back on duty tomorrow afternoon if you do not catch her".
"Wonderful! Thank you so very much. I know one is repeating ones self, but you have no concept of how much help you have been!" Sister Bernadette saw the hand outstretched to her again and took it.
"I would suggest rest and relaxation after that journey. It would be difficult enough for someone who was not pregnant, so no rushing around and plenty of sleep".
"I will Sister. I will sleep better now I am not rocking from side to side!" Veronica laughed, tipping her head to imitate what had been a relatively awful boat journey.
Trixie, who had now removed herself to the ante room, and Sister Bernadette watched Veronica totter out of the Hall.
"I like her" Trixie said.
Still not knowing of her sister in law's visit, Chummy lumped a very full washing basket from the kitchen to the living room, finding her husband deep in his books. As soon as she set the basket down, behind them the telephone rang and with a smile Peter went to answer it, desperate for a break to stretch his legs, as she started to plug in the iron. The telephone call was brief and to the point and Peter reappeared barely a minute later.
"Who was it?" she asked, shaking out a Police shirt. He did not reply immediately, instead standing in the door way. "Peter?" she asked with a smile wondering what on earth the telephone call was. Abandoning the shirt laying it haphazardly down, she walked across. "What ever's the matter?"
"That was your mother" he enunciated quietly.
"Oh" was all she could muster in response.
"Inspection at half past eleven sharp tomorrow" he replied in a most military like manner, even though she could hear weariness. "It's a good job my shift doesn't start until noon so I can be here for at least a little while".
Chummy cleared her throat. "Well one does suppose I ought to finish these shirts then and make sure they are ironed before I can be criticised for a crease on a sleeve".
"I've never criticised you". He had completely gained the wrong end of the stick and she turned back. "Not you my darling" she replied, slipping her hands into his. "Her". She pulled him from the doorway and he followed, instead taking her to the settee and placing her down.
"I can change my shift if you want me to" he said, before he saw her shake her head.
"No, she is my mother. One should be able to attend to one visit without having an army of support".
"As long as you are sure. I can change the shift and you can change your mind".
She shook her head vehemently. "Thank you, but no", she continued, reaching across to kiss him in thanks. On the receiving end of an attempt to deepen the kiss, she placed a hand on his chest. "Hold onto that idea until I've finished that washing basket". She saw him pull a face that was nothing but a scowl and laughed.
"Second place to a creased shirt" he muttered as she got up, feeling her hand smooth over his cheek as she walked away. She could just about see him in the mirror above the fireplace, still scowling with his arms across his chest like a petulant five year old who had been refused his favourite pudding.
"Three creased shirts and two uniforms actually" she clarified.
The scowl lessened slightly when he remembered the pink envelope he had been passed for her.
"I was entertaining another woman last night anyway".
The thought that he was seriously confessing to adulterous behaviour never crossed her mind as she placed the iron carefully down. It did catch her attention though sufficiently well for her to enquire further.
"And who might that have been? Don't tell me it's that one from next door?" Next door was an elderly lady who must have been nearing her early 80s.
"Actually she was rather pretty" he replied casually.
"Peter!"
"Said her name was Veronica".
"What? Ronnie's been here and you failed to tell me?!" she exclaimed shooting across the room to the seat next to him.
"I haven't seen you to tell you".
"No," she replied. "That's true".
She saw him reach over and from the middle of one his law books, pulled out an overstuffed pink envelope.
"From the girls. Veronica came here last night to see you". He did not tell her about her sister in law's pregnancy, Veronica's last words to him being a plea not to tell his wife as she wanted to tell her herself.
"Oh, that's such a shame" she replied then thinking for a moment. "Mind you, there will be plenty of chances" she ruminated as she opened the envelope. Taking out its contents onto her knee a cacophony of pink and purple assaulted her. Carefully separating the wares she noticed a folded drawing and turned it over so they could see.
"That must be you and me" she exclaimed, seeing the two figures - a Policeman and a bride in the most enormous flouncy wedding dress imaginable - with stick arms and legs. Peter took the drawing, smiling as he did so. "It's a very good likeness!"
"Apart from the dress" Chummy replied. "One would have looked like a cloud of marshmallow walking down the aisle in something like that!"
He watched as she separated what was intended to be a bracelet - haphazardly cut pink hearts speared with pink cotton accompanied by a small tapestry of a flower and the letter 'G'. Chummy smiled. It had been two years since she had seen young Genevieve as she skipped her way across the lawn of her father's house, trying desperately to teach her youngest sister - far too much of a youngster to even manage a step or two - to trip across the grass with her. Little Lissy - Alice - trying to stagger after her was somewhat of a sight. That baby would be 3 now and Rosie, 'Miss Petal' as her father called her affectionately, would be 7.
Another childlike drawing was produced from the envelope; clearly this time the three girls and a black cat. A new addition, Chummy thought.
Peter too had found a picture; this time a photograph. "Camilla, look" he said holding up the photograph. Chummy bit her bottom lip, seeing three faces staring at her, each with jet black hair dressed in their Sunday best.
"I do so wish Ronnie had been able to bring them. I really do".